# What medals did Arizona sailors get? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 11, 2000, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056 "2000-01-11T12:16:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ChiefScott](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@ChiefScott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChiefScott)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056/1 "2000-01-11T12:16:00Z")
What medals, if any, were awarded posthumously to the officers and men who died aboard the _USS Arizona_ when it was sunk in Pearl Harbor? I know families were notified by telegram of the deaths of their sons, husbands and fathers, was there a name for these telegrams? I know Western Union was used later in the war, but in the early going, did an officer (CAAC officers we call them nowadays) make the notification at the home of the dead Marine, Sailor, Airman or Soldier? ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056/2 "2000-01-11T15:21:00Z")
IIRC, all soldiers & sailors get a Purple Heart if killed by enemy action. * * * The Canadians. They walk among us. William Shatner. Michael J. Fox. Monty Hall. Mike Meyers. Alex Trebek. All of them Canadians. All of them here. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_Next\_Door](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@Girl\_Next\_Door](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_Next_Door)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056/3 "2000-01-11T21:55:00Z")
**ChiefScott** , did I mention how very handsome you’re looking today? My my, that Girl By Sea is one lucky gal. * * * Leslie Irish Evans [http://leslie.scrappy.net](http://leslie.scrappy.net) ---
**Author:** ![manhattan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manhattan/32/7_2.png) [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056/4 "2000-01-11T22:25:00Z")
**Chief** , I searched the net as best I could, and I was unable to find an answer. I believe that there was not a medal given to all the crew, or to all the dead. I did find two Medal of Honor awards and one Navy Cross. There may be others. I know nothing about how next of kin were notified back then. ---
**Author:** ![Ursa\_Major](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/a88e57/32.png) [@Ursa\_Major](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ursa_Major)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056/5 "2000-01-11T22:48:00Z")
It’s likely that many of the families were contacted by the victims’ shipmates or friends living on Oahu before the Navy Department had a chance to notify them. It would be natural for a buddy or local girlfriend to pick up a phone and express their condolences to the fallen’s family. It’s not like they died in some far flung port or jungle. This is all supposition on my part. The military might have restricted all telephone calls to the mainland after the attack, for all I know. ---
**Author:** ![Icerigger](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icerigger/32/432_2.png) [@Icerigger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icerigger)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2000, 12:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-medals-did-arizona-sailors-get/6056/6 "2000-01-12T12:36:00Z")
I believe vetrans of the Arizona can have their ashes entombed aboard the ship. And after 59 years she is still leaking oil.