WW2OK USS Oklahoma Memorial ARC Rememberance of its loss 70 years ago Dec 7 1941

In Memory of the USS Oklahoma, which was lost in the opening minuets of the Second World War 70 years ago, when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii in a surprise attack on Sunday morning, December 7th 1941.

The USS Oklahoma Memorial Amateur Radio Club will activate the Special Event Station WW2OK in Remembrance of the loss of the Battleship Oklahoma BB-37 and 429 of her men on December 7 1941.

The American Military was caught by surprise that Sunday morning, as the United States had not been at war up to that point. The OKIE, like so many other boats and ships in the Harbor that morning, was moored, with most men either asleep, or on shore having weekend leave.

To make matters worse for the Oklahoma, she was preparing for a full ships inspection, as she was to welcome her new ships Captain. In normal fashion, all the hatches, and portholes were open for inspection.

Within just a 10 or 12 minute window of the first bombs and torpedoes dropping from the first wave of attacking planes, the USS Oklahoma was struck 12 or more times on her starboard side, and quickly capsized, sealing the fate of 429 sailors and Marines that were aboard her. It is possible that she was the first American military ship lost that day, the first day of America’s involvement in World War Two.

The USS Oklahoma Memorial Amateur Radio Club will hold a Special Event Station WW2OK in Remembrance of the loss of the Battleship, USS Oklahoma BB-37 and 429 Officers, Marines and Sailor on December 7 1941.

WW2OK will activate from the War Memorial Park in Muskogee Oklahoma, where the largest remaining piece of the USS Oklahoma is on display near the USS Batfish, a WW2 Balao Class Submarine, built to avenge the losses at Pearl Harbor.

We will operate the special event station WW2OK from 6pm CST on December 6th, (midnight UTC, December 7), and will run for 24 hours until 6pm CST December 7, (midnight UTC, on December 8th). Radio operations before and after this times Is likely.

In addition, several members will be operating WW2OK on and off over the course of the full week of December 3 through December 11, 2011.

We hope that you will drop by and say hello, and join us in remembering the life of the USS Oklahoma, and all that sailed on her.

Multi-Op and Multi-Band Operations will take place in the general portion of the HF ham bands, with all modes and bands, except 60m, possible.

A Special “70th anniversary” QSL Card for contacts made this week will be available after the first of the year. To receive your card, please include with your QSL, a SASE - Self-Addressed Stamped Envelope. Please use a letter size (4"X 9") envelope to handle larger QSL size

Send QSL requests to WW2OK USS Oklahoma Memorial ARC 2402 S. 101 E. Place, Tulsa, OK 74129-4631

 

What frequencies?

http://www.dxwatch.com/dxsd1/dxsd1.php?f=0&c=ww2ok&t=dx will give up spot announcements for the callsign.

73