How the anchor of the USS Oklahoma became a monument to Pearl Harbor in Oklahoma City

It seemed like a good idea at the time, but it was a little more difficult than first imagined.

In 1958, there was an effort to bring the anchor of the USS Oklahoma, which had sunk during the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, to Oklahoma City. John E. Kirkpatrick, among others, had contacted some friends to see if the city could obtain the anchor.

At issue was the anchors that had been stored in a salvage yard were not identifiable. However, with a little time, serial numbers were discovered that would hopefully help find the correct anchor.

On May 19, 1960, the 20,000-pound anchor, set upon a granite pedestal at the Civic Center in Oklahoma City, was dedicated, becoming a monument in memory of the men who had died May 7, 1941, on the USS Oklahoma battleship at Pearl Harbor.