By Kathy Krause
Many of you in Prescott, Arizona had a real treat in mid-September at the "Best Fest" statehood celebration marking the beginning of the statewide centennial activities when, among many other wonderful sights, you came across the thirty-six foot replica of the USS Arizona BB-39 parked at the intersection of Goodwin and Montezuma streets. The beautifully restored replica had been “missing in action” from about 1995 until 2005. Few seemed to know its whereabouts; most did not notice or care.
This “super-dreadnought” miniature battleship replica of the USS Arizona had its beginning in northern California in 1984. Cecil and Pat Gates already had built six seaworthy miniature replicas of various ships beginning in 1972. They eventually headed a corporation called the “Friendship Fleet.” Included in the ‘fleet’ were four 18-foot battleships, a 20-foot carrier and the 23-foot RMS Titanic… “a hobby out of control,” according to Pat. Then in 1984, they met a gentleman who offered another challenge. He had purchased, on an impulse, two 18-foot hull sections of fiberglass that had been used as props representing the USS Arizona and the USS Pennsylvania in the 20th Century Fox 1970 movie, “Tora, Tora, Tora.” The hulls had been stored for a while on the backlot of the studio before being publicly auctioned. After purchase, they sat deteriorating in an unused shed in Pasadena. The man asked, “Would Cecil be interested in them as a gift?” Really? Why not?
Launch day for the USS Arizona replica on Lake Almanor in northern California, July 3, 1984 (Courtesy photo).
Cecil Gates was a 17-year-old on the slopes of Kaimuki on Oahu when Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941. He had watched the USS Arizona burn. “I saw her go down.” It had changed his life. Here, in 1984, was his opportunity to reach out to a patriotic nation by transforming these two hulls given to him into the very ship that had meant the most to him through the years. The completed miniature gray lady was launched on Lake Almanor, CA on July 3, 1984. At her launching, Pat read to the waiting crowd, “This ship is to honor the 1102 men entombed in the Pearl Harbor Arizona since December 7, 1941. May all Americans who see this ship remember the sacrifice of these men who gave their lives that we may enjoy the freedoms we have today. I christen you the image, the reflection, the likeness, the replica of the original USS Arizona. God speed you on your way to honor the brave men enshrined in the Pearl Harbor Arizona.”
Sixty-nine years before, on June 19, 1915, a 17-year-old girl from Prescott, Esther Ross, stood on a platform amid thousands at the Brooklyn Naval Yard to christen the Navy’s USS Arizona. The ship had been authorized by Congress in March of 1913 and was named to honor the 48th state’s admission on February 14, 1912 into the union. Now it lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor. So, Prescott’s connection with the USS Arizona is a real and lasting one.
The USS Arizona BB-39 at sea c. 1930s (Courtesy photo).
After the 1984 christening of the 36-foot replica, a 1:20 scale model, it was the center of attraction for several years of boat shows, river trips, publicity stints for TV, radio and magazines, teaching opportunities and adventures never even imagined. Many invitations for the miniature USS Arizona were accepted all across the country. Altogether, the ship (nicknamed ZOE by Cecil and Pat) logged 6,700 water miles and 8,000 road miles (on a trailer) with the sole purpose “to teach history of our proud Navy through a high profile miniature ship.” And that she did! Showing off ZOE across the country also attracted many veterans, especially survivors of the Arizona and Pearl Harbor, encouraging them to share their experiences. Young and old alike were fascinated by the replica and many were brought to tears. Pat’s book, “You Can’t go Incognito in a Battleship,” written in 2002 tells of many exciting (and oftentimes scary) adventures with their miniature ships beginning in 1975 and ending in 1991. Pat writes, “Many times things would go like clockwork, but always something unexpected erupted, emergencies arose…” The best part of all was the wonderful American people they met who readily helped them and understood what they were trying to do. Its one of those true adventure books you just can’t put down!
Cecil and Pat Gates aboard the miniature USS Arizona (Courtesy photo).
Cecil’s ship, using the donated hulls to bring the overall length to 36 feet, had a deck of marine plywood, a plywood superstructure that copied exactly the original USS Arizona with its mass of turrets and cannons simulating the 14-inch guns of the original. A tripod mast, gantry cranes, two liberty boats; everything hand-crafted and then painted battleship gray. The superstructure, complete with strategically placed windows, hinged open to reveal two seats inside for piloting. Two 25 hp OMC sail drive engines would power the twin screws. She could turn 360° in her own length and could travel at seven knots. ZOE was magnificent! Some USS Arizona survivors have commented, “It looks just like the old girl.”
The gray lady’s last appearance with Cecil and Pat was in December of 1991 on Oahu in the lobby of the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel as a part of the 50th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack. The experience there with the remaining survivors of the Arizona was indeed the apex of all their journeys with the miniature ship. After nine days of a continuous flow of onlookers and a parade through the streets, it was time to take ZOE home to California. She was showing signs of wear.
Next week in Part 2, ZOE comes to live in Phoenix, Arizona in 1992.
Cecil Gates, builder of ZOE, shows how the hatch is opened to reveal the pilot seats inside (Courtesy photo).
Kathy Krause is the volunteer Days Past Editor for the Sharlot Hall Museum