PEARL HARBOR GHOSTS: MYTHS, MYSTERIES, AND PARANORMAL ACTIVITIES


By bblouin
Plane flying over the Pearl Harbor attack leading to Pearl Harbor ghosts.

The United States had many reasons to get involved in World War II, but the attack on Pearl Harbor was undeniable. American troops were thrust into WWII because, on the morning of December 7, 1941, around 2,400 were killed in a sneak attack by Imperial Japan. With so many deaths in a little over an hour, peace was nowhere to be found for anyone affected, leading to the belief that the lagoon in Oahu would remain haunted as a result. No matter where you stand on believing in the supernatural, the case for Pearl Harbor ghosts is strong.

Pearl Harbor Ghosts Remain Connected to Historic Sites

It should be no surprise given the significance of the location and dark history that Pearl Harbor ghosts have been rumored to be seen and heard throughout the years.

There are a few main areas in which Pearl Harbor ghost stories have come up over the years, with reports primarily focusing on the USS Arizona Memorial, Ford Island, and a ghost plane that may or may not exist.

USS Arizona Ghosts

Nearly half of those killed during the Pearl Harbor attack can be attributed to the USS Arizona.

These days, a memorial remains in her honor, along with the 1,177 lives lost due to the attack.

This is why the locale has provided the backdrop of many different Pearl Harbor ghost experiences for those who have visited and live nearby.

This includes the ghost of a Sailor who abandoned his post during the attack and was killed. At low tide, it’s said that his ghost still haunts the ship.

Throughout the museum, people have reported various forms of paranormal activity, including artifacts mysteriously moving, voices being heard, and weird music being played with no explanation.

Particularly, at night, as these things usually happen, equipment is known to turn on and off on its own, while various artifacts move without any assistance.

Some claim to have video evidence of apparitions and ghostly interactions; however, when the security footage was checked, no spirits were found.

In fact, there has been so much paranormal activity at the Pearl Harbor Aviation Museum involving the USS Arizona and other Pearl Harbor-related objects, that Ghost Hunters has shot an episode there.

Their team even explored original airplane hangars still marked by scars and bullet holes from the 1941 attack.

Believe it or not, the Pearl Harbor ghosts continue to captivate the staff and visitors who both continue to fuel its reputation as haunted grounds.

Ford Island Is Haunted Land

Ford Island has its own paranormal ties to the Pearl Harbor ghost stories reported over the years.

Residents have claimed to experience a variety of spooky behavior, including unexplained voices, footsteps, objects moving on their own, and shadowy figures vanishing upon approach.

Some who visit Ford Island also claim to feel panicked while visiting the island’s airstrip. Furthermore, some visitors have mentioned a mysterious glowing mist that also accompanies the area.

However, the most famous of them all is the ghost named “Charley,” which is known to create a litany of strange occurrences.

Things like turning on faucets, manipulating radios, swinging heavy doors, and jangling keys are all part of Charley’s charm. Troops are known to blame the unexplainable on Ford Island’s neighborhood spirit.

The Unexplainable P-40 Ghost Plane Pearl Harbor​

One of the stranger tales involving Pearl Harbor ghosts happened just over a year after the attack.

On December 8, 1942, U.S. radar detected a mysterious aircraft flying from Japan toward American soil, sparking an urgent scramble of fighter planes.

Even though the conditions were unfavorable for another attack, after disregarding the initial attack on radar the previous year, and the aftermath that followed, the military was taking no chances.

Two American pilots intercepted the aircraft, which ended up being a bullet-riddled P-40 with blown-away landing gear, piloted by a bloodied man.

The aviators reported that the man briefly waved before crashing the plane, which prompted the Americans to go after him.

However, when the troops arrived at the crash site, there was no pilot, just a diary that suggested the plane was not in fact from Japan but rather from Mindanao, Philippines, adding even more pieces to the puzzle.

Some believe that the pilot survived stranded in the wild before getting enough pieces of the plane to fly off and take his chances.

However, speculation arose about surviving that long. Could he manage to scavenge the right parts? And, could he leave the ground without landing gear? Many are skeptical given how heavy the P-40 is.

Making things even more eerie is that there are Japanese reports that also mention the legend of the P-40 ghost plane.

However, no one has fully been able to put together exactly if the legend is true and if so, under what circumstances.

Furthermore, on the same day, American pilots Bob Scott and Johnny Hampshire report spotting a damaged Curtiss P-40B Tomahawk in China, bearing an insignia connected to Pearl Harbor, with no landing gear and a pilot that wouldn't identify who he was.

Despite being fired upon, the mysterious plane did not evade or counterattack, leading to further confusion before it disappeared into a cloud and crashed into a rice paddy.

The plane was severely damaged, missing parts of its wing and aileron. It also had no landing gear, leaving experts puzzled as to how it could have flown.

Japanese records confirmed the P-40's presence over Formosa, but its origin, destination, and how it managed to fly remain unsolved mysteries.

At least that’s how the story goes. While some still believe, there are others who remain skeptical of the idea, claiming the Pearl Harbor ghost plane to simply be a myth.

Whether or not there are spirits at Pearl Harbor or throughout the Pacific will continue to be a debate but the unexplainable stories continue to haunt the minds and eyes of visitors today.

Are Pearl Harbor ghosts real? That’s up to you to decide. However, with so many people who perished, it’s at least plausible that supernatural things may continue to tie themselves to the region for many years to come.

Read next:

The USS Arizona Memorial Honors Pearl Harbor Heroes

Pearl Harbor Survivors: Heroes That Should Never Be Forgotten

Is the USS Hornet Haunted? Uncover Ghost Stories in Alameda, CA


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