Posted on 03/12/2004 1:49:56 AM PST by BykrBayb
Story Number: NNS040311-11 Release Date: 3/12/2004 2:58:00 AM
By Journalist 1st Class Daniel J. Calderon, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Public Affairs
PEARL HARBOR, Hawaii (NNS) -- Rocker Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon brought the their MTV reality show, "The Osbournes," to the Navy March 9, when they visited and toured the USS Missouri (BB 63) Memorial in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
“The concierge desk called this morning and asked if we could give a special tour,” said Same Lowe, director of visitor operations at Missouri. “At first, they couldn’t tell us who or even if the people were coming.”
By noon, Lowe got word that the mystery guests were the Osbourne couple who, along with a camera crew, showed up at the memorial and began their tour. Lee Collins, vice president for marketing and sales, presented the couple with Battleship Missouri ball caps as tokens to remember their visit.
Lowe led the Osbournes and the MTV camera crew across the main deck of the battleship, explaining the armaments and history along the way. Ozzy, who said he has a great interest in the World War II era, listened as Lowe talked about the various events in the battleship’s lifetime. The tour wound through the ship's interior, with Ozzy and Sharon asking Lowe questions along the way.
At the end, Lowe led the Osbournes and their crew into the captain’s cabin. Ozzy expressed his appreciation for the tour and his admiration for the Sailors of yesterday and today.
“This has all been very educational,” he said. “Being on the actual spot where MacArthur actually signed the documents accepting Japan’s surrender was wonderful. This kind of thing you normally see only on TV. Being here makes me appreciate even more the sacrifices the Sailors have made and are still making for all our freedoms.”
Ozzy spoke passionately about the freedoms the United States offers its people.
“I’m British, but the U.S. provides the greatest amount of freedoms, personal freedoms,” he said. “I’ve traveled so many places in my life, and other countries don’t have as many freedoms as the U.S.”
Osbourne has enjoyed performing in United Service Organization (USO) tours for troops deployed around the world in the past.
“I really like doing USO tours,” he said. "Without those kids protecting us, we wouldn’t have all the liberties we do now."
Representatives said footage shot aboard Battleship Missouri may air during the fourth season of "The Osbournes."
For related news, visit the Commander, Navy Region Hawaii Navy NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrh.
040309-N-1919W-011 Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (March 9, 2004) – Heavy Metal rock star and reality television hit Ozzy Osboune and his wife Sharon, tour the battleship USS Missouri (BB 63) while filming their MTV show "The Osbournes" in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. U.S. Navy photo by Journalist 3rd Class Devin Wright. (RELEASED)
031023-N-7683J-043 Naval Station Pearl Harbor, Hawaii (Oct. 23, 2003) -- President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush arrive with Commander U. S. Pacific Command, Adm. Thomas B. Fargo, aboard the retired battleship Missouri (BB 63) to meet with veterans and service members during a visit to Pearl Harbor. President Bush stopped in Hawaii on his way back from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum in Thailand, the Philippines, Japan, Singapore, and Bali where he discussed security and the continued fight against terrorism. Asia- Pacific Economic Cooperation, or APEC, is the premier forum for facilitating economic growth, cooperation, trade and investment in the Asia-Pacific region. The president also laid a wreath and met with Pearl Harbor survivors aboard the Arizona Memorial. U.S. Navy photo by Photographers Mate 2nd Class Jason L. Jacobowitz. (RELEASED)
BTW, if you do visit one of the Warship Memorial/Museum, ask for and take what they call the "Hardhat Tour" after it's closed. It cost extra, but they'll take you to any part of the ship you want to go to, even the areas closed to the public. On the Texas, I spoke to all the tour guides the afternoon I visited and told of the lore of I-T-E Circuit Breakers being the only type allowed on armed vessels before WWII. This turned into a somewhat heated debate. Since none of the three tour guides had been Electrians Mates during their stints in the Navy, We all went to see if this were true. The USS Texas had its keel laid in 1912 and was commissioned in 1914, I believe. The main Electrical Board, housed in the forward-most compartment, directly above the forward fuel (diesel, you could smell it) compartment, had breakers and control devices mounted to a 3 inch thick panel of slate secured to the deck and braced to the hull. Mounted there were single pole breakers with nameplates bearing the manufacturer's name and equipment data:
J B Cutter Electric
Philadelphia Penna
Type L Circuit Breaker
50 Amps 250 Volts
Emlazoned across the live front frame were the trademark used since 1906 by Cutter:
I-T-E Circuit Breaker.
All brass and wrought iron. Phenolic, Bakelite and Slate being the insulation. It wasn't until the late twenties that steel frames began being used to make switchboards, and not until the late thirties that the slate back of the breakers were replaced by molded phenolic pieces set in steel frames became general practice. Alas, the company is no more, with Siemens owning the trademark since 1980. But I have the manuals on some of the breakers types and would just love to refurbish the entire board on the Texas. These breakers were made in the era when, in addition to overload protection built into them, they also included 'reverse current' protection also. What a thrill for me, as the earliest model of breaker I had seen and worked on before was made in 1925 and was still in service in Minneapolis. 1928 models still in service at the Bagnel Dam in Missouri are the next oldest, but these were replaced with new in 1996.
By the way, the old lore was wrong. There were Westinghouse breakers all over the ship.
I think he is voting the straight Martian ticket.
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