USS Iowa could be minority museum

QCTimes ^ | Janaury 31, 2006

[Swordmaker]

Didn't I hear them mention Stockton once?

Yes... Richard Pombo, congressman from this area, introduced the bill that would have brought it to Stockton. Stockton has a deepwater port approximately 60 miles inland from San Francisco Bay and we are prepared to welcome the Missouri and treat her properly at what once was Rough and Ready Island Naval Communications Station.

San Francisco is trying to hijack it.

[Proud_USA_Republican]

Does a city that has banned military recruiters from visiting high schools deserve the USS Iowa? I remember in the 1990's how Feinstein did everything she could to push the military out of the bay area claiming, "we don't need them, we have the dot com industry".

Give it to Stockton.

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

Okay, let's get the Navy FReepers organized (Chiefs and below only, please) and go do us some comshaw.

Swiping an entire BB would be one for the book, wouldn't it?

[AZRepublican]

Yoo, think any al-qaeda crazies would be willing to row a rubber inflatable up aginst this beast?

If I recall correctly, this fire-breathing monster has 12 inches of plate steel along its sides.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Thanks for the pict. Probably going to download it and turn it into one of my Linux Desktop wallpapers (depends on how much resolution i loose).

Others here have mentioned that the USS Iowa is bound by law to be in a California port. That makes sense, IF it's part of the fleet reserve.

A little History: There were four Iowa Class Battleships built out of an original six that were planned. They were:

• BB-61 USS IOWA
• BB-62 USS NEW JERSY
• BB-63 USS MISSOURI
• BB-64 USS WISCONSIN

The most famous of the bunch is probably the USS MISSOURI. It was the ship where the Japanese surrendered to MacAuthur while the ship was in Tokyo Bay.

Those nine 16" guns fire a 2,700 lb projectile approximately 24 miles. That's bigger than the 2,000 pound bombs dropped from a B-52. The guns are hand loaded by about men working in each of the three gun turrents. They load the projectile, and the proper amount of gunpowder, in 50 lb bags. The concussion (that you see in the water in the photo) could kill anyone out on the deck.

By modern standards, the Iowa Class battleship is a tank. The bad guys don't have the firepower on modern ships to sink an Iowa. The modern Aegis cruisers have a single 5" gun. Even if it could hit an Iowa, all it would do is piss off the crew. Damage control would be some sailor with a bucket of paint.

The ships were all rated at 33 knots at flank speed. The Wisconsin could do 35 Knots after having her bow replaced from a collision with a destroyer back in the 50's.

The last mission of any of the Iowa's was the bombardment of the Kuwaiti coastline during Desert Storm. The idea was to make the Iraqis think that we were going to storm the beaches. i seriously doubt that there would have been any opposition to speak of after that shelling.

[Calvinist_Dark_Lord]

Swiping an entire BB would be one for the book, wouldn't it?

They sure would think twice about coming after you.

[naturalman1975]

You know, I served with a sailor I now know was gay during my time in the RAN. He served honourably and diligently.

And I know that this idea would absolute horrify him.

His view is that if gays want to serve in the military, then they should be allowed to - but the moment their sexuality becomes relevant to their service, something is wrong. You're a sailor or a soldier or an airman. Nothing else is important.

He would be horrified at the suggestion that somehow there was something special about being a gay sailor. He was a sailor, pure and simple.

[ridesthemiles]

ONLY in SF.

[buoybob]

Awesome, Norm, Great way to start out my morning with a picture like that. Seems I heard somewhere, that, the ship would actually recoil several feet in the water (to port in this instance) during such a salvo. As a kid, I grew up along the Norfolk docks. Have been aboard this ship a few times. Never would have invisioned it a "queer museum"; and on a day when we also hear of the new "Chocolate Smithsonian" coming to the mall in DC. What a country, gotta love it.

[Little Ray]

I'd rather see the USS Iowa scrapped.

[toddlintown]

Loons.

[VOA]

"Offices can be located Here"

Looks like you've found the "Web-Hive Of The Moonbats"!
I can tell because they've got more than one photo of Dennis Kucinich!

[Kozak]

I would rather see the Iowa be used for target practice. At least it would be a warriors end, not this PC travesty.

[VOA]

That photo should be used in a fake brochure to be mailed to homes throughout
the USA.
That way, maybe the Iowa will thankfully end up in Stockton.

[VOA]

Oh, and the San Fran tourguides could borrow Churchill's quip about the
Royal Navy:
"Rum, sodomy and the lash"

[ncountylee]

Thank God that the Iowa won't suffer insults in Sodom. Gay lovers strolling on deck, homeless crapping in passageways or converting this proud ship into a bath house.

[Howlin]

Just the thought of it makes me sick.

[Bender2]

Re: Bring the Iowa to Houston or Galveston. We know how to honor proper warriors.

Amen!

[Gritty]

Why are we even thinking of donating this proud lady to such a place as San Fransicko - who have already declared themselves a "military free zone"? They manage to pollute every thing they can get their vile hands on. They need to be isolated in a National quarantine like the raging, pustulous infection they are.

The IOWA deserves a better fate than sitting silent in shame as the attraction for some the Gay, Lesbian, Trans-gendered Freaks Museum which distorts and demeans her (and our) proud military heritage.

Besides, generations of American school children visiting her hallowed decks deserve better history than being drawn into a prop which glorifies sexual perversity, confusion and the worst in American history.

Let San Franpsycho wallow in her own shame. Don't make the rest of the nation join in the blantant advertisement of their filth by berthing the IOWA there!

[Kenton]

the story of minorities in the military, including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender troops.

It should be a fairly small museum then.

I assure you, I've never seen even one example of a "transgendered troops", although I was never in the Village People either...