USS Iowa (BB-61) fires her 16-inch/50-caliber guns on 15 August 1984
Posted on 09/06/2011 11:22:40 PM PDT by iowamark
The USS Iowa -- the last surviving World War II battleship without a home -- will head to the Port of Los Angeles to stand as a permanent museum and memorial to battleships...
The Navy's decision also comes six years after the San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted against making a public display of the ship in that city, citing local opposition to the Iraq war and the military's stance on gays, among other things...
The Iowa's new home will offer 4 1/2 acres of parking space in North America's busiest seaport, adjacent to the World Cruise Center, where cruise ships dock and flocks of tourists could tour the Iowa...
In 1989, the USS Iowa suffered one of the nation's deadliest military accidents after 47 sailors were killed in an explosion during a training exercise. Before being decommissioned in 1990, it served as an escort for oil tankers in the Persian Gulf.
The Iowa was towed to San Francisco from Rhode Island in 2001, after Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., helped secure $3 million to bring it to San Francisco in hopes of making it a tourist attraction at Fisherman's Wharf. Four years later, Feinstein, a former San Francisco mayor, called the city's supervisors' 8-3 vote against the idea a "very petty decision."
The Iowa's sister boats are already serving as museums: The USS Missouri is docked at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, the USS Wisconsin is docked in Norfolk, Va., and the USS New Jersey is docked in the state it is named for.
The Iowa and the Wisconsin will be maintained to avoid rust and other mechanical problems in the unlikely event the ships are ever needed in war, Kent said.
(Excerpt) Read more at chicagotribune.com ...
Looks like my little contribution to the PBC was well spent!
As a 15-year resident of San Pedro (that’s Pee-drow), this is AWESOME news. I can’t wait to tour her. The only thing needed to make this a totally thriving and attractive port of call for the cruise industry is to relocate the 10 square blocks of section 8 housing between the berths and downtown (duh!).
I joined the PBC as a ‘plankowner’, and am happy to see that they are moving forward. My biggest concerns still remain a city that is high on corruption, and the biggest center of that corruption is the Port of Los Angeles. I’m afraid that the PBC will end up spending half their budget bribing the local officials and paying off infinite amounts of bogus fines and assessments.
My old home get’s a new life!!! This is outstanding news!!!! It sucks that LA gets her, but at least she will be taken care of now. :)
]"> best pic I took while on board, during sea trials. :)
Look at the waves off the starboard bow!
Is that the ship being pushed sideways by all that recoil?
Awesome!
BTW, did they think of berthing her in the Port of San Diego? Just asking.
Wow. Talk about bowel shaking...
Words fail me........
To paraphrase James Hoffa, as much as I hate to give him any credit at all, "Sumbitches... 
one and all!"
You called that one right!!
IOWA is the only ship of this class I haven’t visited, but unfortunately I don’t see myself going to LA for any reason in the near future. Some day, maybe.
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