Also, very nearby is a 16” barrel from the USS Wisconsin. The barrel is located by the San Pedro Maritime Museum at the intersection of Sixth Street and Harbor Boulevard. It is on display right by the sidewalk and a couple of naval memorials. (They put metal crossbars in the barrel so that kids could not crawl in and get caught inside!)
I took my little 18 ft Chapparel out to see her when they towed her into LA harbor. She looks great. The volunteers did a great job, in very short order, to tidy her up.
I can post a few pictures this afternoon.
Having the U. S. S. Iowa will be great, but I would have loved it more if it were the U. S. S. Missouri.
The libs in CA will probably convert it to a food pantry and homeless shelter.
San Francisco Shuns Retired USS Iowa
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a former San Francisco mayor, helped secure $3 million to tow the Iowa from Rhode Island to the Bay Area in 2001 in hopes of making touristy Fisherman's Wharf its new home.But city supervisors voted 8-3 last month to oppose taking in the ship, citing local opposition to the Iraq war and the military's stance on gays, among other things.
"If I was going to commit any kind of money in recognition of war, then it should be toward peace, given what our war is in Iraq right now," Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said.
Oh, and you may be wondering where he is now.
"Sheriff Mirkarimi Pleads Guilty to Misdemeanor":
"San Francisco Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi pleaded guilty today to a misdemeanor charge of false imprisonment in connection with an incident in which he allegedly inflicted a bruise on his wife."
Yes, he was actually elected sheriff last year. He is now suspended (and going through a process that may remove him from office) but is still enjoying some local support--to none of my surprise. Who needs the USS Iowa when you already have a peacefully progressive wifebeater for a sheriff?
They’d better berth her in a fresh water caisson or the salt water will cause problems in a few years. The USS Texas is in a brackish water area and she’s having serious corrosion problems.
I spent a couple of nights on that as a boy scout, the week after the turret blew up. It was so much fun to hang out with the sailors.