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In Today’s Update…
Click the links to jump right to each section:
Ship Maintenance Update
Battleship TEXAS Drydocking
For those who love history and naval architecture, last week was a rare opportunity. We got to watch as Battleship TEXAS was towed from her home at the San Jacinto Battlefield park to a drydock in Galveston. (The last battleship towed anywhere was USS IOWA in 2012.)
TEXAS is set to undergo a prolonged period of extensive work to repair her 108 year-old hull and the images coming out of Galveston are incredible. Click the photo below for some impressive drone footage.
Preserving the hulls of these irreplaceable vessels will be a major topic at the upcoming Historic Naval Ships Association conference. Subjects we’ve discussed in these updates – cathodic protection, under water work in lieu of dry docking, underwater paint solutions, other types of coatings, and more – will be part of a presentation given by our own COO Mike Getscher.
We’ll tell you more about the high-tech options we’ve discovered that we can engage right at our dock to keep Battleship IOWA going strong in future updates.
Maintaining a historic battleship presents an extraordinary number of challenges, but the operations team aboard IOWA works proactively to keep her in fighting shape. This work, however, wouldn’t be possible without the support from our donors. Every donation makes a difference and you can click the button below to be part of our hull preservation efforts.
Aft Quarterdeck Refurbishment
Speaking of on-going projects, ship’s volunteer carpenter Stan Sato is back at work on our aft quarterdeck. He’s recaulking, sanding, and coating work he did a few years ago. He plans to be finished in about a week, but in the meantime, expect slight detours in your route off the ship.
Between the Southern California sun, foot traffic from our guests, and events gear, this section of the deck takes a beating. Stan’s expertise and thousands of hours of work, combined with generous gifts from our donors, help keep IOWA’s decks ready for action. Click below to support projects like Stan’s.
Scuttlebutt Podcast | Episode 122
This week’s episode of Scuttlebutt is a special one. Dave Badgett and Kent Coble are retired LA-area fire chiefs who now devote some of their time to volunteering with Battleship IOWA’s training team. In this week’s podcast they share their reflections on what it was like to be a first responder on 9/11/2001.
Dave had the added responsibility of being a member of a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team. He was deployed to the World Trade Center site mere hours after the buildings collapsed. His memories are particularly poignant.
Thanks to Dave and Kent for sharing not only the difficulties of those early moments, but the positive changes that developed in the aftermath of the tragic attacks.
Find it where you get your podcasts or here:
- Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3PfuFr3
- Apple: https://apple.co/3Lkr47D
- Google: https://bit.ly/uss-iowa-google-podcast
- Amazon: https://amzn.to/3GYgR0g
- Buzzsprout: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1971056/11251519
Or click the photo below for the YouTube version.
Save The Date
We’re hosting the second annual Freedom of the Seas Awards Dinner. What awards will be given out that night?
Freedom of the Seas Award
The Freedom of the Seas Award goes to an accomplished individual who embodies the core principles of America’s Surface Navy to protect and defend our oceans for the benefit of the free world.
2021 Recipient: Ambassador (Ret.) Robert C. O’Brien
VADM Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Leadership Award
Presented by Lockheed Martin Corporation
The VADM Samuel L. Gravely, Jr. Award recognizes leaders who exemplify the trailblazing, courageous service of the late U.S. Surface Navy Vice Admiral.
2021 Recipient: Admiral Michelle Howard, USN (Ret.)
Gravely Experience Essay Contest
Presented by Collier Walsh Nakazawa, LLC
Eligible eleventh grade high school students are invited to participate in a scholarship essay contest as a part of The Battleship IOWA Museum’s celebration of Vice Admiral Samuel L. Gravely, Jr., a “Man of Many Firsts,” in observance of Black History month. Winners will receive scholarships ranging from $500 to $2,000 dollars.
Humanitarian Service Award
This award recognizes those that exemplify the fearless bravery and tenacity necessary to sail through troubled waters to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief as a core principle of America’s Surface Navy.
2021 Recipient: Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
Commerce and Communications Award
Presented by UPS
This award recognizes leaders in commercial shipping and communications that embody a core principle of the Surface Navy in utilizing the ocean for the benefit of the free world.
2021 Recipient: UPS
This year’s Freedom of the Seas Awards Dinner will be held Saturday, October 22nd. Interested in attending or becoming a sponsor for the event? Click here.
