Introducing Our Freedom Of The Seas Award Recipients

Over the next four weeks we’ll be highlighting the award recipients who will be honored at our first annual Freedom of the Seas gala on October 23rd.

First up, Freedom of the Seas award winner Ambassador Robert C. O’Brien.

An accomplished lawyer and experienced diplomat, Ambassador O’Brien served as the 28th U.S. National Security Advisor. In that role he brought a renewed focus to defense and industrial base issues, orchestrated the historic Abraham Accords in the Middle East, brokered economic normalization between Serbia and Kosovo, and achieved increased cooperation with America’s allies across the Indo-Pacific.

Prior to his service in the White House, Ambassador O’Brien worked at the State Department as the Special Presidential Envoy for Hostage Affairs. During his time at State, he coordinated the government’s diplomatic engagements on overseas hostage-related matters and successfully negotiated the return of over twenty-five hostages and wrongfully detained Americans.

We’re excited to host Ambassador O’Brien aboard IOWA and hope you’ll join us for what promises to be a remarkable evening.

Special pricing is available for our Battleship IOWA / National Museum of the Surface Navy supporters. Please reach out to President and CEO Jonathan Williams to request a supporter sponsorship pricing sheet. 

Interested in being added to the wait list for individual tickets? Add your name here.

This week, your battleship crew…

• Joined with our neighbors at LAFD Firehouse 112 for a commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the September 11th attacks with a bell ringing ceremony on Battleship IOWA’s bow and a salute by Fireboat 4.

• Partnered with the LA Fleet Week Foundation to host a gathering to honor Operation Enduring Freedom veterans and Gold Star families with a night of camaraderie, story-sharing, comedy, and fun. (Shout out to IOWA’s incredible IT team, who worked an exhausting schedule to have our killer new sound and lighting system ready to make an extra special backdrop for our vets.)
• Welcomed Port of Los Angeles High School’s Class of 2022 to kick off their senior year with a Senior Breakfast on the fantail of the IOWA. 

• Served another week’s worth of delicious hot dogs at Vicky’s Doghouse Cafe, our gourmet hot dog kitchen on Battleship IOWA. We’re open Monday – Thursday 11-5 and Friday – Sunday 11-6. Remember: now through the end of the month, tell our staff you LOVE VICKY to get your 20% supporter discount!

• Continued to drive the Underserved Veteran Women’s Project, an initiative aimed at procuring essential items for underserved or homeless female veterans. Just $5 can go a long way in providing these items. Want to help? You can support the project by purchasing items from the Amazon Charity List. Reach out to the project coordinator, Kaleena Bettis, at kbettis@veteranswest.org, or (562) 588-2135 for details.

Become A Plank Owner Today

Memorialize your service or a loved one’s – register to become a Plank Owner for the National Museum of the Surface Navy.

As a Plank Owner, you receive special benefits – including free inclusion of your profile with Together We Served, earning points in our Haze Gray recognition system (details coming soon), and recognition on our future Plank Owner listing.

Sign up today. It’s free!