Before we jump into this week’s topic, a quick note: we’ve hit a milestone. Today marks the start of Operation Crush COVID‘s Week 5. That means we’re almost halfway through this campaign!
As of the writing of this email, we had raised a little over $11,000. That’s a remarkable amount and we’re incredibly grateful for all you’ve done to get us this far. We still need your help, though, because we’re a long way from our goal of $50,000.
These campaigns work best when they’re shared. Join the mission by becoming one of our storytellers: let your friends know why Battleship IOWA is important both to you and to the world. It’s as easy as posting a link on your socials or forwarding this email.
FOCUS: HISTORY
We could talk about elements of Battleship IOWA‘s history all day long. The stories embedded in her thick armor are impressive. But you know a lot of those stories.
What we want to talk about today is preserving history. Why is that important? What makes it imperative to keep an eighty-year-old ship “alive” for future generations? We’ll let curator Dave Way start the conversation.
In 2011 Dave walked away from his career in the aerospace industry to join the effort to save Battleship IOWA. For him working on IOWA has been a dream come true and the fruition of a life long passion for naval history and warships.
Over the last nine years he’s had a blast sharing IOWA’s history and accomplishments with hundreds of visitors; he’s met many incredible individuals, as well as made new friends. He believes IOWA is an irreplaceable piece of living history that needs to stay afloat both to help us remember freedom is not free and as a reminder of Southern California’s past and present participation with the US Navy’s service to America.
“IOWA posses the largest naval guns ever placed on an American warship. [They are] surrounded by massive armor that is no longer carried by today’s navies. If still in service, she and her three sisters, would be the largest American surface ships afloat, outside the aircraft carriers. [Their] great guns, armor, speed, and fire control systems enabled them to not only fight in WWII, but recalled and relevant in the Korean, Vietnam, and Cold Wars. They are considered by many to be one of the greatest warship classes ever commissioned and the ultimate achievement in battleship construction.”
[embedyt] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41Q9HdZ4rU4[/embedyt]
Everything Old Is New Again
What was brand new, state of the art technology in 1940 may seem antiquated to us, but there is still so much we can gain by studying it. History arms us for the future by teaching us lessons from the past.
Battleship IOWA Museum offers visitors a rare opportunity to travel back in time and walk in the footsteps of the “Greatest Generation” as well as several subsequent ones. It’s a tactile glimpse into what life was like, both in another era and at sea.
IOWA’s time capsule extends beyond her physical bounds. The timeline on our website guides its reader through world events spanning IOWA’s lifetime. Our collection of ship-related photos and memorabilia is gradually being added as an online archive, giving the viewer a tangible connection to the faces and personalities of those who were involved with the ship and the families whose lives she touched by association.
In these uncertain times IOWA stands as an icon of survival – a reminder that life can be tough, but we can overcome.
Please help us preserve all that this ship is so future generations can walk her decks, soak in her strength, and be inspired by what is possible when people work together to accomplish a shared goal.
SUPPORT OPERATION CRUSH COVID TODAY!