APRIL 2026
In Memoriam: Doug Johnson
Friends, we lost a crew member on March 19. Doug volunteered with several departments. He was a wonderful shipmate, always pleasant and hardworking. Those epithets sound simple, but they really are deeply meaningful.
Doug was one of the key figures in the Turret 1 clean up. Next time you go in there (without wearing a full Tyvek), take a moment to remember him.
We’re going to miss you, shipmate!
Click the button below for Doug’s obituary.
Inbound Our Position
Wardroom Round Up
CEO Jonathan Williams
We are entering our final 60-day push toward opening the Life of a Sailor – Phase 1 experience and celebrating America’s 250th during the 10-year anniversary of LA Fleet Week.
This moment reminds me of our final push to prepare the ship for tow to Los Angeles—when we had a hard deadline and it required all hands on deck. I am confident this team will rise to the occasion, stay focused, and deliver on our objectives.
This week, we will hold our monthly department briefs. I look forward to reviewing financials, hearing your updates, priorities, and plans, and helping remove any obstacles in your path. Nui provided an overall report showing February paid attendance up 35% (kudos to the Marketing team) and Overnights up 200% (kudos to the Programs team).
Over the next 60 days, in addition to strong fiscal discipline, each team should prioritize one or more of the following:
NMSN – Life of a Sailor Phase 1
– Great Ships, the cutaway ship, 2nd deck, and space preparation are complete. Cutouts are on order, and scripts have been delivered. Key remaining items include:
– Audio/visual for cutouts.
– Blueprint Room, P-Days, and Bootcamp
– “What’s My Rate” display panel
– Tour and directional signage
– LA Fleet Week (Official America’s 250 Event)
This is a major milestone year. The team is developing dynamic in-person and online activations, including a Route 66 component, performances and competitions, exhibitors, and more. This is an all hands on deck effort requiring significant financial and personnel resources.
Park and Pavilion
As shared in Mike Getscher’s email, demolition is underway and safety protocols are in place. We are actively working to secure $4M in matching funds, with a strong start from a $1M commitment received two weeks ago. Kyle continues to drive momentum through targeted meetings and calls to close the gap.
On a personal note, I recently had the opportunity to spend time with family on a cruise in the eastern Caribbean. Even while away, my thoughts were on the future of our ship and organization. Visiting multiple ports reinforced something important—successful destinations maximize connection and revenue from cruise guests.
Our long-term strategy—to become the primary connection point between the cruise terminal and promenade through food & beverage, visitation, luggage storage, and more—is validated globally. We cannot rely solely on Iowa visitation; we must continue evolving into a diverse destination that both visitors enjoy and the community benefits from.
Looking ahead, I will be traveling back to Iowa on April 6th to continue our efforts toward securing the appropriation needed to address ongoing deck corrosion and leaks—issues that continue to worsen, as demonstrated by the significant team effort required during the last rainstorm. Until then, I’ll be on board and look forward to connecting with you during this week’s briefings.
In closing, I want to thank the Safety team for being observant and prepared, especially given current global challenges. Their work often goes unseen, but it is deeply appreciated.
Thank you all for your continued dedication and hard work.
Jonathan
CIO David Canfield
Progress continues on the crew portal, but one thing that is not available at the moment is the ability to see lifetime, annual, and monthly hours for volunteers. The reason this has not been rolled out is that we are still importing and auditing the shifts and hours from the volgistics data dumps.
Displaying inaccurate data will generate more questions than displaying no data which will result in more work for the team (both Volunteer and DevOps) who are already working hard to get the data in place and visible within days or a very few weeks.
More disappointing to me at both a personal and professional level is a comment I have heard through a couple channels. The “reason” behind the hours not being visible is being attributed to the institution being unwilling to provide the 1000 hour jackets and other awards to volunteers.
Seriously? If you have volunteered for that many hours here, and you feel that is the institutional reasoning, please come and see me, or Sue, or anyone on the management or senior leadership team — nothing could be further from the truth and I would love to understand how or why that feeling exists even if it is in a small fraction of the crew.
As always, I am privileged to be part of this crew and to call you all “Shipmates”
Kind Regards,
David
CFO Ross O'Brien
To quote the famous philosophers, Emerson, Lake, and Palmer:
“Welcome back my friends, to the show that ever ends.
“So glad you could attend, come inside, come inside”.
I need your input, please. The thought has crossed my mind (and been discussed by the Management Team) that we run the risk of “over communicating”, i.e.,
- too many emails,
- from too many people,
- too often,
- that say too little.
Personally, I worry my weekly reports run the risk of becoming – or have already become – stale and repetitive. Assuming that’s true, perhaps something a little less frequent might be more impactful. One thought would be to go to an “every other week” schedule. Another possibility would be to go to a monthly schedule, like the existing Monthly Controller’s Report. So, please let me know what you prefer:
- No change, continue weekly.
- Every other week
- Once a month
- Dear God, just stop!
My goal is to make this report as informative as possible, without getting old and boring.
Thanks,
Ross
CHENG Mike Getscher
From the desk of the Chief Engineer
Another riveting note from the world of engineering and capital projects.
The Pavilion project dominates our world now, and with the site fully enclosed by fencing, some of the simple demolition began including tree and old-fencing removal along with the recovery of potentially reusable materials. Benches, bollards and lights are on that list, most of which are neatly stacked on pallets within the vicinity.
And after meeting with our friends in the Construction & Maintenance (C&M) division of the Port, we have begun working through utility shutoffs. The electrical side of things was relatively easy to address, but the plumbing side is another matter.
After years of construction and modification, some of which dates to the 1920s, underground piping on the property is a maze of undocumented systems which do not fall under traditional rules for utilities. Typically, underground systems are subject to location verification and pretty much easily found. But in this case, the land is considered “private” by the Underground Service Alert systems (we love the USA folks!) and is therefore a big mystery. Once called, the USA team showed up and threw their collective hands in the air, so we are on our own. Maybe we need one of those divining rods…
In crossover territory between the Pavilion and Fleet Week, the existing security cameras on the old light poles have been removed, and conversations about the change in locations for temporary Fleet Week cameras convened. Those cameras usually utilize the huge light pole which is now within the site and which will likely be taken down before the event. There are a lot of pieces to this story.
The Engineering team continues to prepare for deployment of the cofferdam to the port side, address mooring line splices, and are preparing the SS Rust Bucket barge for a hopeful launch when we move the rangefinder out of the old yard. Keeping fingers crossed, saying prayers, burning incense, whatever works.
Operation Spare Parts is coming our way again it seems. For those of you who remember, back in December of 2020, we were given the opportunity by the Navy to recover spare parts from the battleship program in Philadelphia. With spares literally spanning the entire time that the ships existed, this assemblage of parts had been stored aboard the former USS CHARLESTON in Philly for many years, completely out of sight. Spanning three decks, the amount of material we found in the ship was beyond imagination.
All eight existing battleship museums were given special access for just a few days. We were allowed to take anything we could physically carry off the vessel and given the opportunity to mark larger items for future recovery once the CHARLESTON arrived at the scrapyard. We grabbed a bunch of small stuff, including publications, and identified large items such as original electrical breakers, chilled water pumps, and a replacement emergency diesel for later recovery. All of these items are literally irreplaceable.
Unfortunately, weather bore down on us that week, and our visit was cut very short. Adding to the challenges was the recall of publications and documents by the National Archives a year later, (I’ll explain that at another time) which limited the value of the initial haul.
Fast forward nearly six years, and the CHARLESTON is heading for Brownsville Texas for dismantling. NAVSEA reached out to me several months ago with the news, and with the ship arriving in Texas next month, we will be sending a small team to the Lone Star State on a parts run! Sometimes things just need to work through a slow and methodical process…
And now for Richmond…
As mentioned before, we signed the refurbishment contract with Bay Ship & Yacht on or about March 5th of 2012. They were ready, as I believe we all were after months of negotiations, inspections, meetings and renegotiations. But then the rains came…
We’re not talking a little rain…no, we had buckets of rain, a proverbial deluge of water, the results of which literally exceed the recent flooding experiences on IOWA by an order of magnitude. Bay Ship & Yacht struggled to keep forward momentum, while we struggled with our pumps and galoshes. I recall water spilling over the low knee knockers in the Supply Office, the Disbursing Office and a variety of places across the ship. It was a mess, and we were knee deep in it.
Constant bucket and pumping brigades were organized, and new water horrors popped up on a regular basis. And for those of us living aboard the ship, it was a real challenge. With no bathrooms or operational plumbing of any kind, we were forced to don our raingear and walk 500 feet to the porta potties on the dock, fully exposed to the weather. We were always dripping wet, cold, tired, and miserable.
Porta potties were one of our lifelines back then, and something we lived with well into our initial years in LA. And once construction began in Richmond, they became something of a problem to keep clean. It was so bad at one point that a special “Ladies” potty was designated and kept always locked. If memory serves, there was a secret code for the padlock, and no men were allowed to have that code.
Sue, the flowers in the urinal were a nice touch…
As always, I am grateful to be here,
Mike
In the J.O. Jungle
March 2026 Highlight Reel
Engineering from Chief Moser
– We have been picking away at reducing the amount of sh-tuff scattered along the pier. We have recently had our annual POLA storm water courtesy inspection and have made great improvements over the previous years. We are not as messy as have been.
– The expansion joint rubber membrane has finally been installed the entire length of the joint. Next step will be installing hinged plates over the rubber joint to protect it from weather and clumsy feet. This will return the joint to its original condition before the ship went into mothballs in the 1990s.
Development from Kyle Aube
Awarded Becky Beach with the third annual USS IOWA Jeff Lamberti Service Award. Secured a $1M pledge toward the Freedom of the Seas Campaign.
Programs from Mike Nguyen and Anna Borough
– We proudly honored K9 Veteran Day, recognizing the brave military/law enforcement teams and working dogs who have served our communities. The visiting teams highlighted the critical role K9 units play in detection, protection, and lifesaving missions. Guests got to see demonstrations from teams and their dogs on the fantail! One of the vendors, K9 Armour, also donated a $4,000 K9 bullet proof vest to one of the visiting dogs!
– Our team participated in outreach at the StudentBuild Summit, connecting with over 3,000 students from across the region. Through engaging conversations and interactive outreach, we introduced students to real-world applications in STEM and our projectiles station was a big hit! The summit was a fantastic opportunity to meet students and teachers and encourage them to visit the ship!
– Mike and Anna survived another month not being beheaded 🙂
Tours with VJ Alcomindras
Added $10 Highlight Tour add-on as a new options for guests to experience the ship
Marketing from Hall Roosevelt
Became a father! We welcomed Nora McKenzie Roosevelt on March 23. Everyone is doing well!
Tech from Troy Vail
– Supported Pavilion Construction team with conference/meeting computer setup in the now Construction Trailer.
– Ongoing support of Salesforce rollout with numerous battleship email support. Started IT Office Hours weekly Friday afternoon support sessions
IE&T from Gary Lopes
N/A
Sales from Catherine Moreno
Ticket products have been added to Airbnb.
Curatorial with Dave Way
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Communications with Marann Fengler
– Released podcast with National Museum of the Surface Navy designers Phil Bloom & Josh Wexler. It’s an insightful look at the incredible minds behind the cool stuff happening on 3rd deck aft.
– Second Afterparty episode looked at this year’s flooding, a fun Vicky story, and more
– Had the privilege of compiling a birthday message from our crew to 106-year-old IOWA crew member and WWII veteran Freeman Johnson
Crew Services from Hershell Hardimon
Our focus for this past quarter involved establishing organizational infrastructure, defining leadership roles, and developing the HR and Crew Training departments
Accounting & Finance from Nui Valletta
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Volunteering with Sue Schmidt
We have restarted field trips for the crew! We had a very successful trip in early March and look forward to more great trips in the future! We want to hear YOUR ideas and preferences. Let us know what you think by completing our online survey.
What They're Planning For April 2026
Engineering from Chief Moser
– We will be installing the cofferdam on the port forward. Stay tuned for this complex nail-biting adventure.
– We have renewed our efforts to make the crane-barge on the pier, watertight and ready to return to the water. If we are successful and plug every hole in the hull, scuba gear and wetsuits will not be required when boarding this vessel. Life jackets will still be a neccessity.
Development from Kyle Aube
– Long Beach Grand Prix – seeking volunteers!
Programs with Mike Nguyen and Anna Borough
– April 12th we will be participating in Scout Day at the Aquarium of the Pacific. This is an annual event we attend in order to encourage scout groups to visit us for our overnight program!
– Our annual Gravely scholarship opportunity will be closed for submissions on April 16th. If you know any 11th grade students looking for scholarships, please encourage them to apply!
– We will be commemorating the 37th anniversary of the April 19th Turret 2 explosion on the fantail. Please join us for a short ceremony to honor all those who made the ultimate sacrifice that day.
– On April 26th we will be taking part in the City of STEM, one of the region’s largest celebrations of science and innovation with an estimated reach of over 20,000 students, teachers, and school administrators.
Tours with VJ Alcomindras
Added $10 Highlight Tour add-on as a new options for guests to experience the ship
Marketing with Hall Roosevelt
Baby leave. Diaper changing, very little sleep, and trying to squeeze in some IOWA when possible.
Also, April is Month of the Military Child. We’ll be offering a discount – buy one military ticket, a child gets in free.
Tech from Troy Vail
– Fleetweek preperation, testing parking lot distribtion system, configuring cameras to support Cesar’s parking lot bars.
– Devops is working on a training program for the Overnight team to give their safety briefs using the fantail LED wall.
IE&T from Gary Lopes
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Sales from Catherine Moreno
– On track to achieve a 50% increase in overnight attendance for the month of April.
– A Viator promotion aimed at increasing museum attendance will go live.
Curatorial with Dave Way
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Communications with Marann Fengler
– Our next podcast drops tomorrow (Thurs, Apr 2, 2026). Guest for this one is the amazing Command Master Chief Octavia Harris, USN (Ret.), our 2024 Gravely Award recipient. It’s a brief masterclass on leadership and insight into the chiefs’ mess. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or listen/watch on YouTube. (Link won’t work until tomorrow.)
– Lots of meetings and prep for LA Fleet Week.
– Planning to stalk portside cofferdam efforts and dock line splices to grab some great video.
Have fun stuff you’d like to share in this newsletter or on socials? Drop us a line! marketing@labattlehip.com
Crew Services from Hershell Hardimon
Standardize policies and on boarding. Launch training programs
Accounting & Finance from Nui Valletta
N/A
Volunteering with Sue Schmidt
Coming up in April we will once again be hosing a booth at the Long Beach Grand Prix, Friday through Sunday, April 17 – 19. And of course, we will be honoring and remembering the 47 on the morning of Sunday, April 19th. And watch for an announcement regarding our next Bell Ringing!
Saved Rounds
Long Beach Grand Prix
It’s not just time for LA Fleet Week. It’s also time for our annual appearance at Long Beach Grand Prix. We need crew to represent! If you’re the sort who loves to talk about our community, our projects, and ways folks can get involved, this is your chance to get out in public and tell race fans that fast cars aren’t the only cool machines in town. You can make sure they know that just over the bridges is a ship that will blow their minds. We’ll be onsite from April 15-April 19 and shifts are available at the following times:
- Morning 0800-1300
- Afternoon 1300-1800
Set up and break down help would also be extremely welcome. For details and to sign up, please click the button below.
- Peter Paluck and Ron Nakamura: completing the deck restoration between Vicky’s and T3. It looks phenomenal, guys. (Sub-shout to Stan Sato for being a great mentor!)
- Tina Frank: taking the initiative to walk parking passes to crew on a recent cruise ship day so they didn’t have to get in and out of the traffic pattern
- Mike Lisk: quietly taking the time to sweep and clean up 2nd deck forward of the post office
- The entire Programs staff and Catherine Moreno: doing tremendous work on our overnight program. The team has implemented 4 brand new action stations and volume for participation in the program has increased by over 200% year-on-year. Our new action stations are the first time the overnight program has been revamped in years! Way to go to the entire team stepping up to make these changes and refresh the program!
- Programs team sends love to IT: answering all requests big and small. From keys, to email access, events, salesforce, and creating button boxes to enhance our overnight program safety brief, you all handle every request with professionalism, speediness, a good sense of humor and extreme patience. Thank you!
- Dave Way: giving incredible support to a student named Jasmine as she gathered information about Vicky for the National History Day Contest. Thanks to Dave’s expertise and the valuable insight he shared, Jasmine was selected as one of the four winners at History Day LA and will now advance to the State competition in May.
- Della Rose: spearheading the new signage project. Tours couldn’t do it without her!
- Deena Gribben: being a fantastic lead for the crew field trip.
Bravo Zulu to all!
Keep sending us shout outs in praise of your fellow shipmates. We work hard. Let’s give folks their due!
Over And Out
We’ll conclude this month’s edition of The Broadside with some IT humor, courtesy of Troy Vail:
Did you hear what happened to the person who invented the Knock-knock joke?
They were awarded the No-Bell Prize. Ba-dum-tsch
And return fire from engineering’s George Evans:
What’s the difference between outlaws and inlaws?
Outlaws are wanted.
We’ll see ourselves out…
P.S. Want to share something cool with the crew? Give a shout out to a shipmate? Ask a question? Drop a line to marketing@labattleship.com. We’ve got ya covered.
