From: Brian.Fair@norfolk.gov
To: BB64BT1Retired@aol.com
CC: John.Elliker@norfolk.gov
Sent: 12/15/2009 2:50:22 P.M. Central Standard Time
Subj: Draft for Wisconsin Folks
On Monday, December 14 the stork swooped into Norfolk and
delivered one very special "girl" to the City and Nauticus.
She is very big for her age and looks good in gray -- she is the USS Wisconsin!
Navy officials signed the paperwork Monday to donate the service’s
last battleship, the Wisconsin, to the city of Norfolk, Va., the Navy
announced. The transfer is the next step in opening up many of the ship’s
interior spaces for public tours. Nauticus expects
interior spaces to be open to the public by Summer of 2010, and for additional
expanded guided tours to start soon, that will visit more spaces and give more
details for military and history buffs.
On the special tour we may include John Fox's old bunk, complete
with old flasks; Tom Bradshaw's boiler room hang out, which I'm told is where
all the good parties happened; and the one machine every sailor took advantage
of during their tour -- the gigantic mashed potato machine in the mess kitchen.
We know the Association members are excited to hear this news, and we are proud
to be the steward of YOUR battleship. On a personal note, I am rejoicing over
this transfer because it means when I speak at the reunions, I now have no
chance of getting heckled anymore! Ed Gavin even threw a roll at my head once,
but he probably doesn't remember it.
This journey has had many ups and downs. I have heard your stories
of sacrifice, of teamwork, and of bravery, and of how much the Wisconsin means
to each and every one of you. I have seen tear-filled eyes look in portholes
for a glimpse of a bunk. I have seen men and women from 90 to 19 gather
together, break bread, and tell sea stories about this beloved ship. From
weathering typhoons in the South Pacific Seas, to her first direct hit off
Korea, to the awful accident off the Virginia coast that damaged her bow, your
ship reminds me of all of you -- tough, strong, and putting others before
yourselves. From her first deployment in WWII to returning from Operation
Desert Storm, thousands of sailors left a piece of their heart on the USS
Wisconsin for decades. Now, soon, all that passion will be on display for the
public to see.
She is finally come "home," and now the noble duty is
upon all of us to make sure that she is protected and kept in ship-shape for
generations in the future. Look for more information on how you all can help do
that in the next issue of the Badger ….
Brian
Brian J. Fair
Director of Development
Nauticus
One Waterside Drive
Norfolk, VA 23510