Smithsonian Acquires Cold War Affiliate
In January 2001, the Cold War Museum was invited by the Smithsonian Institution to become an affiliate museum. As a Smithsonian affiliate, the Cold War Museum can exhibit artifacts from the Smithsonian’s national collection. In addition, as early as June 2001, the Cold War Museum may be able to give its collections a permanent home at a former Nike missile base 20 minutes from Washington, D.C. In the meantime, the National Security Agency Cryptologic Museum at Fort Meade in Maryland temporarily may house Cold War Museum exhibits.
The Cold War Museum, currently centered on a traveling exhibit of artifacts associated with the May 1960 U-2 incident, was founded in 1996 by Francis Gary Powers Jr. (son of the U-2 pilot who was shot down) and John C. Welch. In the past five years, the exhibit has visited numerous museums around the country and Europe with the intention of preserving Cold War history and honoring Cold War veterans. The mobile exhibit currently is on display at the Florida International Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, where it will stay from March 2001 through March 2002.
The permanent museum eventually will exhibit artifacts and memorabilia associated with various Cold War-related events and activities such as Winston Churchill’s “Iron Curtain” speech in Fulton, Missouri; the Marshall Plan; the Berlin Air Lift; the building of the Berlin Wall; the Korean War; the U-2 Incident; the Bay of Pigs; the Cuban Missile Crisis; the Vietnam War; President Mikhail Gorbachev’s “Perestroika” and “Glasnost”; Ronald Reagan’s Strategic Defense Initiative; the fall of the Berlin Wall; and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The Smithsonian affiliate program, founded in 1997, was created to solve simultaneously the inability of the Smithsonian to display all of the numerous artifacts under its care, and the difficulty that many small museums around the country have in acquiring new quality material to display. The affiliate program, which allows smaller institutions to acquire Smithsonian objects on temporary loan, now consists of more than 64 museums. Presently, the Cold War Museum and the Smithsonian are conducting a study to determine which artifacts from the national collection can be used in Cold War exhibits.
For more information about the Cold War Museum, visit its website at www.coldwar.org.
Wisconsin Now at New Home
Exactly 57 years after she was launched, the battleship Wisconsin (BB-64) arrived at her new home on the Norfolk, Virginia, waterfront at Nauticus on 7 December 2000. Public tours of the Wisconsin—which served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf—and exhibits on the battlewagon in Nauticus are scheduled to open on 16 April 2001
Carrier Receives Stamp of Approval
On 14 March 2001, the California Coastal Commission gave its approval to a nonprofit group’s plan to berth the aircraft carrier Midway (CV-41) along the San Diego waterfront’s North Embarcadero. More than 350 people, including veterans, students, and even former astronaut Wally Schirra, attended the commission’s hearing. The more than 60 people who spoke out in favor of the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum helped the commission make its unanimous decision to reject its own staff recommendation against the plan.
Members of the Environmental Health Coalition, the Sierra Club, and the Audubon Society criticized the plan because the carrier, at 53,000 tons, would block views of the harbor and increase parking problems downtown. The museum group, however, pledged to build satellite parking facilities and keep the Midway’s flight deck clear to minimize blocked views of the water.
With state approval in hand, Midway museum backers still must satisfy a number of demands from the Navy (centered mostly on the museum’s financial viability) before the ship can be donated formally to the group and towed from her current berth at Bremerton, Washington, to San Diego.
Washington Museum Will Highlight Spies
With the recent expulsion of Russian diplomats in the wake of the arrest of accused spy Robert Hanssen, it is clear that the old cat-and-mouse game of major-power spying did not end with the Cold War. A new museum in Washington, D.C., plans to become the “largest permanent exhibition in the world dedicated to exploring the history of espionage.” In December 2000, the D.C. City Council voted to approve the projected site for the International Spy Museum, which will be located in the heart of the nation’s capital.
The museum’s coverage will range widely through history, from Sun Tzu to Mata Hari, the Russian Revolution, and the Cold War, with much in between. Exhibits will feature films, interactive displays, and a large collection of espionage artifacts, including a German Enigma cipher machine, secret KGB cameras, and OSS sabotage weapons. Other aspects of the museum will include a “spy school,” where visitors can learn how to use spy cameras, bug a room, and try on disguises. Even James Bond and his influence on real-life spying will receive coverage.
The museum will be located at 800 F Street NW, in a soon-to-be restored block that encompasses the old Atlas and LeDroit buildings. The location is across the street from the National Portrait Gallery and the MCI Center, and is within walking distance of the National Mall.
“By restoring historic downtown sites,” said D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams about the new museum, “we give visitors yet another reason to venture off the National Mall and into the rich and vibrant neighborhoods that make Washington ... a special place to visit. Through the continued support of projects like the International Spy Museum, we are helping to boost our economy, revitalize city blocks, and add texture and character to city life.”
Unlike most other Washington museums, however, the International Spy Museum will not be free; it is privately owned and will be a for-profit venture. Visitors will be charged admission.
The museum hopes to complete construction of its facility by early spring 2002. For more information about the museum and for an artist’s rendition of the completed building, visit www. spymuseum.org.
Georgia Governor Dedicates Refurbished Museum
The Port Columbus National Civil War Naval Museum in Columbus, Georgia, opened the doors of its new facilities on 9 March 2001. The dedication ceremony was punctuated by a keynote address from Georgia Governor Roy Barnes, and also featured speakers such as Columbus Mayor Bobby Peters, President of the Port Columbus Board of Directors Tom Gates, Director of Naval History Dr. William Dudley, and renowned Civil War naval historian William Still. Following the opening, the festivities included cannon and howitzer firings, band concerts from the 8th Regiment Brass Band and the 97th Regiment String Band, and living history demonstrations.
The opening was the culmination of several years of design, planning, and construction. New creative and interactive exhibits transport visitors back in time to experience one of the most innovative periods in naval history. Visitors can board a replica of Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut’s flagship, the USS Hartford, and explore the crew’s quarters and the officers’ wardroom. On board the 87-foot-long replica of the ironclad CSS Albemarle, guests can experience naval combat through a battle simulator experience.
Along with the many fascinating artifacts and exhibits, Port Columbus is home to two Civil War ships, the gunboat CSS Chattahoochee and the CSS Jackson, the largest surviving scratch- made Civil War ironclad. The 225-foot Jackson was built less than a mile from the museum. Both ships were salvaged from the Chattahoochee River in the early 1960s.
“This is just a beginning for Port Columbus,” said Bruce Smith, executive director of the museum. “Plans for the facility have several phases. Work on the next phase, a Civil War naval shipyard, will begin almost immediately.”
Ballard Searches for Minisub
A new National Geographic special, airing at 2000 on 27 May 2001 on the National Geographic Channel, will focus on an underwater survey of Pearl Harbor by Woods Hole scientist emeritus Dr. Robert Ballard. Ballard's expedition scoured the bottom of the harbor in November 2000 in search of one of the three Japanese midget submarines confirmed sunk on 7 December 1941. One of the subs, sunk by the USS Ward (DD-139), was the first casualty of Japan’s war with the United States. Like Ballard’s previous expedition specials, extensive historical background will be featured as well as several veterans: two members of the Ward’s crew and a Japanese submariner. The special is timed to coincide with the release of the Disney movie, Pearl Harbor, which will be released on 23 May.
Research Fellowship to be Awarded
The Naval War College Foundation intends to award one grant of $1,000 to the naval researcher who has the greatest need and can make the optimum use of research materials for naval history located in the Naval War College’s Archives, Naval Historical Collection, and Henry E. Eccles Library. The recipient will be a research fellow in the Naval War College’s Advanced Research Department, which will provide administrative support. Submit a detailed research proposal, curriculum vitae, one letter of recommendation, and relevant background information to Miller Naval History Fellowship Committee, Naval War College Foundation, 686 Cushing Road, Newport R1 02841-1207, by 1 August 2001. Employees of the U.S. Naval War College or any agency of the U.S. Department of Defense are not eligible for consideration; EEO/AA regulations apply.
D-Day Museum to Expand
The National D-Day Museum in New Orleans, which opened in June 2000, has announced its first major expansion. The new exhibit, “The D-Day Invasions in the Pacific,” is scheduled to open on 7 December 2001, the 60th anniversary of the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor.
The new gallery, totaling approximately 5,000 square feet, will include a combination of photos, videos, artifacts, interactive displays, maps, and oral histories. A large animated map of the Pacific Theater will summarize the major campaigns and battles that took place over a 44-month period, beginning in December 1941 and ending with the surrender of Japan in August 1945. A 200-foot- long serpentine timeline wall will follow the major D-Day invasions of the war in the Pacific, with special emphasis on major amphibious assaults such as Guadalcanal, Bougainville, New Guinea, Tarawa, Saipan, Peleliu, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa.
Intimate theaters along the timeline wall will feature films depicting stages along the road to Allied victory. One film will present the strategies of the Japanese and American commanders at the Battle of Midway, while another will depict the largest naval battle in history, Leyte Gulf, and General Douglas MacArthur’s campaign to liberate the Philippines.
The new exhibit is just the first part of an ongoing effort to increase the coverage of the Pacific War at the museum. Future projects include making a new documentary on the Pacific battles, new displays that will include coverage of the China-Burma-India theater and the Japanese invasion of the Aleutian Islands, and a virtual-reality capsule that will transport 20 people onto an invasion beach in a Higgins boat.
For more information, visit the museum’s website at www.ddaymuseum.org, or call (504) 527-6012.
Glacier to Be Restored
The USS/USCG Glacier (AGB-4/ WAGB-4) made Antarctic history in February 1960 by becoming the first ship to penetrate the Bellinghausen Sea and make landfall on Thurston Island. At the time she was commissioned in 1955, the Glacier was the largest and most powerful icebreaker in the world, capable of breaking ice up to 20 feet thick. Her career spanned 32 years of service in both the U.S. Navy and the U.S. Coast Guard, and now a nonprofit organization will act as her caretaker and help keep the Glacier around for years to come as an education/research/museum ship. The 2001 Defense Authorization Bill included a provision authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to transfer title of the former USCG Glacier, retired since 1987 and now part of the Maritime Administration’s Defense Reserve Fleet Facility at Suisun Bay in California, to the Connecticut-based Glacier Society. President Bill Clinton signed the legislation in October 2000.
The “Mighty G,” 310 feet long, 74 foot in the beam, and displacing more than 8,500 tons, served in the Navy from 1955 to 1966. In the latter year, the Coast Guard assumed total responsibility for icebreaking missions and all Navy assets were transferred to the Coast Guard. The Glacier sailed on as “Big Red” until her decommissioning 21 years later. At that time, the Glacier was transferred to the inactive reserve fleet to make room for a new generation of icebreakers. During her many years of service, the Glacier made 29 trips to the Arctic (15 consecutive) and 10 to the Antarctic, sailing 944,050 miles.
The transfer requirements specify that the Glacier Society will agree to use the vessel for the purpose of a monument dedicated to the accomplishments of members of the armed forces of the United States, civilians, scientists, and diplomats in explorations of the Arctic and Antarctic. The society also must make the vessel available if required by the government for a national emergency.
The society’s mission is to restore the Glacier as an operational memorial to the U.S. contributions in expanding knowledge of the polar regions. The society will carry out its educational mission in three main areas. First, the ship will provide hands-on learning opportunities for vocational students. Educational cruises will be offered for students, adults, and seniors, providing practical learning experiences in marine sciences. Second, the Glacier will be available for use by educational institutions and foundations conducting oceanographic and marine research. Finally, the icebreaker will house permanent displays of artwork and memorabilia and will host lectures and seminars dedicated to the history of polar exploration, which will be offered to the public.
The 2001 Defense Authorization Bill allows the society up to two years to accomplish all that can be done toward restoring the ship while she remains at Suisun Bay. The formal transfer of the Glacier to the society will come next. At that time, it is anticipated that the ship will move to a facility in the San Francisco Bay area for major engineering work and dry-docking. The work will include major refurbishment/replacement of the main operating machinery, repair/replacement of support systems as necessary, and reconfiguration of interior spaces. Sea trials in the northern California area will complete the next phase. The final step will be shakedown training and the voyage to the East Coast and her new home port in Connecticut.