U. S. NAVAL INSTITUTE
Proceedings/Naval Review: The hearts of submariners everywhere will be farmed by Captain William J. Ruhe’s stirring account of World War II action, "Blowing the Japanese Out of Shallow Water,” in the August Proceedings. The skipper of the Crevalle (SS-291) and his experienced crew needed equal measures of skill and daring to counter the coast- hugging tactics of Japanese convoys in the South China Sea in early 1944. but their success eventually forced the enemy out to open ocean once again. Captain Ruhe, a 1939 graduate of the Naval Academy, is the editor of The Submarine Review, a quarterly of the U. S. Naval Submarine League. He has been a frequent contributor to Proceedings.
A special treat awaits Proceedings readers in September, when “Running the Navy: A Personal Memoir,” by Ambassador Paul H. Nitze appears, former Secretary of the Navy Nitze recalls his time at the helm between 1963-67, and his encounters with some of the strong-willed major figures of the Lyndon Johnson administration, as the nation's commitment to the war in Vietnam deepened.
Oral History: Two more volumes have been completed in the series on the first black naval officers, known as the Golden Thirteen. The reminiscences of Mr. Graham E. Martin and Mr. Frank E. Sublett join those of Mr. George C. Cooper, finished last winter. Martin and Sublett share an aptitude for athletics with other members of the group; in fact, Graham Martin managed to play semipro football while he was stationed in the San Francisco area. Both were fortunate to Set shipboard assignments after they were commissioned, though they felt the Navy Was making up work for them to do. Both also were sent to Eniwetok toward the end of the war, Martin as athletic training officer and Sublett as executive officer of a cargo-handling company. The memoirs of the other five surviving members should be available shortly.
Vice Admiral Charles A. Pownall’s oral history was also completed recently. A latecomer to aviation, Pownall received his wings in 1927, 17 years after his graduation from the Naval Academy. He commanded the carrier Enterprise (CV-6) from 1938-41. His wartime duties included service as Commander Fleet Air, West Coast, Commander Carrier Division Three, and Commander Air Force Pacific Fleet. His final tours were as Commander Marianas and Naval Governor of Guam. Admiral Pownall retired on 1 November 1949.
During a recent trip to Hawaii, oral history director Paul Stillwell conducted interviews with two retired flag officers whose transcripts will eventually be added to our collection: Admiral Thomas B. Hayward, Chief of Naval Operations from 1978 to 1982, and Rear Admiral Henry S. Persons, a pre-World War II submariner who served in three surface ships during the war. Another oral history project begun recently is with retired Captain Robert Evans, who served as submarine construction superintendent at Portsmouth Navy Yard in the late 1930s and was a designer in BuShips during much of World War II.
Among the many sources cited at the back of C. David Heymann's controversial biography of former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis is the Naval Institute’s oral history program. Heymann requested and received access to the material on the Kennedys in our collection. His book, A Woman Named Jackie (New York: Lyle Stewart. 1989). was published in the spring.
We compiled an annotated list of completed oral histories by submariners and on submarine-related topics for a symposium in May at the Nimitz Museum in Texas. Anyone interested in obtaining this single-page guide can get it by sending a stamped, self-addressed envelope to the Director of Oral History, U. S. Naval Institute, Annapolis, Maryland 21402.
Naval Institute Press: This fall we will bring back into print two lavishly illustrated reference works by retired Commander John D. Alden that are undeniable classics. Despite the passage of more than two decades since the original publication, these books have remained among our most requested titles.
First published in 1965 as a soft-cover monograph with limited distribution. Flush Decks and Four Pipes will make its appearance this October in a new hardcover edition that offers a full page of photographs for each page of text. A highly regarded U. S. warship expert, Alden has drawn on a lifetime of study to present this commanding picture of America’s famous flush-deck destroyer— that stalwart ship which made its dramatic entrance on the stage of war in 1917 and remained active for more than 30 years. He not only highlights the careers of individual ships in the class, but also traces the ways in which they were adapted to perform a variety of duties as the U. S. Navy’s needs changed. In World War II they served in nearly every theater of the war: as escort ships in hunter-killer groups, as minelayers, minesweepers, supply and landing ships, and as support vessels for squadrons of flying boats. Commander Alden also chronicles the service of these “four pipers” in other navies as well and offers an interesting discussion of the 50 flush deckers involved in President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “destroyers for bases” trade with Winston Churchill.
Ship enthusiasts and naval historians alike will appreciate the book’s thorough statistical summary of the destroyers. All 273 flush-deckers are listed by hull numbers and cross-indexed by name and number, in addition to dates of commissioning, final disposition, renaming, reclassification, and much more.
Also to be republished in October is Alden’s incredibly popular photographic history of The American Steel Navy. This substantial work includes nearly 350 rare photographs carefully selected by Ed Holm and handsomely displayed in a large format. It covers the U. S. Navy during one of its most critical periods— the years between 1883 and 1909, when the Navy evolved from an insignificant fleet of mostly wooden ships into the famous “Great White Fleet” that flaunted the nation’s new-found status as a world power.
The authoritative text covers every important phase of naval development and service from the evolution of ship design, armament, and production brought about by the introduction of the steel hull, to the training and daily routine of the ships’ officers and men. Such key personalities as Theodore Roosevelt, Alfred Thayer Mahan, and Stephen B. Luce and their efforts to raise the status of the fleet are also fully addressed. Many of the illustrations are considered masterpieces of American photographic art and provide permanent records of the ships' exterior appearances, as well as rare shots of their interiors and fascinating views of shipboard life.
With the publication of these two titles, the Press can proudly claim a total of four books on its list by Commander Alden, the others being his ever popular The Fleet Submarine in the U. S. Navy and his recently released reference U. S. Submarine Attacks during World War II.
NAVY HISTORY
By Carolyn M. Stallings and Sandra J. Doyle, Naval Historical Center
Dr. Ronald H. Spector ended a successful three-year tour as Director of Naval History on 21 July. He will resume his teaching duties at the University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, as professor of history and director of the Graduate Program in Military History. Dr. Spector took a leave of absence from his academic position in order to assume his duties at the Naval Historical Center; he was asked in 1988 to stay on an additional year to give greater continuity to the center’s new programs.
As Director of Naval History, Dr. Spector initiated a number of innovative programs. The Contemporary History Branch was established in 1987 for the research and writing of modern naval history. The center assumed responsibility for Naval Aviation News magazine. Aviation History, deck logs, and the Navy’s combat art program.
Under Spector’s leadership the center has attracted scholars from academia through the Secretary of the Navy’s Research Chair in Naval History, predoc- toral fellowships, postgraduate research grants, and undergraduate internships. In an effort to cooperate with other military historians, the center hosted conferences such as the American Military Institute in the spring of 1988, and initiated the Colloquium on Contemporary History series. Dr. Spector promoted a closer association with the Naval Historical Foundation during the past three years, especially in its establishment of a museum board to raise funds for Navy Museum projects.
One of Dr. Spector’s major programs is documenting what the Navy is doing today by sending teams of historians and members of the center’s reserve unit to the operating forces to conduct interviews and to make sure the records are preserved. Spector himself visited all the numbered fleets, the Persian Gulf, and major European and Asian commands during his tenure.
In the past three years, the Navy Museum opened several major exhibits covering the Vietnam War, the War of 1812. and World War II in the Pacific. It has also produced a Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibit Service display on the wartime photographs of Edward Steichen. The museum has strengthened its educational programs by adding docent training and special programs and tours for school children, and has sponsored public events such as family days and lectures. A program of art conservation and automated collections management systems have further modernized the operations of the curator and museum.
Dr. Dean C. Allard became the new Director of Naval History in July. His association with the NHC began in 1956 when, as a junior naval officer, he became the special assistant to the Deputy Director of Naval History. After leaving active naval duty in 1958, Dr. Allard dieted the center’s Operational Archives over the next 29 years. In 1987 he became the center’s senior historian.
Dr. Allard graduated from Dartmouth College and holds advanced degrees from Georgetown University and The George Washington University. He is the author of many works relating to U. S. naval history and the history of American marine science. Among these are the first volume in the series entitled The United States Navy and the Vietnam Conflict, for which he was coauthor; Spencer Fullerton Baird: A Study in the History of American Science; and U. S. Naval History Sources in the United States (coeditor). His articles have appeared in such Journals as the U. S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Military Affairs, American Neptune, and Virginia Magazine of History and Biography.
Dr. Allard is a former president of the North American Society of Oceanic History. He is a trustee and former vice prescient of the American Military Institute, •he central professional association for D. S. military historians. He also is an adjunct professor at The George Washington University, where he teaches courses in military history.
The NHC sponsored its first annual Colloquium on Contemporary History on 7 June at the Officers’ Club at the Washington Navy Yard. The program, designed to attract both government and academic historians with a common interest in national security affairs in the post-1945 era, was led by Edward J. Marolda, head of the NHC’s Contemporary History branch.
On 19 June, Admiral Carlisle A. H. Trost, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), opened the Pacific section of the Navy Museum’s exhibit on World War II. The exhibit, when completed, will be the largest American display on the Second World War. In addition to telling the chronological story of the war in the Pacific, the new section deals with the contributions of the submariners, aviators, and logistic services. Among the highlights of the exhibit are a Corsair, a twin five-inch gun turret, a facsimile of a Fletcher-class destroyer bridge, a “Little Boy” atomic bomb, and a fiber optic map of the Battle of Leyte Gulf. Work on the Atlantic and home front sections of the exhibit will start this summer.
The Navy’s Thomas Hart Benton collection was on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American Art during the month of April to celebrate the centennial of the artist’s birth. The collection was then exhibited at the Naval Academy Museum from 15 May- 23 June, and will be displayed at the Chrysler Museum in Norfolk, 6 July-3 September. From there it will go to the Naval War College Museum in Newport, Rhode Island.
Dr. Michael A. Palmer and Dr. Gary Weir spoke at a conference on the Undersea Dimension of Maritime Strategy held in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in June. The gathering was jointly sponsored by Dalhousie University in Halifax and the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton.
Dr. Lynne Dunne, historian with the Contemporary History Branch, left the center on 21 July, having accepted an assistant professorship with the Department of History at Winthrop College, Rock Hill, South Carolina. During her two-year tenure at the NHC she conducted a study of the history of women in the Navy and served as a consultant for the CNO Study Groups on the Progress of Women in the Navy and on Equal Opportunity. Dr. Dunne’s study of Navy women will be published by the NHC upon its completion.
The Operational Archives has recently acquired several new collections relating to World War II, including a scrapbook of newspaper clippings depicting the training of black naval recruits at Camp Robert Smalls, Great Lakes Naval Training Station; Motor Machinist’s Mate Second Class Joseph P. Doyon’s account of the D-Day Normandy landings and the crossing of the Rhine River; a history of the USS Mingo (SS-261) compiled by John H. King; David H. Baldwin’s manuscript, “Recollections of a Blimp Pilot at the U. S. Naval Mine Warfare Test Station, Solomons, Maryland, circa late 1944 to late 1945”; Ken Haney’s publication, U. S. Navy Medical Personnel in Marine Parachute and Raider Battalions in World War IP, and materials on landing craft donated by the National Association of the USS LCS(L) 1-130.
New materials in the Early Records Collection include a journal describing the cruise of the USS John Adams, 1835-36. The "Vail Journal” was donated by Mr. Philip H. MacFarlane, an Australian citizen, via the defense attaché of the American Embassy in Australia. Other new additions include the 1865 discharge letter of C. H. Dexter, and a USS Kearsarge message of 14 April 1906 concerning the death of Lieutenant John M. Hudgins and five enlisted men after a turret explosion in the ship.
The Curator Branch has obtained a new automated collections management system to be used for keeping records of their historical materials. The hardware is from Hewlett-Packard; the software from Willoughby Systems. The system came on line in June.
MARINE CORPS HISTORY
By Ann A. Ferrante, Marine Corps Historical Center
On 27 March, four helicopters left Brown Field at Quantico, Virginia, to travel back 127 years to the American Civil War. The passengers included General Alfred M. Gray, Commandant of the Marine Corps, and more than 20 general officers from Headquarters, U. S. Marine Corps (HQMC) and the Marine Corps Combat Development Center, Quantico. The staff ride was held to study General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s celebrated Shenandoah Valley campaign of May and June 1862. It was developed by retired Brigadier General Edwin H. Simmons, director of the History and Museums Division, HQMC, and his staff.
The exercise began with a guided tour of the battlefields of Cross Keys and Port Republic, the final engagements of Jackson’s campaign. Afterwards the group got an aerial view of the battle sites of McDowell, Harrisonburg, New Market Gap, and Luray. The final stop was the campus of the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) in Lexington, Virginia, where Jackson was a professor when the war broke out. At VMI, cadets who selected Marine Corps option upon graduation provided a tour of such local sites as the President’s House on the adjacent campus of Washington and Lee University, where Robert E. Lee once resided.
The culmination of the trip was a seminar held at VMI’s Lejeune Hall to examine the military lessons of Jackson’s Valley campaign. Overall, the day reinforced the idea that events from the past can provide valuable lessons in the education of Professional military officers.
The History and Museums Division Published the sixth book in its planned nine-volume series on Vietnam. U. S. Marines in Vietnam: High Mobility and Standdown, 1969 details the mobile operations in the north and the withdrawal of the 3rd Marine Division from Vietnam, leaving the 1st Marine Division and 1st Marine Aircraft Wing still in country but making plans for further withdrawals. The author, Charles R. Smith, has written extensively on Marine Corps history, notably, the American Revolution. Previously published volumes on the Marines in Vietnam cover the years 1954-64, 1965, 1966, 1967, and 1970-71.
In the Reference Section, where almost 7,000 requests for historical information ate processed each year, the “Chronology for the United States Marine Corps—1988” was completed. It contains more than 135 entries, covering significant events and dates in the Marine Corps during 1988. The compilation will be added to previous years’ to update the ongoing chronological history of Corps events.
The oral history collection accessioned five new interviews. Major General Paul U. Fontana became a Marine aviator in 1937 and was a fighter squadron commander in the battle for Guadalcanal, during that operation, he shot down five enemy aircraft—becoming an ace—and was decorated with the Navy Cross. General Fontana commanded a Marine aircraft group in Korea and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing in Vietnam.
Another interviewee. Major General Raymond L. Murray, was awarded two Navy Crosses, one for his exploits as a battalion commander in the Saipan operations during World War II, the second While a regimental commander in Korea during the withdrawal of the 1st Marine Division from the Chosin Reservoir.
Admiral Arleigh A. Burke, former Chief of Naval Operations in the mid- 1950s, was interviewed about Navy- Marine Corps relations during the post- World War II unification struggle and in the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also commented on his relations with Commandants Lemuel C. Shepherd, Jr., Randolph McC. Pate, and David M. Shoup.
The oral memoirs of two retired colonels were also accessioned. One is by Colonel Angus M. Fraser, a veteran of the World War II and Korea, who served in various high command and staff billets. Colonel Fraser was assigned as senior Marine advisor to the Chinese Marine Corps on Taiwan, where he studied the Chinese language and in retired status became an expert on the Chinese Nationalist and communist military scene. The final interview is with reserve Colonel William P. McCahill, who was one of the first officers to join the Division of Reserve after its establishment in 1941. Colonel McCahill was the 4th Marine Division’s public relations officer in the landings on Roi-Namur and Saipan-Tinian.
On the museum front, the Marine Corps Air-Ground Museum at Quantico reopened for the 1989 season on 1 April with a record first day attendance of 296 visitors. Among the updated exhibits is a new display on Marine parachutists of World War II. One part of this is a fully attired and accoutered mannequin seated in a mock-up of an R4D transport aircraft interior, cradling a rare M55 Reising submachine gun. Accompanying the display is a series of photographs showing Marine parachutists in training and in ground combat. Two of the most visible additions to the World War II section are large four-sided pylons which display photographs, maps, and descriptions of the major campaigns.
A 38-piece exhibit by combat artist Corporal Walter Anthony Jones opened the new HQMC Foyer Exhibit Gallery in April. Although Corporal Jones was not an official combat artist in World War II, he recorded the actions of his fellow Marines at Guadalcanal, Cape Gloucester, and Peleliu. His collection of watercolor paintings, pen and ink drawings, and sketches was donated to the Marine Corps in 1983.
Other recent exhibits include “75 Years of Marine Corps Aviation—A Tribute,” a 41-painting history display that opened a new aviation section of the Marine Corps Recruit Depot, San Diego, in April. In addition, 12 paintings of Marine Corps aircraft by retired reserve Colonel H. Avery Chenoweth went on display in the foyer of the Marine Corps Historical Center in May. The paintings accurately portray current aircraft in specific locations during the year 1987 and were completed as part of a project to celebrate the anniversary of Marine Air.
The Marine Corps Historical Center welcomes serious researchers and scholars to use its reference and research facilities. For a pamphlet describing available facilities and resources, write to the History and Museums Division, Marine Corps Historical Center, Building 58, Washington Navy Yard, Washington, D. C. 20374-0580.
COAST GUARD HISTORY
By Robert M. Browning, Jr.
The myriad events celebrating the bicentennial of the U. S. Coast Guard are rapidly approaching. On 4 August, the ceremonial kickoff for the year begins in Newburyport, Massachusetts. The three- day festival includes concerts, picnics, a sailboat race, fireworks, and a parade. On 7 August, the lighthouse bicentennial begins with a ceremony at Portland Head Lighthouse in Portland, Maine. On 27- 29 October, Newburyport will also host a Coast Guard history symposium that has attracted a national audience.
The public affairs office is currently preparing a 15-minute slide show on the history of the Coast Guard. It should be completed in August, and will then be available to be borrowed by interested groups.
The bicentennial historical pamphlet series has grown by two. “The Coast Guard in the Southwest” and “The Coast Guard in the Southeast,” both by Dennis Noble, are available upon request. These are the fourth and fifth works in a geographical series of eight. The historical art project is nearing completion; about two-thirds of the paintings have arrived and a number of these will be included in the bicentennial lithograph series. The public affairs program is printing four series of lithographs—two color, two black and white—which are available to nonprofit institutions. The color series each contain six paintings that represent significant events in Coast Guard history. The first set is now available. The black and white lithograph series will depict eight famous sail-propelled Coast Guard cutters. The profile line drawings will be printed on parchment paper suitable for framing. The first of this series includes the cutters Eagle (1799-1801), Louisiana (1819-24), Alexander Hamilton (1831-53), and Joseph Lane (1849-69). The ships were researched and drawn by East Carolina University history professor John Tilley. The first cutter series is expected to be available at the end of July.
Nationwide there are many local events associated with the bicentennial that are too numerous to list. For further information write or call Lieutenant Commander Dave Westerholm, Commandant (G-P3), 2100 Second Street, S.W., Washington, D. C. 10593, phone (202)267-0937.
HISTORIC NAVAL SHIPS ASSOCIATION
By James W. Cheevers
Among the highlights of the HINAS executive committee meeting held in Annapolis this past March were a progress report on the national maritime initiative, planning for the annual historic naval ships conference, and a discussion of long-range goals for the organization. Captain Channing Zucker, USN, a volunteer advisor to the Association, presented a point paper calling for more involvement in the ship museums by veteran reunion groups and recommending an executive director position be created to help accomplish future goals.
Maritime historian James Delgado of the National Park Service reported on the continuing success of the National Historic Landmark theme studies which, since his briefing, have gained landmark status for the Albacore (AGSS-569) and the wrecks of the Arizona (BB-39) and the Utah (BB-31). Recommendations for this designation have been made for the Clamagore (SS-343) at Patriots Point (South Carolina), the Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. (DD-850) at Battleship Cove (Massachusetts), the Japanese midget submarine HA-19 at Key West, and the German submarine U-505 at the Chicago Museum of Science and Industry.
For each vessel within the study, the Park Service gathers information on its history, significance, appearance, and integrity; makes an on-site inspection; and prepares a formal nomination to the National Park Service Advisory Board. The board’s decisions are then sent to the Secretary of the Interior for final approval and action. Of the 60-some historic vessels designated as National Historic Landmarks to date, more than 30 served as commissioned naval vessels. The process and status adds valuable knowledge about each ship, prestige for the vessel and the group maintaining it, and a further level of protection for continued preservation of its historic integrity.
HINAS’s annual meeting will be hosted by the North Carolina (BB-55) in Wilmington, North Carolina, on 17-20 September. It was on board this same battleship that the first meeting of the Association was held in December 1966. Captain Frank Conlon, USN (Ret.), current director of the North Carolina, and his crew are in charge of registration and local arrangements. Dr. Harry Butowsky, National Park Service historian, is the program chairman and will arrange sessions on the themes of operating historic naval ships as both tourism and educational assets in a community.
Delegates will be transported on Wilmington’s new water taxi for tours, a Tar- Heel-style picnic, and a presentation of the spectacular sound and light show of the immortal “Showboat.” The conference will also include visits to an under water archaeology lab; Fort Fisher, site of a great Civil War naval campaign; the LaQue Center for Corrosion Technology; and other local museums.
News from around the historic fleet includes a new arrival, the outfitting of an 1812 brig, preservation work on a World War I battleship, and new exhibits and educational programs. It now appears certain the ex-Cabot (CV-28) will be steaming home from Spain soon under her own power to become a museum near New Orleans. The Independence-class carrier has been serving in the Spanish Navy as SNS Dedalo since 1967. After being replaced by a newly built carrier, the Spanish offered her to the USS Cabot Museum Foundation. Joining the “Iron Lady” in her new Louisiana port will be the Requin (SS-481), which has been a museum at Tampa, Florida.
The Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission moved the restored hull of Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s brig Niagara out of her winter berth in Erie, Pennsylvania, for outfitting. Masts, rigging, and sails will be installed over the summer while a nearby visitor center offers interpretive exhibits, a gift shop, and demonstrations of early 19th century gun drills. The Flagship Niagara League will assist in these efforts. A yawl boat, one of three to be carried by the brig, has been built by Melbourne Smith and his crew, and will be exhibited around Pennsylvania to promote the Niagara project. Sea trials for the brig are scheduled on Lake Erie in the summer of 1990.
Work continues at Todd Shipyard, Galveston, Texas, on the hull of the Texas (BB-35) in the $5.1 million project to preserve the only surviving combat veteran of both World Wars. One goal of overhaul is to open more areas of the old battleship to the public. It took six tug boats five hours to free the Texas in one piece from 40 years of accumulated mud and silt for the 40-mile tow to drydock. The Battleship Texas Advisory Board is seeking gifts of old navy uniforms to be by the volunteer crew when Mighty T” returns home for public tours at the San Jacinto Battleground Park. Those who can help should write Uniforms for the Texas, 3527 Battleground Road, LaPorte, Texas 77571.
The 13,000-pound rudder has been removed from the stem of the USS Constitution at Boston. It will undergo its first major restoration since 1929, and be placed back on the frigate during her dry-decking in 1992.
The year 1992 is shaping up as a major mark in maritime history. Many events are already being planned to celebrate the quincentenary of Christopher Columbus’s first voyage to the New World, including another magnificent Operation Sail. The World Ship Trust in London has decided to postpone the International Maritime Heritage Year from 1990 to 1992.
The Alabama (BB-60) Battleship Memorial at Mobile opened a special exhibit titled “Floating Guns: The 16- inch Main Battery”—exploring the structure, inner workings, and personnel organization of the ship’s big guns— about a week before the tragedy on board the USS Iowa (BB-61) in early May. Following the explosion in the battleship’s number two turret, the news media flocked to the three museum battleships— the Alabama, the North Carolina, and the Massachusetts (BB-59)—for more information on the big guns. On their heels were navy ordnance experts who began to check on the availability of turret parts for repairing the Iowa.
According to Captain William Diffley, executive director of the Alabama, 55 tons of parts, mostly from the turrets, had already been removed for use in recommissioning the Iowa, the Missouri (BB- 63), and the Wisconsin (BB-64). Gun training and elevation mechanisms, gunpowder trays, elevator parts, and other gun and turret parts may be interchangeable or adaptable. Some of these parts are not visible to the ordinary museum visitor and their loss is not too critical. However, since the renovations of the Iowa- class battleships, all three museum battleships have been designated National Historic Landmarks, making it more difficult for the Navy to salvage additional parts. For the time being the Navy has decided to operate the Iowa without repairs to turret number two.
The Kidd (DD-661), at the Louisiana Naval War Memorial, Baton Rouge, has made excellent progress in acquiring authentic objects for exhibit on board the ship and in their museum facility. One reason for this success is the aggressive publicizing of needs by the crew. Among the artifacts still needed is a destroyer steam siren. It would be appreciated if anyone with clues would write to the Kidd at Post Office Box 44242, Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70804.
Curator Janette Meek of the North Carolina has developed a successful new educational program. “My home away from home” uses a crew locker full of articles of World War II uniforms and personal effects which children can try on and touch after being told about sailors’ daily lives on board a battleship. More than 600 school children tried out the program in the spring to rave reviews. It can be taken into the school before a visit to the ship, or used on board during the tour.
Most HINAS member ships remain subject to annual inspections by the Navy to ensure that they comply with terms of contractual arrangements, safety and health standards, and are a proper reflection of the Navy. The Little Rock (CLG- 4) and The Sullivans (DD-537) at Buffalo Naval and Servicemen’s Park and the North Carolina at Wilmington passed their most recent inspections with flying colors. Some ships, too, like the Intrepid (CVS-11) Sea-Air-Space Museum in New York City are subject to very rigid local fire, health, and safety codes. The staffs and mostly volunteer crews of our historic naval ships make a supreme effort to make their vessels safe, as well as informative places to visit.
