San Francisco gives battleship the heave-ho

[PartTimePongo]

By William M. Welch, USA TODAY
In the two years since the USS Midway found a permanent dock in San Diego Harbor, it has become a major tourist attraction.

The USS Iowa fires its guns during NATO exercises in 1985. It is among four "Iowa class" ships -- the biggest the Navy ever sailed.
File photo by Jeff Hilton, U.S. Navy

Nearly 900,000 people boarded the aircraft carrier in its first year of operation, rejuvenating shops and restaurants on the waterfront. The ship is booked years in advance for functions at up to $30,000 a pop.

Now the Navy has another ship it wants to bestow on a West Coast port: the big World War II battleship USS Iowa. But the ship has run into rough sailing and a harsh political headwind in the city the Navy thought would be an ideal home: San Francisco.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 to spurn the ship. Supervisors who oppose the offer say they don't want a ship from a military in which openly gay men and women cannot serve. They also say they don't want it because they oppose the Iraq war, which city voters condemned in a 2004 ballot question.

"I don't think the climate has improved for tying a 10-story warship, or gun, to the waterfront," Supervisor Gerardo Sandoval says.

Veterans in the former Navy town are saying enough is enough.

"It's outrageous, even for San Francisco," Ingrid Sarembe, a Vietnam War-era vet and commander of an American Legion post in the city, says of the opposition to the Iowa. "And we have some pretty outrageous things going on here."

Well if it can make it across the pond we'll have it. Just don't park it off Brighton marina

No Gays -No Ship

 

[come_the_day]

I watched the Iowa leaving Pompey harbour several years ago. It took almost as long to pass my vantage point as the RN Fleet would today and was a glorious sight.

She's old, but so much more impressive than modern platforms, even if they are much more capable than she was before the advent of modern missile systems.

 

[Not_a_boffin]

That would have been 85 or so. She's currently in the West Coast reserve fleet and would need a fair bit of tarting up.

http://www.ussiowa.org/pics/recentpics/1203/default.htm

The other three ships seem to be doing OK as museums though (although Wisconsin is actually still in reserve).

http://www.ussmissouri.com/
http://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/
http://www.battleshipwisconsin.org/

USS Midway museum looks absolutely fantastic though.

http://www.midway.org/site/pp.asp?c=coIMKTMCF&b=81432

 

[Dangermouse]

More like 88 when I watched her sailing inbound from the roof of HMS DOLPHIN's wardroom (complete with rock group on one of the after turrets!)

 

[D108]

More like 88 when I watched her sailing inbound from the roof of HMS DOLPHIN's wardroom (complete with rock group on one of the after turrets!)

The lead singer wasnt tommy lee jones or was that another ship

 

[D108]

I watched the Iowa leaving Pompey harbour several years ago. It took almost as long to pass my vantage point as the RN Fleet would today and was a glorious sight.

She's old, but so much more impressive than modern platforms, even if they are much more capable than she was before the advent of modern missile systems.

I'd love it to be parked off brighton marina, reminds me when the cavalair was down there

 

[Ratrat]

I watched the Iowa leaving Pompey harbour several years ago. It took almost as long to pass my vantage point as the RN Fleet would today and was a glorious sight.

She's old, but so much more impressive than modern platforms, even if they are much more capable than she was before the advent of modern missile systems.

I'd love it to be parked off brighton marina, reminds me when the cavalair was down there

You could have spelt "Cavalier" right. A wonderful C&A destroyer

 

[D108]

I watched the Iowa leaving Pompey harbour several years ago. It took almost as long to pass my vantage point as the RN Fleet would today and was a glorious sight.

She's old, but so much more impressive than modern platforms, even if they are much more capable than she was before the advent of modern missile systems.

I'd love it to be parked off brighton marina, reminds me when the cavalair was down there

You could have spelt "Cavalier" right. A wonderful C&A destroyer

oops

 

[theposeur]

Remember being in taskforce on the way back from Armilla in 88 when we met her battlegroup. We got the opportunity to see her do a volley fire which was Hugely impressive.

 

[Dabtoe]

All CA class Destroyers were good ships, mine was Cavendish D15

 

[UncleAlbert]

Yes Dabtoe my second ship was Carron D30.