| World / USA / California / Benicia, 5 km from center | Coordinates: 38°4'5"N 122°5'53"W |
www.ussiowa.org/
Commissioned on 22 February 1943, the USS Iowa was the first Iowa Class Battleship. She served in the Atlantic in WWII and Korea before being decommissioned in 1958 for 26 years.
She was recommissioned in 1984 and served as the Flagship of Naval Review for the Statue of Liberty Centennial celebration in 1986. She was decommissioned again in 1990, and is currently stricken from the navy roster with disposition pending.
There are currently several cities lobbying to have the Iowa moved as a permanent museum and tourist attraction. Nearby San Francisco seemed the most likely candidate until it's Board of Supervisors rejected the idea on moral grounds.
Incidently, this ship was almost destroyed while carrying Pres. Roosevelt to the Tehran conferece. One of the ships escorting him had a weapons malfunction and opened fire; Roosevelt's response to the incoming missile is said to have been, "Wheel me over to the other side. I want to watch the torpedo."
www.navsource.org/archives/01/61a.htm
Category: iowa battleship
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19 months ago MHibbs | +35 |
 
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This is the only Battleship left in the US Navy that is still technically in comission, as the Navy and the Marine Corps do not want to be without sea-based heavy artillery. Currently the ship is "In Reserve" until 2010 when a new weapon system is expected to come on line that can somewhat replace the raw firepower of the Iowas 9 16 inch and 16 5 inch guns. | ||||
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16 months ago Jon | +19 |
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I was on the website for the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, Virginia, the USS Wisconsin is also in "reserve" and on loan. The Iowa and Wisconsin are the only battleships known to be commission by congress in the future. Let us not let the Iowa go to waste, because she and the wisconsin are history. | ||||
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13 months ago Oz | +24 |
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Plans are currently underway to have the USS Iowa BB-61 memorialised at the former Mare Island Naval base just down the bay. | ||||
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3 months ago forrestgumprock | 0 |
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The ship is in the good condition exceptfor the number 2 turretsince it had an explsion and they never fixed it. | ||||
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