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RustyBattleship · 02-07-2008, 15:08 PM

Sorry guys. But when that picture was taken she had just been towed in from Bremerton as was at the South end of Pier Echo. But as soon as we installed a wide gangway aboard her, about 200 yardbirds stormed aboard her and started work on chipping paint, marking up access cuts, inventoring wood decking that needed replacement, hooking up shore power, running fire hoses to strategic locations, etc.

One weekend we opened the ship up to the public. Fortunately I got my family down there early. The PR department screwed up and didn't have enough porta-potties out there. When we left the ship the parking lot was full and there was a triple line of people strectching all the way from the end of Pier Echo to Bldg 300. Going up the freeway cars were stalled in the Southbound lanes trying to get into the shipyard. They were backed up past Alameda Blvd and almost to the Pacific Coast Highway.

During the following week, we had a number of people in plan files who couldn't see the ship and normally would not have any business out there but were going nuts sorting and filing all the plans and making up the booklet of drawings index. So I talked to Bob Blount (our PR man for design) about taking them out there in two groups. He said, "Let me get my hard hat and I'll go with you."

So I was their tour guide for that morning and they finally got a chance to see a real BATTLESHIP. I let John Shuey (plan files supervisor) pick up a couple of pieces of broken teak decking for souvenirs.

Ahhh. The good old days.

By the way, on my new avatar, that is me climbing up the mast of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) on July 26, 1989 while she was in drydock in Philadelphia. I know the date as that was my birthday.

02-07-2008, 15:08 PM	#90 (permalink)
RustyBattleship *Defense Professional* Join Date: 01-12-06 Location: Long Beach, CA Posts: 2,967	Sorry guys. But when that picture was taken she had just been towed in from Bremerton as was at the South end of Pier Echo. But as soon as we installed a wide gangway aboard her, about 200 yardbirds stormed aboard her and started work on chipping paint, marking up access cuts, inventoring wood decking that needed replacement, hooking up shore power, running fire hoses to strategic locations, etc. One weekend we opened the ship up to the public. Fortunately I got my family down there early. The PR department screwed up and didn't have enough porta-potties out there. When we left the ship the parking lot was full and there was a triple line of people strectching all the way from the end of Pier Echo to Bldg 300. Going up the freeway cars were stalled in the Southbound lanes trying to get into the shipyard. They were backed up past Alameda Blvd and almost to the Pacific Coast Highway. During the following week, we had a number of people in plan files who couldn't see the ship and normally would not have any business out there but were going nuts sorting and filing all the plans and making up the booklet of drawings index. So I talked to Bob Blount (our PR man for design) about taking them out there in two groups. He said, "Let me get my hard hat and I'll go with you." So I was their tour guide for that morning and they finally got a chance to see a real BATTLESHIP. I let John Shuey (plan files supervisor) pick up a couple of pieces of broken teak decking for souvenirs. Ahhh. The good old days. By the way, on my new avatar, that is me climbing up the mast of the USS Wisconsin (BB-64) on July 26, 1989 while she was in drydock in Philadelphia. I know the date as that was my birthday. __________________ Able to leap tall tales in a single groan.