Believe me, I'm not disputing the battleship as an asset. I've been a die-hard battleship fanatic/supporter since I was all of 7 or 8. I'm just pointing out reality. It took a powerful SECNAV (John Lehman) who had the full backing of one of the most powerful presidents this country has had in a long time to get the Iowas back in service during the 80s.
It's great that USS Iowa and USS Wisconsin are Cat B assets and shows that people (i.e. Congress) recognizes them as irreplaceable assets. But until alot of money and political pull is found (among other things), the battleships will remain in reserve. If and when they are brought back again, I'll be the first to stand up and cheer.
On a side note, I'm planning a trip to USS Wisconsin next year. I hope the trip actually goes through. I'd like to compare her to USS Alabama, where I had the pleasure of fulfulling a life-long ambition of walking the decks of a battlewagon
