We Got the IOWA

[Ytlas]

I hope your F150 has the big motor (the blower version)

He's probably trying to figure out a way to tow it up Lakewood blvd and into his neighborhood. Of course the next morning it will be on blocks and the propellers missing....

[RustyBattleship]

He's probably trying to figure out a way to tow it up Lakewood blvd and into his neighborhood. Of course the next morning it will be on blocks and the propellers missing....

Well, there are three recycling centers very close to me. I can find them again within an hour. With the "souvenir hunters" in handcuffs.

At a recycling center next door to the VFW post on South Street, they spotted a guy in line with a bronze grave marker of a WW II vet. By the time he got up to the scales two LBPD officers were behind him. The marker is still at the VFW post because we cannot trace down the family of the deceased nor even find what cemetary it came from.

[Ytlas]

Well, there are three recycling centers very close to me. I can find them again within an hour. With the "souvenir hunters" in handcuffs.

At a recycling center next door to the VFW post on South Street, they spotted a guy in line with a bronze grave marker of a WW II vet. By the time he got up to the scales two LBPD officers were behind him. The marker is still at the VFW post because we cannot trace down the family of the deceased nor even find what cemetary it came from.

It's odd that the Nationwide Gravesite Locator can't come up with the name
considering the VA probably paid for the marker

Nationwide Gravesite Locator

[RustyBattleship]

It's odd that the Nationwide Gravesite Locator can't come up with the name
considering the VA probably paid for the marker

Nationwide Gravesite Locator

I've tried every web site that promises this. Even the morticians who have handled funerals of some of my family members couldn't trace it down.

The closest I came was finding a memorial posting by his daughter who probably lives in Long Beach (his last address was listed as Compton). But I can't find a phone number unless I PAY to be on such a web site.

[tbm3fan]

Thank you. Now I'm trying to figure out how to get the ship parallel to Hwy 101 and how long of a rope I need to pull her down south with my Ford F-150.

I once asked about renting a trailer to tow a boat, a 1973 Dodge, and was told I needed at least an F-150 and not my F-100. I think your ship is going to need a little more than an F-150 like maybe this...

[USSWisconsin]

Well, there are three recycling centers very close to me. I can find them again within an hour. With the "souvenir hunters" in handcuffs. At a recycling center next door to the VFW post on South Street, they spotted a guy in line with a bronze grave marker of a WW II vet. By the time he got up to the scales two LBPD officers were behind him. The marker is still at the VFW post because we cannot trace down the family of the deceased nor even find what cemetary it came from.

I'll bet they'll need a truss too if they try to walk off with those propellers

[BB61Vet]

Today's a fantastic day because Iowa is making her way to start refurbishment after all these years! I hope the trip's a smooth one - and I'd love to talk logistics post-move if anyone's up to it. Curious how the ballast tanks were finally loaded (freshwater barges?) and what other obstacles had to be overcome to get her from Suisan bay to point B of her trip.

[bigross86]

I'd love to see video of the move...

[Ken_NJ]

Would be nice if the History Channel, Discovery of NatGeo was tagging along and come out with a show about it.

Rusty, are there any specific plans for the next year? I would guess painting, teak deck replacement, reassembling the mast would seem like the priority. Of course getting interior spaces ready for visitors. Will there be any changes to restoring her configuration to any specific time period or basically leave her as is for now?

[tbm3fan]

Today's a fantastic day because Iowa is making her way to start refurbishment after all these years! I hope the trip's a smooth one - and I'd love to talk logistics post-move if anyone's up to it. Curious how the ballast tanks were finally loaded (freshwater barges?) and what other obstacles had to be overcome to get her from Suisan bay to point B of her trip.

The first leg starts Thursday, the 27th, when she is pulled out of the line and goes about 1-1.5 miles down to the car pier at Benicia just past the bridge. Since a high tide is needed I checked and saw that we have a high tide at 1:56 PM in that area. A paper in San Pedro said moving at 2:00 PM so that sounds about right. Just so happens that I will be in the area after coming back from a parts yard in Fairfield after looking at at 66 F100. Probably follow her progress along the only road near the bay. Rusty is thinking of taking shots from the bridge. It's pedestrian walkway is more a bike roadway as it is a bit of a haul before you even get to walk on the bridge as there is no parking at the foot. Friday morning I drive Rusty from his hotel down to the restricted pier along with 20+ other people. Iowa will start moving by 9:00 AM as everybody needs to be on by 8:00 AM.

Hope Rusty gets a spot to shoot photos. The word is out up here and there is expected to be crowds at the few main spots where one can have a little elevation to see the move. Sounds like ship starts to move out of the line some time before the high tide then needs to be lined up for the bridges. The Union Pacific bridge needs to be raised for her.

[tbm3fan]

Would be nice if the History Channel, Discovery of NatGeo was tagging along and come out with a show about it.

Rusty, are there any specific plans for the next year? I would guess painting, teak deck replacement, reassembling the mast would seem like the priority. Of course getting interior spaces ready for visitors. Will there be any changes to restoring her configuration to any specific time period or basically leave her as is for now?

The interior is so clean that it needs nothing. Just a few areas where you need to wipe up oil from machines although some of these areas may be off limits. I believe the ship still belongs to the Navy, just like Wisconsin, and since it is a reserve ship then no changes could be made. I know anything Rusty does inside to improve access must be reversible back to original state. The outside needs a new deck, rust repair in numerous places, a very good scraping of dead paint and then new paint.

Oh, there will be some media people on the ship for filming the move. Rusty said one of the outlets wanted a live feed from the ship. Of course, that is subject to change since his schedule was changing hourly already.

[Dreadnought]

Mike, In the bottom line they all still belong to the US Navy. New Jersey and Missouri included. Nothing happens to those ships with the USN's say so. They are the ones that perform the Annual inspections. New Jersey was inspected in June if not mistaken.

[Stitch]

Mike, In the bottom line they all still belong to the US Navy. New Jersey and Missouri included. Nothing happens to those ships with the USN's say so. They are the ones that perform the Annual inspections. New Jersey was inspected in June if not mistaken.

This may be a bit off-topic, but does that apply to the Essex-class carriers, like the Hornet, as well? tbm?

[tbm3fan]

Ok, I had already scoped out my first two locations via goggle maps. The first as close to the ships with the marsh in between to get the first shots as she inched out of her spot. Then to my high vantage point to look down on her as she approached the three bridges. Met another Hornet guy there who just happened to be one of my patients. He goes your not in your office today and I say you're not at the hospital today. That settled we watched and managed to get our picture taken by the Chronicle.

The third spot was sheer damn luck. Drove down as close to the restricted pier looking for a vantage point. Found one by those damn grain silos and another building interfered with our view. Then a guy from Amports opened a gate for cars to park and we walked into there. We are watching when a guy next to us makes a comment about the cost to move it. Tokk a guess and he said $161,000 as he wrote the check the night before. Then I recognized Nat Jones from the Iowa Board. So all three of us are watching and talking back and forth when an Amports supervisor comes by and asks if anyone is associated with the Iowa. Nat is and then he says he can bring three people into the restricted space and those three are us. Asked how he picked us out and he said we were the most intent observers. So I ended up on the pier, itself, as she docked. Spent 3 hours there for the process and shooting the breeze with everyone from Nat, the VP of the port, the supervisor, and then Dick when he showed up. A perfect day.

First shot as she starts moving. Testing the size of this. More a little later as I need to check out a car for 30 minutes.

[tbm3fan]

Took 55 shots