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USS Iowa BB-61 Volunteer of the Quarter Award

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  • USS Iowa BB-61 Volunteer of the Quarter Award

    I made this award to say thanks to the volunteers that have given almost 200,000 hours of work on the USS Iowa since 2012; they truly are the heart and soul of the operation.
    Instead of clamping the piece and possibly damaging this historic piece of steel I decided to use 5 rare earth magnets, with 75 lbs holding power each, to hold the piece along the edge. I used a long bolt to be able to peel the magnets off the slice without damaging it if needed.
    The shape of the base was inspired by the angled superstructures of the new Navy, I like the contrast between the new designs and the old big gun Navy.
    This award is made out of a slice from the center barrel of the #2 turret of the 16 inch 50 caliber Mark 7 gun, the barrel is #287. This barrel was removed and sent to Hawthorn NV during Iowa's 1956 refit. In 2011 the Navy decided to scrap all the barrels they had and opened the bidding on over 3,000,000 pounds of naval guns. Luckily a scrap dealer decided to save about 4 feet of the muzzle end of the barrel, that I acquired and donated to the Iowa for their museum space. I also purchased this 1.5 inch thick slice of that barrel and donated it back to the Iowa to be used for this award.
    I will post more pictures when we get it installed.


    Attached Files
    Craig Johnson

  • #2
    That's really cool. You know, I sometimes forget that I own a pretty unique piece of history. When I was teaching high school for six years after I retired, I used to bring it to class for show and tell when I was doing WWII. Back on Veteran's Day of 2002, the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association of Phoenix dedicated a really unusual monument at the Glendale Arizona Public Library. It included, among other things, the foretop of USS Arizona. In any event, they wanted the senior naval officer in the region, along with the Arizona State NG TAG, and the wing commander out at Luke AFB to all give speeches, which we all did, and that was that. Well, two weeks later, an elderly gentleman shows up at my place of work, and frankly, how he found me was a bit of a mystery, because I wasn't doing "navy stuff." Let's just say it was post-9/11 "analysis" and let it go at that. Anyway, he shows up, and I go out to a less secure area to meet him. He introduced himself as one of the members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association and was there to present me with a gift in gratitude for the speech I made. The gift, in a wood-based, Plexiglas enclosure like you'd put a Babe Ruth autographed baseball in, contained a piece of USS Arizona's potato locker. It's about 3" x 5" and about 5/8" thick, and clearly was ground off of some larger piece of steel. It seems that the remnants of the potato locker sits on Ford Island, and the National Park Service allows pieces of it to be cut off for presentations such as that. It has all the provenance, etc. I have no idea what something like that would be worth, not that I'd ever part with it. It was very touching to say the least. I'm sure that gentleman has gone to meet his Maker by now, but I am forever indebted to he and his compatriots, not only for the gift, but for what the did during that war.

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    • #3
      It seems that the remnants of the potato locker sits on Ford Island, and the National Park Service allows pieces of it to be cut off for presentations such as that.
      Actually Skipper, there is quite a bit of Arizona's superstructure still sitting there! It is buried in the trees on Waipi'o Point. It's another reminder of how much has been forgotten and thrown in the ash heap of history.


      re: the Iowa volunteer recognition
      Not only is that a unique and fantastic idea, it's one of the best I've seen! It is very appropriate since it is authentic! Although, if my pic was in it, I would want to take it home and keep it!
      Attached Files

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      • #4
        Originally posted by SlaterDoc View Post
        Actually Skipper, there is quite a bit of Arizona's superstructure still sitting there! It is buried in the trees on Waipi'o Point. It's another reminder of how much has been forgotten and thrown in the ash heap of history.
        [ATTACH]38323[/ATTACH]
        Noted. I just knew about the potato locker, because that was on the provenance materials that came with it. Regardless, I feel very privileged to own a piece of that history.

        Comment


        • #5
          Really thoughtful and nice award. I wish the NJ was closer so that I could volunteer to help keep her in great condition.

          Some information and other facts about the superstructure remnants.

          U.S.S. Arizona Facts
          Last edited by Ken_NJ; 20 Oct 14,, 00:39.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Ken_NJ View Post
            Some information and other facts about the superstructure remnants.

            U.S.S. Arizona Facts
            Jeez guys, I didn't mean to hijack Battleship IOWA's thread. Thanks for the input, and let's get this back to the really cool thing he did. I wish I had those sorts of resources.

            Edit: After reading that, I was surprised how fairly recent the interest in those remnants is. I would have thought there would have been some sort of ongoing effort to document and catalog those items as far back as the commemoration of the Memorial in Pearl Harbor.

            Here are some pictures of various parts of the memorial at the Glendale Public Library. The trees and leaves in the picture are not real. They are actually bronze and the work was done by a Professor of Art at ASU as a project for his graduate students. They actually brazed or welded each of those leaves to the branches. If you know anything about annealing processes, and I know just enough to be dangerous, that's not an easy thing to do.





            Last edited by desertswo; 20 Oct 14,, 00:34.

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            • #7
              Originally posted by desertswo View Post
              Jeez guys, I didn't mean to hijack Battleship IOWA's thread. Thanks for the input, and let's get this back to the really cool thing he did. I wish I had those sorts of resources.
              Gee whiz Cap! I didn't mean to infer that your treasure was anything less than that! In fact, I was trying to point out just how important that small part of history is!
              Why do I feel like I am at MAST again and trying to get my butt out of the way of the Captain's shod foot?:insane:

              These original artifacts are so more valuable than the metal their made out of!
              Although, now as I am looking at this "Quarterly Award" I just got the image of another whole different meaning! I mean, I don't know now if I would want my face showing from the end of that barrel!

              Comment


              • #8
                Originally posted by SlaterDoc View Post
                Gee whiz Cap! I didn't mean to infer that your treasure was anything less than that! In fact, I was trying to point out just how important that small part of history is!
                Why do I feel like I am at MAST again and trying to get my butt out of the way of the Captain's shod foot?:insane:

                These original artifacts are so more valuable than the metal their made out of!
                Although, now as I am looking at this "Quarterly Award" I just got the image of another whole different meaning! I mean, I don't know now if I would want my face showing from the end of that barrel!
                No, please don't take it that way. I just wanted it to get back on topic because IOWA did something really spectacular there, and I wanted to make sure it got it's rightful place in the sun as it were.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by SlaterDoc View Post
                  re: the Iowa volunteer recognition
                  Not only is that a unique and fantastic idea, it's one of the best I've seen! It is very appropriate since it is authentic! Although, if my pic was in it, I would want to take it home and keep it!
                  My plan is to let the recipient take home the photo, we would then add a brass plaque to the base with there name and perhaps the quarter and year it was earned. I figured that if the plaques are 1/2 tall we should have room for about 28 years of names on the front and sides.
                  That way the volunteers name can become a permanent part of the Battleship Iowa and future generations can look upon them with pride.
                  Craig Johnson

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Battleship IOWA View Post
                    My plan is to let the recipient take home the photo, we would then add a brass plaque to the base with there name and perhaps the quarter and year it was earned. I figured that if the plaques are 1/2 tall we should have room for about 28 years of names on the front and sides.
                    That way the volunteers name can become a permanent part of the Battleship Iowa and future generations can look upon them with pride.
                    Like I said IOWA, what you've done there is pretty special. I'm planning on making a trip up to Long Beach from San Diego to see your ship around the holiday season. I'd like to meet you if possible. I'll be meeting Rusty for sure, if I don't see him sooner. We're kind of brain storming an issue so I might go out there sooner if necessary.

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                    • #11
                      Originally posted by desertswo View Post
                      Like I said IOWA, what you've done there is pretty special. I'm planning on making a trip up to Long Beach from San Diego to see your ship around the holiday season. I'd like to meet you if possible. I'll be meeting Rusty for sure, if I don't see him sooner. We're kind of brain storming an issue so I might go out there sooner if necessary.
                      Thanks desertswo, but you will need to come a little further West because we are in San Pedro now its only a few miles from Long Beach but to the locals it's like another country.
                      I would enjoy meeting you the next time you're in town. Let me know and maybe Rusty and I can give you a VIP tour. Craig
                      Craig Johnson

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Battleship IOWA View Post
                        I would enjoy meeting you the next time you're in town. Let me know and maybe Rusty and I can give you a VIP tour. Craig
                        Craig, I hope you have a spit polish on the shoes because that VIP tour may wind up being an inspection!
                        I was actually playing with the idea of making a stop up that way in January after I make a stop in San Diego. But, I am not sure the 40ft motorhome will fit in a busy lot! At least if I do then, the brass will have already disembarked!

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                        • #13
                          Originally posted by SlaterDoc View Post
                          Craig, I hope you have a spit polish on the shoes because that VIP tour may wind up being an inspection!
                          I was actually playing with the idea of making a stop up that way in January after I make a stop in San Diego. But, I am not sure the 40ft motorhome will fit in a busy lot! At least if I do then, the brass will have already disembarked!
                          Thanks Jim, we are ready, recently completed our Navy, LAFD and POLA inspections with flying colors. You will have no problems parking an RV in our off season lot. Most days there is enough room to park a B-52 and all our guests POLA did a great job providing us with ample parking. Let me know would enjoy meeting you too.
                          Craig Johnson

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            The award is now installed on the bell stand in the ward room of the Iowa. Craig Johnson

                            Attached Files
                            Last edited by Battleship IOWA; 30 Jan 15,, 07:27.
                            Craig Johnson

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