We Got the IOWA

[RustyBattleship]

Well, I guess my biggest question is are they going to do it by the book (power to main switchboard, power to gun plot, power to gun layers handwheels or director etc, many different ways) or are they just going to fill the sytem, jumper out the 60hp motor manually and hope it works?)

I guess what I am getting at is unless you do it from the motor end you are going to have to close the FC system loop entirely (eliminating the unecessary), after ofcoarse dealing with the hydraulics and safeties, mechanics.

P.S. Glad to hear you guys are doing well.:)

Sounds like you're a well experienced GM. So get your fanny out to San Pedro and start working on them.

Seriously, we still have a long way to go to get proper shore power to the ship, getting enough pipefitters to reactivate the CHT system, electricians to activate at least the traverse and elevation of the guns, wood workers to install new decking (when we can get it), etc. Long Beach Naval Shipyard reactivated and modernized the New Jersey in the 1980's a month ahead of schedule and "under budget". But we had 2,000 to 4,000 skilled workers at a MINIMUM aboard her 24/7. We even farmed in people from Philadelphia NSY and Todd Shipyard as well as farming out drafting designs to local engineering companies.

It's a whole different ball game now with a lot of the summer volunteers gone back to their regular jobs or back home (those from the Richmond/San Francisco area).

On another note; I got a new PC tower installed and running today. Still trying to get used to it. But I can get on line now without having to go through "the back door" with Internet Explorer or my wife's laptop. Still have to reinstall Corel Draw so I can continue doing drawings for PBC.

Catch you all later.

[Dreadnought]

Sounds like you're a well experienced GM. So get your fanny out to San Pedro and start working on them.

Seriously, we still have a long way to go to get proper shore power to the ship, getting enough pipefitters to reactivate the CHT system, electricians to activate at least the traverse and elevation of the guns, wood workers to install new decking (when we can get it), etc. Long Beach Naval Shipyard reactivated and modernized the New Jersey in the 1980's a month ahead of schedule and "under budget". But we had 2,000 to 4,000 skilled workers at a MINIMUM aboard her 24/7. We even farmed in people from Philadelphia NSY and Todd Shipyard as well as farming out drafting designs to local engineering companies.

It's a whole different ball game now with a lot of the summer volunteers gone back to their regular jobs or back home (those from the Richmond/San Francisco area).

On another note; I got a new PC tower installed and running today. Still trying to get used to it. But I can get on line now without having to go through "the back door" with Internet Explorer or my wife's laptop. Still have to reinstall Corel Draw so I can continue doing drawings for PBC.

Catch you all later.

Sorry Mr. L. dont think this will pay the bills, but I would like to come out at some point and meet up if possible.:)

[Ken_NJ]

Some nice pictures for the day...

Photos: Flyover the USS Iowa and SS Lane Victory – - The Daily Breeze Media Center

[Ytlas]

Long Beach Naval Shipyard reactivated and modernized the New Jersey in the 1980's a month ahead of schedule and "under budget". But we had 2,000 to 4,000 skilled workers at a MINIMUM aboard her 24/7. We even farmed in people from Philadelphia NSY and Todd Shipyard as well as farming out drafting designs to local engineering companies.

I don't know how many bodies were out there back then, but maybe 15% were skilled workers and the other 85% of people rated between decent workers and dimwits. With the "deep pockets" of manhours available, it was a place for shops to stash their worthless people instead of having them work on the USS Horne or USS Tarawa.

I remember the private contractor fire watches back then. One was a pimp and he had his stable of "Firewatch gals" who would meet their "John" onboard in some out of the way space. They were followed by another firewatch, presumably the bodyguard who carried the CO2 bottle onboard. :)

[RustyBattleship]

I don't know how many bodies were out there back then, but maybe 15% were skilled workers and the other 85% of people rated between decent workers and dimwits. With the "deep pockets" of manhours available, it was a place for shops to stash their worthless people instead of having them work on the USS Horne or USS Tarawa.

I remember the private contractor fire watches back then. One was a pimp and he had his stable of "Firewatch gals" who would meet their "John" onboard in some out of the way space. They were followed by another firewatch, presumably the bodyguard who carried the CO2 bottle onboard. :)

I remember those firewatch people. Supposedly they were to be High School students doing summertime "community service" work. One gal was always in heavy makeup and had several rings on her fingers. Most of those rings were big enough to snag on a ladder rung. I told her to take the rings off because if she slipped and fell a snagged ring would rip her finger off.

Most of them, as you said, were useless. But I do recall one tall, attractive blonde girl who I think was self training herself to be a fire fighter. When she was called for firewatch duty, she responded on the run leaping over door sills, tools on the deck, etc. without losing any balance. Obviously she was quite athletic and after the summer firewatches left I was told by an officer from the ship superintendents office that she was a star soccer player in school.

But yes, sadly, most of them were more in the way than being helpful. I think that was the first and only time we took on community service personnel for firewatch duty.

[Ytlas]

I remember those firewatch people. Supposedly they were to be High School students doing summertime "community service" work. One gal was always in heavy makeup and had several rings on her fingers. Most of those rings were big enough to snag on a ladder rung. I told her to take the rings off because if she slipped and fell a snagged ring would rip her finger off.

Most of them, as you said, were useless. But I do recall one tall, attractive blonde girl who I think was self training herself to be a fire fighter. When she was called for firewatch duty, she responded on the run leaping over door sills, tools on the deck, etc. without losing any balance. Obviously she was quite athletic and after the summer firewatches left I was told by an officer from the ship superintendents office that she was a star soccer player in school.

But yes, sadly, most of them were more in the way than being helpful. I think that was the first and only time we took on community service personnel for firewatch duty.

The "Special" firewatches always wore nice clothes and designer jeans. A regular female firewatch wore a color T shirt or flannel shirt and jeans and usually looked a bit grubby. She had to lug the CO2 bottle by herself. The "Designer Jeans" girls never even picked up a CO2 bottle.

As the sailors started getting assigned to the Jersey, the number of civilian firewatches started to decrease, but most of the Designer Jeans girls stayed around almost to the end.

On the plus side of having civilian firewatches was that we didn't have to look too far to find an abandoned CO2 bottle so if we got a warm soda out of the machine we'd just lay it in some clean rags and shoot the CO2 on it until it looked nice and frosty.

[qaz14595]

As per the Pacific Battleship Center's FB (Facebook) page it look's like that restoration is going quite quick in terms of the Engineering department if I may say so ;) Lol -

"Add a caption- taken 9/15"

[RustyBattleship]

Dang it! I told that old CPO to smoke his cigars in the parking lot.

[Michigan_Guy]

That's a pretty darn funny pic! I wonder how many people it fooled!

[RustyBattleship]

That's a pretty darn funny pic! I wonder how many people it fooled!

Only those that believe we have Alien UFO's stored in Hangar 18 in Area 51.

Actually the smoke is from a gas burn-off at a refinery in Wilmington just a couple of miles NW of the ship. The photographer got into the right position to take that picture.

Though we live in north Long Beach, we couldn't see the smoke but both my wife and I could smell it on that day.

Ummm, speaking of Area 51, most TV expose' shows claim it's a base with no name. Not true. It's actual name was, and still is, Groom Lake Air Force Base and is an extension of Nellis AFB that's just north of Las Vegas. As for what they actually do there you can pretty well figure it out by zooming in with Google Earth.

[blidgepump]

Smoke in California ..... ?

Only those that believe we have Alien UFO's stored in Hangar 18 in Area 51.

Actually the smoke is from a gas burn-off at a refinery in Wilmington just a couple of miles NW of the ship. The photographer got into the right position to take that picture.

Though we live in north Long Beach, we couldn't see the smoke but both my wife and I could smell it on that day.

Ummm, speaking of Area 51, most TV expose' shows claim it's a base with no name. Not true. It's actual name was, and still is, Groom Lake Air Force Base and is an extension of Nellis AFB that's just north of Las Vegas. As for what they actually do there you can pretty well figure it out by zooming in with Google Earth.

California Smog emissions permit such an offense ? ;)

[RustyBattleship]

California Smog emissions permit such an offense ? ;)

From what I read in the paper, this was a planned burn-off by the refinery and they got special permits to do so but only on a day when there was enough thermal updrafts in the air to carry it as high as it went rather than laying low and spreading soot all over west Long Beach and with the wind (or breeze) carrying it somewhat Southeast over the ocean. Sort of.

[RustyBattleship]

On November 8th, I was pretty busy with Veterans Day events. I had our family set up on Atlantic Avenue and Harding to watch the North Long Beach Veterans Day Parade. It was quite a success this year. Which made me happy as I'm also on the Parade committee.

But I couldn't stay for the full parade as when unit 20 (California Army Reserves) did their turn-around and came up to Harding to regroup, I hitched a ride with them in one of their HumVees to San Pedro where they were set up on display by the Iowa. Our ticket manager was really surprised to see me (in my blue coverall "uniform") getting out of an Army HumVee along with a General.

I spent another 5 hours down there and even got a TV interview on NBC news.

Today I got a call to report for duty tomorrow morning aboard the Iowa as we are having a special ceremony in remembrance of Pearl Harbor day. Been busy contacting VFW and American Legion posts to come on down. All vets get to go aboard the ship for free. If any of you guys are within driving distance of San Pedro, better get into the parking lot no later than 0930 hours. The ceremony starts at 0955.

[RustyBattleship]

We had a very nice ceremony this morning aboard the Iowa in remebrance of Pearl Harbor. The Los Angeles Fire Department Fire Boat even came alongside with its hoses spraying water as we read off the names of the ships and bases attacked on that day. The ship's bell was tolled as each name was read. The VFW provided a firing squad for the salute. Brian Moss (President of the USS Iowa Veterans Association) and a Pearl Harbor survivor cast a wreath into the water.

We plan to hold this ceremony every year.

[YellowFever]

So there I was driving my friend to a cruise line and boom!

I see the Iowa....

I felt both pride and an incredible amount of sadness.

It felt kind of weird to see such an integral part of American history amidst cruise ships.

I knew it wasn't going to be a Pearl Harbor setting but it felt so...commercialized. :(

Is that the final resting place, Rusty?