Battleship Memorial Park

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Battleship Memorial Park
USS Alabama in Battleship Memorial Park in 2008
LocationMobile, Alabama United States
FoundedJanuary 9, 1965
Official nameBattleship Alabama Memorial Park
DesignatedOctober 28, 1977[1]
Official nameUSS ALABAMA (battleship)
DesignatedJanuary 14, 1986[2]
Reference no.86000083
Official nameUSS DRUM (submarine)
DesignatedJanuary 14, 1986[3]
Reference no.86000086
Battleship Memorial Park is located in Alabama
Battleship Memorial Park
Location of Battleship Memorial Park in Alabama
Battleship Memorial Park is located in the United States
Battleship Memorial Park
Battleship Memorial Park (the United States)
Main articles: USS Alabama (BB-60) and USS Drum (SS-228)

Battleship Memorial Park is a military history park and museum located on the western shore of Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. It has a collection of notable aircraft and museum ships including the Template:Sclass- battleship USS Alabama and Template:Sclass- USS Drum. The USS Alabama and USS Drum are both National Historic Landmarks; the park as a whole was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage prior to that time, on October 28, 1977.[1]

History

In May 1962, the USS Alabama (BB-60) had been ordered scrapped along with her Template:Sclass- sister ships, USS South Dakota, USS Indiana, and USS Massachusetts.[4] Citizens of the state of Alabama had formed the "USS Alabama Battleship Commission" to raise funds for the preservation of Alabama as a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II. Alabama’s school children raised approximately $100,000 in nickels and dimes from lunch money and allowances to help the cause.[4] The ship was awarded to the state on June 16, 1964, and was formally turned over on July 7, 1964 in ceremonies at Seattle, Washington. Alabama was then towed to her permanent berth at Mobile, Alabama, arriving in Mobile Bay on September 14, 1964 and opening as a museum ship on January 9, 1965.[4] Alabama was joined in 1969 by the USS Drum (SS-228), a World War II Gato-class submarine, which was moored behind her until 2001, when the submarine was moved onto land for preservation in a permanent display.[5] In 2003 a replica of a Confederate submarine that was built in Mobile, the CSS H. L. Hunley, was moved to the park.[6]

Hurricane Katrina caused more than $7 million in damages to Battleship Memorial Park on August 29, 2005 when it came ashore.[4] It almost completely destroyed the aircraft pavilion and gave the Alabama an eight-degree list to port and shifting at her permanent anchorage.[7] This forced the park to temporarily close for repairs. It reopened on January 9, 2006.[8]

Administration

The park is owned by the state of Alabama and is run by an independent government agency, the USS Alabama Battleship Commission. The commission consists of eighteen members from over the entire state appointed by the Alabama governor, it has oversight of all operations at the park.[9]

Features

Scenes within the park
  • Entrance with F-4 Phantom
    Entrance with F-4 Phantom
  • USS Drum moored behind USS Alabama in 1994
    USS Drum moored behind USS Alabama in 1994
  • USS Alabama's forward guns and deck in 2008
    USS Alabama's forward guns and deck in 2008
  • A-12 Oxcart on display in 1994, before construction of the first aircraft pavilion
    A-12 Oxcart on display in 1994, before construction of the first aircraft pavilion
  • Type 69-II main battle tank from Iraq
    Type 69-II main battle tank from Iraq

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Battleship Alabama Memorial Park.

References

  1. ^ a b "Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". Alabama Historical Commission. www.preserveala.org. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2012. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ "USS Alabama (Battleship)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  3. ^ "USS DRUM (Submarine)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
  4. ^ a b c d "About The Park". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Retrieved July 5, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ "A History of the USS Drum (SS 228)". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ http://www.hunleystore.com/Newsletter_66-notes/Newletter_66.htm#Hunley replica
  7. ^ "Navy Ships and Hurricane Katrina". Murdoc Online. September 3, 2005. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "Battleship Memorial Park, USS Alabama". Gulf Coast Information Systems. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
  9. ^ "USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Commissioners". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Battleship_Memorial_Park&oldid=746698396"