U. S. S. Alabama
In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, news from Mobile, AL is especially important to my family, as we resided there from 1990-1996. One snippet of information from Mobile indicates the stately grey lady, the battleship U. S. S. Alabama (BB-60), is damaged and listing.
Anyone who has driven the Bayway, as the causeway over Mobile Bay is called, probably will recall seeing the Alabama moored on the south side of the highway. She was brought to Mobile back in the 1960s as a floating museum and memorial to veterans of her many battles. More recently, she was a huge prop and set for one of those Stephen Segal action movies.
My acquaintance with her started about 1994 or 1995, when my son Ben became a Cub Scout. One of the activities planned by his pack leaders was an overnight "camp-in" on the ship.
Parents and boys assembled in the gift shop about 7 p. m. on a Friday night, toting sleeping bags, overnight bags with necessary items, such as sleeping attire, a change of clothes, toiletries and the inevitable snacks. Cubmaster Wallace Quinn instructed everyone on what we were and were not permitted to do aboard the ship, then we were ushered outside and walked up the steep gangway to the main deck.
Once the ship was closed to visitors for the day, the Cub Scouts and their parents were given the run of the ship. We were assigned bunk space in a large, dormitory-style cabin holding perhaps 80-100 persons. The "racks" were World War II-vintage and stacked three or four high. The old springs were very loose, creating a cocoon-like effect and minimizing the chance of an eight-year-old crashing to the hard steel deck during the night.
After stowing our gear, boys and dads alike toured the ship, the boys more interested in the big 14-inch guns and the engine room than anything else. They got to climb into gun turrets, poke their heads into nearly every cabin and compartment and, naturally, touch every knob, switch and dial they encountered.
The dads were a bit slower, mainly because we took the time to read the signs and placards, look at the worn and faded photos, and wonder what it was like to be a member of the crew of such a mammoth warship.
Once everyone tired of traipsing around the ship, climbing ladders and avoiding hitting one's shins on the thresholds of the various hatches, all settled into the officers' wardroom for an evening of John Wayne war movies, popcorn and good fellowship. Dads and boys who hadn't known each other well got acquainted well that evening.
When it was time to retire for the night, it took a long, long time to get the boys to settle down. Sleeping on an old Navy ship was a unique experience for most of us, but the boys seemed to have so much energy that it took ages for them to tire out. Once they did, the adults could sleep too.
Early the next morning, the volunteers who staffed the ship brought out hot coffee, cold orange juice and boxes of donuts for a quick breakfast, then everyone walked back down the gangway to our dew-covered cars and home.
The stay on the U. S. S. Alabama was an annual ritual for the Cub Scout pack, so Ben and I went back a couple of times. Later, when we visited the ship with family and friends, we always had our favorite spots and favorite stories that came from our overnighters with the Cub Scouts.
Anyone who has driven the Bayway, as the causeway over Mobile Bay is called, probably will recall seeing the Alabama moored on the south side of the highway. She was brought to Mobile back in the 1960s as a floating museum and memorial to veterans of her many battles. More recently, she was a huge prop and set for one of those Stephen Segal action movies.
My acquaintance with her started about 1994 or 1995, when my son Ben became a Cub Scout. One of the activities planned by his pack leaders was an overnight "camp-in" on the ship.
Parents and boys assembled in the gift shop about 7 p. m. on a Friday night, toting sleeping bags, overnight bags with necessary items, such as sleeping attire, a change of clothes, toiletries and the inevitable snacks. Cubmaster Wallace Quinn instructed everyone on what we were and were not permitted to do aboard the ship, then we were ushered outside and walked up the steep gangway to the main deck.
Once the ship was closed to visitors for the day, the Cub Scouts and their parents were given the run of the ship. We were assigned bunk space in a large, dormitory-style cabin holding perhaps 80-100 persons. The "racks" were World War II-vintage and stacked three or four high. The old springs were very loose, creating a cocoon-like effect and minimizing the chance of an eight-year-old crashing to the hard steel deck during the night.
After stowing our gear, boys and dads alike toured the ship, the boys more interested in the big 14-inch guns and the engine room than anything else. They got to climb into gun turrets, poke their heads into nearly every cabin and compartment and, naturally, touch every knob, switch and dial they encountered.
The dads were a bit slower, mainly because we took the time to read the signs and placards, look at the worn and faded photos, and wonder what it was like to be a member of the crew of such a mammoth warship.
Once everyone tired of traipsing around the ship, climbing ladders and avoiding hitting one's shins on the thresholds of the various hatches, all settled into the officers' wardroom for an evening of John Wayne war movies, popcorn and good fellowship. Dads and boys who hadn't known each other well got acquainted well that evening.
When it was time to retire for the night, it took a long, long time to get the boys to settle down. Sleeping on an old Navy ship was a unique experience for most of us, but the boys seemed to have so much energy that it took ages for them to tire out. Once they did, the adults could sleep too.
Early the next morning, the volunteers who staffed the ship brought out hot coffee, cold orange juice and boxes of donuts for a quick breakfast, then everyone walked back down the gangway to our dew-covered cars and home.
The stay on the U. S. S. Alabama was an annual ritual for the Cub Scout pack, so Ben and I went back a couple of times. Later, when we visited the ship with family and friends, we always had our favorite spots and favorite stories that came from our overnighters with the Cub Scouts.
posted by Joe Wollet at 10:40 PM
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