San Francisco REJECTS the USS Iowa

[JT]

San Francisco Shuns Retired USS Iowa
Aug 20 4:54 PM US/Eastern

By BRIAN SKOLOFF
Associated Press Writer

The USS Iowa joined in battles from World War II to Korea to the Persian Gulf. It carried President Franklin Roosevelt home from the Teheran conference of allied leaders, and four decades later, suffered one of the nation's most deadly military accidents.

Veterans groups and history buffs had hoped that tourists in San Francisco could walk the same teak decks where sailors dodged Japanese machine-gun fire and fired 16-inch guns that helped win battles across the South Pacific.

Instead, it appears that the retired battleship is headed about 80 miles inland, to Stockton, a gritty agricultural port town on the San Joaquin River and home of California's annual asparagus festival.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., a former San Francisco mayor, helped secure $3 million to tow the Iowa from Rhode Island to the Bay Area in 2001 in hopes of making touristy Fisherman's Wharf its new home.

But city supervisors voted 8-3 last month to oppose taking in the ship, citing local opposition to the Iraq war and the military's stance on gays, among other things.

"If I was going to commit any kind of money in recognition of war, then it should be toward peace, given what our war is in Iraq right now," Supervisor Ross Mirkarimi said.

Feinstein called it a "very petty decision."

"This isn't the San Francisco that I've known and loved and grew up in and was born in," Feinstein said.

San Francisco's maritime museum already has one military vessel _ the USS Pampanito, an attack submarine that sank six Japanese ships during World War II and has about 110,000 visitors a year.

Officials in Stockton couldn't be happier. They've offered a dock on the river, a 90,000-square-foot waterfront building and a parking area, and hope to attract at least 125,000 annual visitors.

After the Korean war, the Iowa was decommissioned and placed in reserve in a Philadelphia shipyard for three decades. In 1988, it was recalled to duty escorting oil supply ships safely in and out danger in the Persian Gulf. In 1989, 47 sailors were killed in an explosion that tore through a gun turret during a training exercise.

The warship, decommissioned by the Navy in 1990, is currently anchored with a mothballed fleet in Suisun Bay, near the mouth of the San Joaquin-Sacramento River Delta.

San Francisco's rejection of such a storied battleship is a slap in the nation's face, said Douglass Wilhoit, head of Stockton's Chamber of Commerce.

"We're lucky our men and women have sacrificed their lives ... to protect our freedom," Wilhoit said. "Wherever you stand on the war in Iraq ... you shouldn't make a decision based on philosophy."

Rep. Richard W. Pombo, R-Calif., has sponsored legislation authorizing the ship's permanent move to Stockton. Feinstein has countered with a bill to open bidding to any California city.

The two versions will have to be reconciled by a House-Senate conference committee considering the Pentagon spending bill.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Team American]

Feinstein called it a "very petty decision."

"This isn't the San Francisco that I've known and loved and grew up in and was born in," Feinstein said.

Forgive me for pointing this out, Ms. Gun Grabber, but ye reap what ye shall sow :angryfire
These ingrates are YOUR constituents....their right to live the "lifestyle" they choose is protected by the guns on that fine ship.

[JT]

My first thought on reading that was she is one of the people who helped make San Francisco what it is today.

[Rob72]

Hmmmmm, I would think the "big guns", and tours of the sailors showers would have a large percentage of SF all a-twitter to see the Iowa.

(My dad, AC Cox Jr., was on BB-62-USS New Jersey- '52-'54)

[P95Carry]

"This isn't the San Francisco that I've known and loved and grew up in and was born in," Feinstein said.

TA - that struck me too - and I am not sure which comment I'd best like to add to that statement.

Maybe none, lest I offend.!


`

[Bumper]

Move it to San Diego, I'm sure they would take it. San Francisco doesn't deserve it....

[Tom357]

I'm glad she'll have a berth somewhere better than the ghost fleet. But...Stockton? She deserves better than she's gotten.

[firefighter4884]

Putting the Iowa in CA...and SF to be specific is almost as bad as leaving the NJ to rot in Camden...

at least on the east coast the battleship and state have the same name...but what a disgrace to such a wonderful ship...

:-/

[Bumper]

Actually, she would be in good company in Texas, beside the Battleship Texas...

[Sheldon J]

Actually, she would be in good company in Texas, beside the Battleship Texas...

Been there saw it one word....WOW.

[Bumper]

Been there saw it one word....WOW.

If you haven't already, but get the chance, tour the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor. I could spend a week going over it. I haven't been on the Battleship Texas since I was 7 or 8 years old, but hope to go back one of these days. All of the battleships are awesome to visit....

[A1C Lickey]

When I was in High School I got the opportunity to spend a summer living in Hawaii, we spent a day out at Pearl Harbor. It's amazing. That's honestly the only way I can describe it. The memorials just let you slip back into history and just for a minute see what our greatest generation went through.

Now that said, while it isn't a battleship, the USS Intrepid in New York City is also something you should visit. I remember going there as a child and being amazed by all the huge shiny planes. Any of these old warships let you see what these men lived through and how they fought to protect us.

Kinda helps you put things in perspective.

A1C Lickey

[JT]

Unfortunately I haven’t gotten a chance to tour too may US ships. I did get to tour the only remaining WWII German U-Boat at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago. That was very cool.

[vmo]

Actually, she would be in good company in Texas, beside the Battleship Texas...

With 2 battleships, Texas could solve some of the world's problems!!

[CLASS3NH]

Too Bad they couldn't send her to be with "Mighty Mo" in Honolulu....