Feel the Power of Patriotism at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Feature and Photos from Paula Loehr
Established in January 1965 by a resolute group of patriotic citizens, USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park strives to honor American war veterans and to enlighten the public about the contributions of all U.S. military personnel. Located off Interstate 10 in Mobile, the park is officially dedicated to the state of Alabama’s native war veterans. The three primary centerpieces at Memorial Park are Battleship USS Alabama , the Submarine USS Drum, and the Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion, but there is so much more to experience. Try to allow a minimum of three hours for your self- guided tour of park attractions. Memorial Park’s undisputed masterpiece, Battleship USS Alabama , was commissioned in August 1942. Appropriately nicknamed ‘Mighty A,’ the ship weighed in at 45,000 tons when sailing into battle. She measures 680 feet long by 108 feet wide, and she once accommodated a wartime crew of 127 officers and 2,205 sailors. In 1943, Mighty A set sail for North Atlantic and South Pacific waters. During WWII, USS Alabama ’s crew shot down 22 enemy planes, earning 9 Battle Stars. In September 1945, just after Japan surrendered, “The Heroine of the Pacific” was chosen to lead the victorious American Fleet into Tokyo Bay. In the early 1960s, Alabamans saved Mighty A from becoming a pile of scrap metal when they lobbied to adopt her as the headliner for a Mobile-based Veterans Memorial Park. In January 1965, USS Alabama Battleship Park was opened for public recreation. Since then, the mighty ship has hosted 15 million visitors. In 1986, the U.S. Park Service granted the USS Alabama National Historic Landmark status. To board the battleship and take a self-guided tour, simply walk up the gangway. You can
Views from inside the USS Drum show clearly how no space was wasted on WW II-era submarines.
wander around free-form or follow the prompts for one or all of the park’s three distinct color- coded tours. Details of the prescribed walk- throughs include views of everything from galleys, brig and anti-aircraft guns to engine room and fire control tower. The nostalgic Crewmen’s Memorial Room contains an interactive booth with photos and biographical sketches of many of the ship’s 6,000 former crew members. Exploring the behemoth battleship is akin to an other-worldly experience of gigantic proportions. The large size and mechanical complexity of the vessel are best realized when standing on the open top deck. In sharp contrast, the inside of the ship presents fascinating views of the relatively limited size and scope of officer’s quarters on a WWII ocean- going vessel. Most interior exhibits focus on WWII. Scale model ships and artifacts from Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Military artifacts from Pearl Harbor are encased in the battleship’s interior.
USS ALABAMA MEMORIAL PARK
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