If you could help save a piece of American history...

The constitution

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Clip-Clop

Cool story and fund, I will look into it.

You should no that Sicilians are not Italians though! Just ask one..

With respect and affection, my crazy wop family would disagree although sure there are probably some who would rather be called Sicilians. It did become a part of Italy in the 1800s though.

Originally Posted by Coach Pants

The constitution

Took me a minute cause at first I though you were talking about the sister ship to the Independence... the Constitution.

In a final and gallant act of resistance she sank while being towed to be ripped apart. Kinda sad but then it's nicer to think of the ship in its entirity (although I can't remember if it was this one that washed ashore somewhere broken in two).

I shall always choose to believe it was a final act of civil disobedience.

Back to what you probably meant though okay sure post what single piece of America you would save if you so desire. That's fine.

Probably boring to a lot of you anyway as it's not my usual se(a)men thread.

[Danzig]

i love ships. if anyone is ever in/near houston or beaumont, go to the san jacinto monument. near the battlefield sits the u.s.s texas, a dreadnought class battleship from 1898. she is our only ship in existence to serve in both world wars. ships today are painted 'haze gray' but in her day, the new york class battleship was painted a dark bluish-grey. we built her and the new york as a bit of oneupsmanship. european countries, japan, and who knows who else went on a mad dash to have the best warships along with building their armies. japan built new ships with 13" guns, england answered with ships such as the hms dreadnought with 13.5" guns. the new york and texas both got 14" main guns, along with countless guns up and down both sides. the texas also had torpedo tubes! in all her engagements, she actually only lost one crewman when the helmsman was killed when a bomb made a direct hit to the wheelhouse.
she bombarded the beaches of normandy on d-day, and later steamed to the pacific, helping in the battles of iwo jima and okinawa. she served as the flagship for the fleet during ww2. a great tour.
those near mobile, go see the uss alabama and the other ships available for tours. also has a great display of airplanes, including my favorite-the sr-71 blackbird.
charleston sc also has a great set of ships to tour. but of all the ones i've seen, i think i enjoyed the texas most since she has been around so long.

Interesting thread. My father was born in Naples, Italy and came over nearly a century ago to settle first in Chicago, then in Brooklyn, NY. A professional musician (sax/clarinet), he took a gig to play in the ship's band on the USS Independence in the early 50's when I was a youngster. I remember him showing us his ID card (I believe it was issued by the Merchant Marines), and I remember seeing him off at the Hudson River pier. As it happened, the United States was in port adjacent to the American Export Lines pier, and I still remember the beauty and size of that liner which was fresh from having set a transatlantic speed record.

Dad got to visit his ancestral home in Naples, and made money doing it, but I believe that was his last trip on ocean liners. Probably got seasick, for all I know, but stuck to playing club dates after that stateside!

[my miss storm cat]

Originally Posted by Ocala Mike

Interesting thread. My father was born in Naples, Italy and came over nearly a century ago to settle first in Chicago, then in Brooklyn, NY. A professional musician (sax/clarinet), he took a gig to play in the ship's band on the USS Independence in the early 50's when I was a youngster. I remember him showing us his ID card (I believe it was issued by the Merchant Marines), and I remember seeing him off at the Hudson River pier. As it happened, the United States was in port adjacent to the American Export Lines pier, and I still remember the beauty and size of that liner which was fresh from having set a transatlantic speed record.

Dad got to visit his ancestral home in Naples, and made money doing it, but I believe that was his last trip on ocean liners. Probably got seasick, for all I know, but stuck to playing club dates after that stateside!

That's a great story. So cool that you can remember seeing both ships.

(The other half of my family is from Naples as well.)

[my miss storm cat]

http://www.forbesgalleries.com/comingsoon.shtml

http://www.maritime-executive.com/pr...-united-states

[OldDog]

Originally Posted by my miss storm cat

http://www.forbesgalleries.com/comingsoon.shtml

http://www.maritime-executive.com/pr...-united-states

Very interesting, and I sincerely applaude the efforts to save this ship. It's something that I'd like to see/tour someday. However, it'd be even better if it was restored to a functioning ship, actually doing what it was designed to do. People stay in old hotels and inns, foregoing some modern conveniences to feel connections to the past -- would people go to sea on a restored United States? I know I would, but perhaps I'm in the minority.