The Traveling Enigma
Since this time last year I have been to 20 some odd states. I love to travel. I love being on the road and meeting new people. I have learned that no matter where I go. I can always find someone who is proud to be from wherever I am. I have seen the human race at it’s best and at it’s worst. There are many time I rediscover someplace that I have already been and in a few cases lived. Norfolk Va and the surrounding area is a perfect example of that. I thought I knew Norfolk, it was my home port.
I was fortunate enough to spend some time there again over Labor Day Weekend. I went on a harbor tour aboard the Victory Rover I saw a sight I have not seen in 2 decades, pier 12 at Norfolk Navel Base from the water. The last time I saw it I was manning the rails as we pulled into port. This time I was standing on the bow of the boat as a pod of dolphins swam around us. A big shout out to the Captain and crew of the Victory Rover, it was a very informative and fun trip. The Captain knew his business and it was well worth the very reasonable cost.
While in Norfolk I spent some time at Nauticus There are two Museums there as well as the USS Wisconsin (BB-64).
The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is operated by the US Navy. I was hoping to be awed but sadly it fell short. I noticed several discrepancies in displays and the in my opinion it failed to tell a story. The admission was free and I did enjoy seeing the exhibits but it could have been so much better.
My experience touring the Battle Ship was less than stellar. So much so that I reached out to Nuaticus about it. They were very concerned and took the time to to listen to my complaints and respond. What I learned opened my eyes. Its no secret that I am not a big fan of Museum Ships. I feel like most of the places that have them let them run down to the point that they are no longer safe. Norfolk and Nauticus learned from other ships and are taking the time to make sure that the spaces that are opened are ready for the public. They spend a great deal of time and money on preservation, as they should. They get very little funding from the State of Virginia, none from the government and a little help from the city of Norfolk. Yet they have been able to maintain the condition of the ship. They open it free of charge to Military and Veterans groups for Celebrations and events such as retirements and other services. They are constantly trying to find better ways to educate the public. My complaints were heard and acted on. I will visit again.
I also went to the Mariners Museum. It was great. I felt like I had stepped back in time. I highly recommended anyone going to the area see it. The admission price is very reasonable and well worth it. This is also the USS Monitor Center. Seeing the artifacts and the Herculean efforts put into preserving them was incredible. I could write pages on what I saw but to keep it short I can only say I was fascinated. I could spend days there.
There was one place that really kind of got to me. I will admit I had to wipe a tear or two away. It was the Armed Forces Memorial There are letters written home from service men cast in bronze, They look like they have been scattered by the wind across the paving stones. It was only as I got ready to walk out that I saw inscribed on the wall at the entrance gate these words “We leave you our Deaths Give them Meaning”
I have seen so many War Memorials that were good. This one is great because of its simplicity.
Category: Navy, We Remember
Great post
Nice work, Enigma, Norfolk is definitely on my vacation bucket list. Being a railroad junkie since I was a kid, Roanoke is definitely on my list as well!
My son is an adult now, but back when he was about three or four we went to Nauticus. We had blast there.
Norfolk “navel” base? Geez Enigma, don’t you know that successful travelers have to cut the umbilical cord first? 🙂
Its where I used to get oranges…
Enigma,
Years ago, I wrote a newspaper story about what it was like in the non-public areas of the USS Missouri, which at that time was docked next to the New Jersey at the naval shipyard on Puget Sound. My tour guide was a cute little Ensign who really knew her stuff, and for most of an afternoon we wandered all over.
One of the things I found remarkable was how agile you needed to be to simply move around on the thing without bonking your head on something or falling down a companionway. It wasn’t like some cruise ship designed to keep a half-drunk halfwit from spilling his glass of Chardonnay.
As an ex-Army guy, I came away with a lot more respect for the squid community as not just a bunch of folks with better food and funny uniforms.
My kid’s godmother was on the project to decommission the Mighty Mo… spent a very enjoyable evening watching videos of the old girl (the Mo, not her) and drinking copious quantities of Sam Addams. The USS Missouri hat I came away with is a prized possession (the hangover wasn’t).
If you get a chance to get to Wilmington, NC, definitely make a stop to see the USS North Carolina (BB-54?). She and her sister ship the Washington were in the final stages of being built when PH was attacked and both went through the whole war.
They do the museum ship thing right by having full time employees, self guided tours (for $$) special events, a gift shop (that even sells pieces of it’s original teak deck removed for renovations that went through WWII to raise funds) and it’s probably helped that it’s appeared on a couple of the ghost TV shows.
I’ve been going there since I was a kid (I’m 44 now) and I was just there again on vacation a few weeks back. While it’s clearly challenging on keeping the rust and time monsters at bay, doing it since ’62 or so, and the ship itself it still is very interesting.
C-
I went again a couple of years ago and discovered a part of the ship I had never seen before. Somewhere foreward I went down a ladder and found my way down into the powder magazine. Very interesting in that I had been down maybe two decks previously, but this was deep into the bowels of the ship.
She is BB-55 BTW, not 54.
I visited Patriot’s Point in C-ton, SC a few years ago and toured the USS Yorktown II, Inghham, Laffey, and the Clamagore, that was a very well-run set of exhibits, they also did a great job of keeping those Warships maintained!
The yorktown has major problems. the navy has said they will take it back if they cannot do a better job of preservation.
Bummer to hear that, my visit there was 9 or 10 years ago, and it looked pretty good. What issues are they having with her nowadays?
She has several holes below the waterline. The trust has done a good job of keeping her pretty but not a good job preserving her.