U.S.S. Iowa BB-61, her last voyage to become a museum ***Pic Heavy***

[DD977GM2]

Yesterday on the 26th, the mighty battleship U.S.S. Iowa BB-61 made her last
voyage to her new home from Suisun Bay near San Francisco where she has
been morred at since 21 April 2001 to Los Angeles to become a museum.
The libtards of San Fran board of supervisors voted to NOT have her as a museum
on the Bay area in 2005 due to the U.S. involvement in the Iraq war. Even the
evil dumnocrat Dianne Feinstein was pissed off that they voted to not have
the museum there in the Bay area. The rich U.S. Naval history in San Fran to me
made it a no brainer for this mighty warship to have her museum there. Alas dumnocrats do not
think clearly ever and screwed themselves out of a lot of revenue.
At any rate, this is probably the last time a Battleship will ever pass under the
Golden gate Bridge. Truely and end of a great era. I wish we had them commisioned
and still sailing around the world to show out mighty power we still have.

As a former Gunner's Mate, Iw ould have given anything to have served onboard a battlehsip
and working in the 16 inch gun mount. For us it was the holy grail for sea duty, IMHO.

I also served with a couple guys who fought the fires from the 89 explosion and did some of the recover.
Some of their stories is simply amazing and was honored to have served with them.

Here are a bunch of different articles for diffrent pics.

USS Iowa Final Voyage Huffington Post (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/27/uss-iowa-final-voyage_n_1549232.html)

USS Iowa voyage to Port Los Angeles Los Angeles CBS (http://losangeles.cbslocal.com/2012/05/26/uss-iowa-begins-final-voyage-to-port-of-los-angeles/)

USS Iowa on way to new home Boston Globe (http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2012/05/27/uss_iowa_on_way_to_new_home_in_southern_california/)

Historic USS Iowa last voyage The News Tribune Tacoma, WA (http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/05/13/2143209/historic-uss-iowa-makes-final.html)

USS Iowa begins final voyage Sacramento CBS Local (http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/05/26/uss-iowa-begins-final-voyage-from-san-francisco-bay-to-port-of-los-angeles/)

Final Voyage: USS Iowa Globe Gazzete Mason City, IA (http://globegazette.com/news/iowa/final-voyage-uss-iowa-on-way-to-s-calif-home/article_39178aea-a836-11e1-8966-0019bb2963f4.html)



Here are some pics taken from another site
from folks who actually went to see her off.

F/A 18 Hornet send off also
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_010.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_013.jpg http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_01.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_05.jpg http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_07.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_08.jpg http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_02.jpg http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_03.jpg

http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_04.jpg http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb116/DD977GM2/Military/BB61_USS_Iowa_Golden_Gate_26May12_small_06.jpg

[Mazin]

Great pics! I think the USS Enterprise is also on its last tour now.

[DD977GM2]

Great pics! I think the USS Enterprise is also on its last tour now.

I have heard the the "Big E" at full speed ahead, literaly had bolts flying off her
and she was shaking sooooo much etc at full speed, just stories ut may be true.

[funkymonkey1111]

beautiful pics. it made me sad to see her in Suisin Bay rusting away with all the other crap ships.

[cstone]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing them.

I sure hope that Steven Segal, Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones aren't on board that ship : )

[Sparky]

Great pics. I remember being pier side with the Mighty Mo. Impressive.

[BPTactical]

Great story, sad to see such a mighty ship take her last cruise. May she rest well and retire with dignity.

My neighbor a couple houses down was on the South Carolina in WWII. He said it was a bit unnerving to see a 1" thick bulkhead flex like paper when the 16 inchers were firing. He was ships stores but his battle station was as a loader on a 40mm. His mount was credited with 2 kills.
He has shared some pretty awesome photos with us.
Anchors Aweigh!

[SideShow Bob]

Too bad that her last cruise wasn't under her own power, but the mighty battleship is headed to a dignified retirement as a museum stead of being sunk as an Eco friendly artificial reef or sent to the scrap yards to be melted down and made into Priuses.

[45XD]

"The libtards of San Fran board of supervisors voted to NOT have her as a museum
on the Bay area in 2005 due to the U.S. involvement in the Iraq war."

Any day now. The whole of California will vanish... falling off the face of the earth altogether.
Wishing will make it so?

[SideShow Bob]

Any day now. The whole of California will vanish... falling off the face of the earth altogether.
Wishing will make it so?

I've been wishing for this for 25 years now, so that my property in AZ will become beach front value, it already has the beach, just waiting on the ocean.........

[DD977GM2]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing them.

I sure hope that Steven Segal, Gary Busey and Tommy Lee Jones aren't on board that ship : )

I certainly hope not, it would be another craptastic movie

[Bailey Guns]

What a glorious old girl. Thanks for posting.

[asmo]

Glad she made it out of Suison- I hate watching metal rust.

[wctriumph]

The Iowa class battleship was, IMHO, the most beautiful warship ever built, bar none. There have been some lookers but none other ever had the lines that these ladies have.

[fairrpe86]

Awesome pictures thanks for posting. My father was a part of the last crew to serve on the USS Missouri BB-63. Got to see her while in Hawaii a few years back. Went on a below deck tour that my father actually ended up giving since the tour guide didn't have a clue what they were talking about. Too bad these massive beauties are all being decomissioned.