Post-9/11 Coast Guard Escorts

[Retrovision]

I finally clued-in as to what the large inflatible/fibreglass-bottom pair of boats that I've seen on trailers coming from the Ladner boat-launch, a handful of times, are actually used for when I noticed the US Coast Guard marking on the side. That evening I checked the AMHS schedule, and sure enough found that there was a sailing from Bellingham that day. So come on out to Ladner if you want to see a mini-parade of US Coast Guard escorts on Canadian soil, similar-looking to this one:




...I find it interesting how much the events of 9/11, 2001, so profoundly and so immediately changed what the average North American accepts as a normal every day sight when it comes to things like transportation security. I can remember seeing the familiar blue flashing lights of the US Coast Guard escorts for the AMHS, when visiting my grandparents' place in Point Robberts several times last summer, that always accompanied the Alaska ferries, and signaled to me that it was time to get the telescope ready to admire the passing ferry.

Here is one of those sights that don't seem to provoke nearly the same reaction now as they would have pre-2001:




Cheers,
Graham

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[Mike C]

Very interesting Graham. I'll consider coming out to Ladner to take a look...

Nice photos btw!! I like the last one, lol!!

[EGfleet]

That last photo with the battleship and an Issaquah class is an old one! Looks like it might be the Issaquah, pre upper ramp. Neat shot!

[Retrovision]

evergreenfleet said:

That last photo with the battleship and an Issaquah class is an old one! Looks like it might be the Issaquah, pre upper ramp. Neat shot!

That battleship is actually the U.S.S. Missouri, the platform upon which World War II was officially ended in Japan, and although that's not my photo (I found it on the net), I have distinct memories from the time that Bremerton was trying to hold onto her. She's now, and some would say rightfully so, back in Hawaii, after a contest between Bremerton, San Francisco and Long Beach, CA.


The 1944-launched Mighty Mo has quite a colourful history, including not only her most memorable, the ending of WWII on her deck, but also, with surprisingly little alteration to the engines (etc.), went on to serve during the Cold War and was even assigned to the Persian Gulf for Operation Desert Storm in 1991.

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A great website that lists the details of the Mighty Mo's, and where the following excerpts are from, is located here:

www.washington.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=5537

"The U.S.S. Missouri (BB-63), moored at Bremerton's Puget Sound Naval Shipyard from 1954 to 1984, was the last battleship commissioned by the United States Navy...

...A formidable vessel with numerous guns mounted in gun turrets, "Mighty Mo" saw action on the Eastern Front and at the end of the war was chosen as the stage for the signing of Japan’s formal surrender to the Allied Powers. This occurred in Tokyo Bay on September 2, 1945, ending the war."

U.S.S. Missouri Chronology

-January 29, 1944 --Launched at the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, NY.
-June 11, 1944 -- The U.S.S. Missouri is commissioned at the New York Naval Shipyard.
-June 12, 1944 - August 1945 -- Service in Pacific as Admiral William F. "Bull" Halsey’s 3rd Fleet flag ship.
-September 2, 1945 -- In Tokyo Bay, Japan surrenders unconditionally to the Allied Powers, ending war in Pacific.
-September 29, 1945 -- Assigned to naval shipyard at Norfolk, VA., for overhaul. A Bronze plaque, commemorating Japan's surrender, is installed on the surrender deck.
-August 19, 1950 -- First Korean War tour of duty.
-August 4, 1952 -- Second Korean War tour of duty.
-April 6, 1953 -- Returns to Norfolk, assigned as a training ship.
-February 26, 1955 - Decommissioned and assigned to Bremerton Group, U.S. Pacific Reserve Fleet.
-September 15, 1954 -- Arrives in Puget Sound, docks at Seattle Naval Station, Pier 91.
-September 16, 1954 -- Bangor Naval Depot to unload ammunition
-September 18, 1954 -- Arrives at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard for decommissioning.
-February 26, 1955 -- Decommissioning ceremonies, transferring the ship to the Pacific Reserve Fleet.
-May 14, 1984 - Towed to Long Beach Naval Shipyard for modernization.
-May 10, 1986 -- Recommissioned in San Francisco; departs for around-the-world shakedown cruise.
-July 25, 1987 -- Assigned to the Persian Gulf during the Iran crisis, to protect American flag oil tankers.
-January - February 1991 -- Assigned to Persian Gulf, Operation Desert Storm
-July - August 1991 -- Final West Coast Tour. Visits Seattle during Seafair.
-December 7, 1991 -- In Hawaii for the 50th Anniversary of Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor
-March 31, 1992 -- Decommissioned at Long Beach for the second time and towed to Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton
-April 12, 1992- Arrives at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Moored at the Naval Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility.
-January 12, 1995 -- Stricken from the Navy’s list of mobilization assets and enters the Navy’s ship donation program.
-May 20 - September 4, 1995 - Ship open to public tours; receives 216,419 visitors.
-September 2, 1995 -- Ceremony aboard the Missouri marks the 50th anniversary of Japan’s surrender that ended World War II, attended by 7,500 people.
-January - November 1995 -- Interested communities submit proposals for permanent ownership; Honolulu, Bremerton, San Francisco and Long Beach submit bids.
-August 21, 1996 -- Navy announces U.S.S. Missouri will be permanently docked at Pearl Harbor.
-January 1998 -- Ship reopened for the last public tours in Bremerton, receives 24,000 visitors.
-March 4, 1998 -- Navy Secretary Dalton signs the ship donation contract officially transferring the battleship to the U.S.S. Missouri Memorial Association.
-May 23, 1998 -- Departs Bremerton for Astoria, Oregon, for visit and hull cleaning.
-June 3, 1998 -- Departs Astoria, towed by Sea Victory to Pearl Harbor.
-June 22, 1998 -- Arrives in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii; docked at Ford Island.
-January 29, 1999 -- On the 55th anniversary of the U.S.S. Missouri’s launching at the New York Naval Shipyard, the battleship is officially opened for visitors

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[Low Light Mike]

I believe that the USS Missouri was in or off Nanoose-Harbour briefly, sometime in the early 1990's.

.....the grannies would have been raging over that visit.

Does anyone know if the USN has any WWII battleships still in commission? I remember the USS-New Jersey being recommissioned in the 1980's, as part of Reagan's muscle-flexing.

Besides being obsolete in concept, they are likely too expensive to maintain in any working shape.....I presume?

Interesting that many of the major battleships of the USN in WWII were named for States. Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, New Jersey, Missouri, etc.

Oklahoma capsized on 12/7 (that's what today's generation would have referred to Dec.7, 1941 as), and Arizona is still on the bottom in Pearl Harbour, with her gun-turret peaking out at low tide.

[northwesterner]

flugelhorn said:

I believe that the USS Missouri was in or off Nanoose-Harbour briefly, sometime in the early 1990's.

.....the grannies would have been raging over that visit.

Does anyone know if the USN has any WWII battleships still in commission? I remember the USS-New Jersey being recommissioned in the 1980's, as part of Reagan's muscle-flexing.

Besides being obsolete in concept, they are likely too expensive to maintain in any working shape.....I presume?

I believe the Iowa and Wisconsin were/are the last two Battleships. They are mothballed (I think). Check Wikipedia for sure.

There has been much controversy over the mothballing because the Marine Corp believes there is no better vessel to provide support for a beach-type operation. They want the two battleships to be operational indefinately - the navy wants them stricken because they are old and require a lot of operational positions the navy no longer trains for.

[Retrovision]

flugelhorn said:

Does anyone know if the USN has any WWII battleships still in commission? I remember the USS-New Jersey being recommissioned in the 1980's, as part of Reagan's muscle-flexing.

Besides being obsolete in concept, they are likely too expensive to maintain in any working shape.....I presume?

This may answer some questions:

[glow=blue,1,300]http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/battleships/us_wwii.htm[/glow]

...A little convoluted, but I managed to find this line:

"Postwar these ships were considered too valuable to discard, but there were no roles for them, so they were laid up. The Iowas were periodically returned to service, mostly for bombardment duties, until finally discarded in the 1990's."