In the wrinkles of my brain something tickled. Did I not read a story about some ship taking President Roosevelt to a secret meeting with Winston Churchill? The more I thought about it I realized I was thinking about War and Remembrance by Herman Wouk. Something seemed to ring a bell and I wondered if it could have been the Iowa.
The grey battleship seemed to slip by as the ferry moved out to the open sea. It was amazing to see the size of the ship and made me wonder how the huge ship could even float! A blurb in the Catalina Express Magazine I read: The biggest game in town-- literally and figuratively -- is the USS Iowa, the West Coast's only battleship. Built in 1940, the Iowa served the nation for over 50 years and was designated the "World's Greatest Naval Ship." When I returned home I looked it up and found out the ship is known for its big guns and fast speed. My memory had proved me right. Not only was President Franklin Roosevelt on the ship in the l940's but in later years, Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan have also been on board of the Iowa.
The ship is permanently docked at San Pedro and is open for tours. I could see people wandering about on the huge ship and they were dwarfed by the size of the ship.
I found out that a special bath tub had to be installed on the Iowa due to Roosevelt's polio condition not allowing him to take a shower. The tub continues to be a tourist attraction and the Iowa is the only ship with a tub!
"I've seen cruise ships
and they are big;
a place for relaxing and fun.
When I saw a battle ship
I could tell it was not for fun,
because when those guns are
through with you,
you are done!"
E. Moscoso
June 21, 2015
No comments:
Post a Comment