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Battleship Park, Mobile, AL

Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:44 pm

Yesterday there was a discussion avout the aircraft displays at
Battleship Park in Mobile, AL. It grew heated at times so I am
starting another thread with a diierent focus.

Yesterday I visited the park and spoke with Bill Tunnell, the
exective director. The Aircraft Pavillion had about ten feet of
water in it and the planes floated around and bumped into
one another. It's bad, so bad it may be cheaper to tear down
the structure and replace it. Every plane is damaged, some
more than others. For example the A-12 has significant damage
and the SBD has reletively little.

Outside most of the aircraft displays stayed put. The C-47 was
pushed around a bit, the HU-16 was pushed across the park and
stopped by a tree, but the B-52, B-25, and others looked to be
still in place.

We can all agree in a disaster like this people should take preferance over things. Tomorrow I am heading over to Biloxi
with some ice, fuel, clothing, and food for a military collector
buddy who lost EVERYTHING but his life and wife. My goal is
to get him to stay with us until the area is stabilized and safe
for him to return. But he's hard headed and that's why the
supplies are going.

Folks, the Battleship Commission needs help with repairs to the
park infrastructure, the restoration of ths aircraft and other dis-
plays, and, of did I mention Katrina pushed the battleship Ala-
bama to an 8 1/2" list? They went into significant debt several
years ago to repair hull corrosion problems to the Alabama and
the submariune USS Drum. You can read more about this on the
web site. Just the interest on the debt is crushing. They get no
money from the State of Alabama, They get no money from the
County or the City of Mobile. They are solely dependant on gate receits, souvenir sales, and ther lunch counter. Of course with the park closed indefinitely this is a dismal picture. I should also
mention that, on occasion, our Congressmen and Senators do
manage to slip some pork into an appropriation that benefits the
ship.

I can assure you all I am going to donate some money. I would
ask each of you to look into your hearts and see if you can spare
some money to go to a good cause. These folks do wonders with
a shoestring annual budget each year. They are really behind the
8ball with the hull repair and hurricane coming so close together.
No gift is too small. They will make the most of each penny.

One phone number at the ship that was working yesterday is
251-433-2703.

Blue skies,
Owen Miller

http://www.ussalabama.com/html/misc/how_to_help.php

http://www.al.com/news/mobileregister/i ... xml&coll=3

http://www.nbc13.com/news/4915962/detail.html

Thu Sep 01, 2005 1:59 pm

Owen thanks for the update.

Thu Sep 01, 2005 2:04 pm

I've been watching the news with horror, my thoughts go out to all affected. Good on you for getting of your a*** and helping, I hope more people do the same.

Rgds Cking

The other threads did get a bit heated didn't they!

Thu Sep 01, 2005 2:37 pm

Thanks Owen. Is there any damage in Pensacola?

Thu Sep 01, 2005 2:53 pm

I think I can safely say we all applaud your efforts, Owen. Just be extremely careful. The desperation has bred desperados--would hate to have something go bad for you because someone else wanted your supplies badly enough.

Take care and God bless,

Dan

Battleship Park

Thu Sep 01, 2005 5:28 pm

Pat, no damage in P'cola,

Dan, I'm taking a M1911A1 and several clips.

Owen

Fri Sep 02, 2005 5:38 pm

A friend just sent me some pictures of the damged aircraft and USS Alabama at Hyperscale: http://www.network54.com/Forum/message? ... 1125667493

Fri Sep 02, 2005 7:33 pm

I hope things come together for them at the museum. I hope the state will give some aid to keep the ship with their name sake open to the public.

Sat Sep 03, 2005 4:52 pm

I don't know if that would be one of the first things that the state would do but...you never know.

Are the F6F, and F4U owned by them, or NMNA? Who owns the majority of their aircraft?

Sat Sep 03, 2005 8:36 pm

I know the Corsair is owned by the NMNA. Not sure about the F6F.

Battleship Park

Sun Sep 04, 2005 9:03 am

I believe the Corsair belongs to the Park.
It is an F4U-7 and, as I recall, the French
donated it to the Battleship Commission.
I don't think it ever had a BuNo.

The USN reclaimed the F6F some years ago.
It now resides on the hanger deck of YKTN
at Patriots Point.

Sun Sep 04, 2005 10:52 am

It never had an N-number for sure.

Oddly enough, the F4U-5NL owned by Les Ailes de l'Aéronavale in France was restored a few years back by the AFAH as F4U-7 BuNo.133704. THis by chance is the same aircraft displayed at the USS Alabama Memorial Park, masquerading as an AU-1! Wierd stuff.

For a fleeting moment I had thought it would have been neat if the owners of the F4U-5NL in France had worked a trade and gotten themselves an actual F4U-7. Then I remembered the F4U-7 in Alabama was exposed directly to the salt water spray in Mobile Bay for decades. I'm sure it's airframe inegrity is pretty much toast.

Sun Sep 04, 2005 1:19 pm

Found an overhead shot on NOAA's web site...

http://ngs.woc.noaa.gov/storms/katrina/24541700.jpg

Sun Sep 04, 2005 2:10 pm

Owen,

I applaud your efforts to the benefit of your friends down there. And I agree, there is way more damage to the people than can be measured at this time. Efforts should be focoused on them first...our "heritage" if you will, will be taken care of due course I am sure. It boggles the mind to think of and see the destruction in N.Orleans. Prayers go out to all of those people.....this is the time for us to come together as a nation. Things can be fixed....people can't.

God Bless you with your efforts to help.....

Paul
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