Warbird Information Exchange

As someone who was born and raised in NJ, I was a little shocked and dismayed when I heard they were putting the USS New Jersey in Camden. After reading the posts here, maybe my mind is changing...maybe...
As far as the S.S. United States, something needs to be done to save that unbelievable ship before the current owners (Norwegian Cruise Lines) decide to scrap her or alter her beyond recongnition...

http://www.ssunitedstates.org/

_________________
"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

I thought they went going to totally rebuilt her and put her back into service?

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

Have you visited the USS New Jersey at the Camden Waterfront? I'd much rather walk around there than Jamaica, Queens, or even Manhatten- and I HAVE been to both.

Robbie

Wel, first you have to pull out of the 695 death spiral around Baltimore, and head North on 95... Take 295, cross the Delaware Memorial Bridge, then take exit 3 from the NJ Turnpike. Follow the signs...

Robbie

No. I cannot imagine anything that would induce me to go there. And that is my point. However lovely and idyllic the setting, in Camden it would not get visited the way it has in NYC, it would not attract so much revenue from corporate dinner parties in the hangar deck, it would be out of sight/out of mind of potential benefactors, and it would have much bigger financial problems. It would vanish into obscurity.

I am not surprised you have been to Manhattan. Sooner or later everyone comes to Manhattan. Again, see my point? It's a perfect place for a museum that costs that much to operate.

Besides, the Concorde would look a little silly floating on a barge by the pier in NYC all by itself.

August

Probably will never happen. The story of this ship (S.S. United States), it's design and designer, is one for the history books. It needs to be saved and preserved as a piece of Americana. The cost to restore and preserve will be enormous as the interior is gutted...

_________________
"Everyone wants to live here (New Jersey), evidenced by the fact that it has the highest population per capita in the U.S..."

Apparenty you fail to realize the city of Philadelphia is directly across the river, a short ride across any of the many bridges which span the Delaware.

It is not the New Jersey you think you know: New Jersey up where you live is a whole 'nother place, and we'd rather you New Yorkers took it, and left South Jersey alone... Southern NJ is a great place. I don't have to drive more than 15 minutes to get to anything I want to. And our airports are often congestion free. I don't mean the international airports, but the ones which serve those of us who like to fly- but not in a bus.

You're really missing something by not visiting south Jersey- I could not imagine living in Target Number One for any missile or terror attack... Been there, didn't like it There is plenty of tourism here to support our ships. We don't need Donald Trump and such...

There is too much of NYC. Camden is not much, sure- but we have Philadelphia as a neighbor, and it is more important historically, in my opinion. Wanna open THAT can of worms? G'wan...

Keep the Intrepid up there- she has a fine home. We'll keep the USS New Jersey- she has a fine home here, too.

Robbie

Admiral Halsey tried to raise enough to save her, but she was turned into scrap metal. Although the name lived on.

it's a sad commentary when historic icons become too cost prohibitive to preserve. in this economy it's like ice water on the face. we all have historical perspective here...... that is what is us, as members of this site are about. to put it into perspective, read the following...... i'm in the marine business, which thanks to gas prices is in the toilet. it costs $$2000.00 to fill a 40 foot pleasure boat, look at that figure.... 2 grand, you would think you should be buying the wife a diamond ring with that $$$ not filling a gas tank!! think of it as perceived value.....money goes no place any more. it's a shame that historical icons like intrepid are rife with cost overruns as to care, but it is to be expected in the restoration plans plain & simple. that is harsh reality in this age. it is everybody's responsibility to preserve history, whether you are interested in it or not. a sad footnote, those $$$ cost overruns will probably fall on to the public in increased admission prices to many historical attractions. poo poo rolls down hill!!

_________________
tom d. friedman - hey!!! those fokkers were messerschmitts!! * without ammunition, the usaf would be just another flying club!!! * better to have piece of mind than piece of tail!!

Robbie, I've been to south Jersey plenty of times, just not Camden in particular. I'm sure it's darn nearly the Garden of Eden. And I'm not defending NYC, which I don't especially like. I don't even live in town.

The feud between NYC, Philadelphia, and Boston as to which is most historically important is an idiotic thing that nobody not native to one of those three areas cares about, so I want no part of that.

My only point is economic. NYC is one of the major cities of the world, it attracts visitors from the whole planet. Camden, not so much. That means more money, higher profile, and exposure of the historical content to many, many more people. No way would the Intrepid have gotten a Concorde if it were in Camden. It's just good for the ship that it's in this town, that's all. We have a lot of great air museums that are in out-of-the-way places -- very few tourists from far away who are not aviation buffs are going to make a stop in Dayton, Pensacola, or Tucson, for example -- and it's good to have one where normal tourists don't have to go out of their way to see it.

August