Battleship Memorial Park

Battleship Memorial Park
USS Alabama in Battleship Memorial Park in 2008
Location	Mobile, Alabama United States
Coordinates
Founded	January 9, 1965
Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
Official name: Battleship Alabama Memorial Park
Designated	October 28, 1977
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Official name: USS ALABAMA (battleship)
Designated	January 14, 1986
Reference no.	86000083
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Official name: USS DRUM (submarine)
Designated	January 14, 1986
Reference no.	86000086
Location of Battleship Memorial Park in Alabama

Main articles: USS Alabama (BB-60) and USS Drum (SS-228)

Battleship Memorial Park is a military history park and museum located on the western shore of Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. It has a collection of notable aircraft and museum ships including the South Dakota-class battleship USS Alabama and Gato-class submarine USS Drum. The USS Alabama and USS Drum are both National Historic Landmarks; the park as a whole was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage prior to that time, on October 28, 1977.

History

In May 1962, the USS Alabama (BB-60) had been ordered scrapped along with her South Dakota-class sister ships, USS South Dakota, USS Indiana, and USS Massachusetts. Citizens of the state of Alabama had formed the "USS Alabama Battleship Commission" to raise funds for the preservation of Alabama as a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II. Alabama’s school children raised approximately $100,000 in nickels and dimes from lunch money and allowances to help the cause. The ship was awarded to the state on June 16, 1964, and was formally turned over on July 7, 1964 in ceremonies at Seattle, Washington. Alabama was then towed to her permanent berth at Mobile, Alabama, arriving in Mobile Bay on September 14, 1964 and opening as a museum ship on January 9, 1965. Alabama was joined in 1969 by the submarine USS Drum which was moored behind her until 2001, when the submarine was moved onto land for preservation in a permanent display.

Hurricane Katrina caused more than $7 million in damages to Battleship Memorial Park on August 29, 2005 when it came ashore. It almost completely destroyed the aircraft pavilion and gave the Alabama an eight-degree list to port and shifting at her permanent anchorage. This forced the park to temporarily close for repairs. It reopened on January 9, 2006.

Administration

The park is owned by the state of Alabama and is run by an independent government agency, the USS Alabama Battleship Commission. The commission consists of eighteen members from over the entire state appointed by the Alabama governor, it has oversight of all operations at the park.

Features

• The World War II era battleship USS Alabama (BB-60).
• The World War II era submarine USS Drum (SS-228).
• Bombers and fighter planes ranging from a B-52 from the Vietnam War, a P-51 Mustang flown by the Tuskegee Airmen to an A-12 Blackbird spyplane.
• A PBR (River Patrol Boat) used in the Vietnam War.
• Military equipment ranging from items such as a Skysweeper M51 anti-aircraft gun to a M4 Sherman tank.
• A Redstone MRBM (medium range ballistic missile).
• Korean War Memorial
• Vietnam War Memorial

Scenes within the park
USS Alabama's forward guns and deck in 2008  USS Drum moored behind USS Alabama in 1994  A-12 Oxcart on display in 1994, before construction of the first aircraft pavilion  Type 69-II main battle tank from Iraq Type 69-II main battle tank from Iraq

See also

• List of museums in Alabama
• List of maritime museums in the United States
• List of battleships of the United States Navy

External links

• Battleship Memorial Park (Official website)
• USS Drum (SS-228)