A Floating Fortress

As most of you know by now, I was once in Uncle Sam's Navy. Enlisting seemed like a good idea at the time. That changed quickly... while on the plane flight to boot camp, actually. It took me a few years to settle into it. Had circumstances been a little different, I might have made a career of it. I did enjoy a good portion of my time. Once you have been to sea, it beckons to you forever. Well, I suppose it helps not to suffer from seasickness.

I have passed by Mobile, AL, more than a few times since I left the Navy as I traveled back and forth between the coasts. Each time, I saw the USS Alabama moored at the Battleship Memorial Park. Yet I never stopped. I always had a reason not to stop "this time". But on my return from California this time, I made sure I would stop and pay her a visit.

I served aboard a destroyer. The USS Brinkley Bass DD-887, to be exact. The "Bass" was just over half the length of the Alabama, less than half her width. You could have fit three of the "Bass" inside her. Battleships were no longer in service when I enlisted. One, the New Jersey, was brought back into service in 1968 to use in the Vietnam War. I missed a chance to visit her while we both served.

Arriving in the morning, I entered the park and found a parking place. Though it isn't a large area, there are enough things to see that it would be good to plan to spend at least 3 hours. Bring a picnic lunch and make a good half day out of it. The Alabama is not the only thing to see. There is a B-25 bomber, along with a number of other planes, helicopters, and jets to see. There are tanks and armored vehicles and even a WWII submarine (the USS Drum).

But the main attraction is the Alabama. And she certainly stands out. No one takes you on a tour, you just follow colored arrows as you go through hatches and climb up and down ladders to just about every part of the ship. The handout you are given explains each point of interest. Each description sparked a memory of my own ship and its equivalent.

There were only a few people around when I paid my entry fee and walked aboard. A much broader and more stable "brow" (or gangway) than I had encountered in the Navy greeted me just past the "screw" (propeller) mounted by the ship. Everything about this ship was bigger than what I had been accustomed to on board the Bass. In fact, compared to my little ship, this was a luxury liner.






The only tight spaces, comparatively, were the 16" gun turrets. Outside, they were huge, but inside was another story. Space is a premium and as wisely used as possible. My ship had only two 5" gun mounts. They were quite large to me then but these 16 inchers dwarfed them. I cannot imagine the sound of a salvo from one of those mounts. You can see the Alabama's 5" gun mounts to the right in this picture. Those same mounts took up much of the bow and fantail on the Bass.

I wandered about the ship and found myself missing those days I spent at sea. As I stepped onto the gangway, leaving the ship, I had to fight the urge to request permission to go ashore and to salute the ensign.

If you live near a port, of any kind, and you hear or read of a Navy ship's visit that includes a public tour, take the time to go. See how our sailors live each day as they serve their country. You won't be sorry.

Some links...

USS Alabama BB-60
USS New Jersey BB-62
USS Brinkley Bass DD-887