Saving the Battleship North Carolina
Perhaps you didn't realize it, but the Battleship North Carolina belongs to me.
In the 1960s, thousands of North Carolina school children, including me from Josephus Daniels Junior High School in Raleigh, saved our pennies, nickels and dimes and bought a battleship. I believe we had a little help from the United States Navy, Govs. Luther Hodges and Terry Sanford and Battleship Commission chairman Hugh Morton, but as far as my classmates and I were concerned, it was all due to our hard work, contributions and determination.
In 1961, because of the persistence of the people of North Carolina, the decommissioned battleship reached its berth on Eagle Island across the Cape Fear River from Wilmington. The ship was dedicated to the 10,000 members of all the armed services from North Carolina who gave their lives in World War II.
It took astute planning, a plethora of tug boats and a bit of luck to place a 728-foot vessel with a normal displacement of 35,000 tons in a 500-foot-wide slip, but history assures us, with the help of a land-based bulldozer, the attempt was successful.
The Battleship North Carolina, known as the “Showboat” because of its majestic appearance, was felt to be a lucky ship. The battleship survived a direct Japanese torpedo hit somewhere in the Eastern Solomon Islands in September 1942 — a hit that blew an 18-foot by 32-foot hole in her side. Despite the damage, the ship made some adjustments and resumed protection of her assigned carrier.
The North Carolina was the most decorated U.S. battleship of the war and was awarded 15 battle stars. She served in every major naval battle in the Pacific, from Guadalcanal to Tokyo Bay, earning a record of 24 enemy aircraft shot down, a merchantman sunk and the bombardment of nine Japanese-held areas. You can see these statistics painted on the ship. Tokyo Rose, infamous broadcaster of Japanese propaganda, declared the North Carolina sunk six times. She was wrong.
On the deck of the North Carolina rests a Vought Kingfisher floatplane, one of seven still in existence. The floatplanes allowed the battleships and cruisers the freedom to carry on necessary tasks without having to depend on the aircraft carriers. The Kingfisher did everything from scouting and bombing to towing aerial targets for gunnery practice. A Kingfisher from the North Carolina rescued 10 downed airmen in the Pacific by strategically draping the men over the wings and the floats.
Below decks, visitors can see the engine rooms, the mess area and the crew’s quarters, where 2,300 men worked, ate, showered, slept and dreamed about home and a world without war. Life aboard a battleship served almost the same amenities as home with its own newspaper, hospital, soda fountain, movie theater, post office, laundry and an ice cream shop where you could buy a sundae with a choice of topping for 10 cents.
The Battleship North Carolina in downtown Wilmington is open 365 days a year, from 8 AM until 8 PM in the summer and 8 AM until 5 PM in the winter. You should allow at least two hours to tour the ship. Only the main deck is handicapped accessible. Wear sensible shoes, as you will be climbing up and down ladders and they are steep. The self-guided tour includes portions of nine decks, the gun turrets, the bridge, crew’s quarters, the sick bay, the engine room, the barbershop and recreation areas. It is a good idea to begin the tour in the Visitors Center with the orientation exhibit “Through Their Eyes: The Battleship Crew Remembers WWII.” On summer evenings, try to make it to a “sight and sound” performance that recreates the battleship's WWII battles.
And, please remember that the Battleship is brought to you courtesy of 700,000 other children from across North Carolina who used their milk money to bring the battleship to Wilmington. I admit there were some other folks who helped raise the necessary $325,000 to keep the battleship off the scrap pile. Just remember how important saving that ship was to those North Carolina school children. We helped preserve an important piece of history.
There are no more battleships. The U.S. Navy does not
build them anymore. But for a brief chapter, they were magnificent and
powerful and helped the United States and their allies win the war. And we,
those children of long ago, helped to keep intact that heritage for others
to enjoy. No wonder we’re a little possessive. Enjoy your visit!