USS Olympia

Peter_Suciu

Peter_Suciu

Well-known member
Just as an FYI... the USS Olympia, which is now part of the Independence Sea Museum in Philadelphia has gotten a reprieve. The ship was scheduled to close for good on Monday, November 22. It will remain at the museum until at least March.

If a new owner can't be found, sadly this ship - the oldest complete pre-Dreadnaught steel warship in the world will meet a cruel fate. Plans are in place to sink it and transform it into a reef.

I flew to Philadelphia to visit the museum. I took a tour of the ship and also ventured to the New Jersey side of the Delaware River to see the USS New Jersey.

Here are some photos of this wonderful old ship. This was Admiral Dewey's Flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay. It also served as part of the Great White Fleet and as a diplomatic ship.

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Peter_Suciu said:
//If a new owner can't be found, sadly this ship - the oldest complete pre-Dreadnaught steel warship in the world will meet a cruel fate. Plans are in place to sink it and transform it into a reef.//]
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You have got to be kidding. The USS Olympia is on my list of things to see. With trillions you guys print and shovel to bail out at banks, they would let this be sunk????????
 
Hey Tony,
Our current government would like to write a new history, and that requires erasing a lot of the old history. best hurry if you want to see this grand ship before it is lost forever.
Best
Gus
 
To fly to Philadelphia and spent the night it cost me $700 for my wife and me. I'll probably get a $100 assignment to write about it, but I hope I can spread the word.

It was a damn impressive ship I have to say.
 
I secretly hoped some filthy-rich celebretard, like that director, what's his name, Cameron? -- you know, the one who made the execrable film about RMS Titanic and also produced Expedition: Bismarck would rescue Olympia with funds from petty cash. Unfortunately, he won't show up until after she has been sunk (never miss an opportunity to explore a wreck).

If you want to help, please become a friend of the Cruiser Oylmpia:

http://cruiserolympia.org/site/
 
Before they sink her can they fill her with bankers/lawyers/politicians? I guess not . that would scare the fish away. :x
 
This is just unbelievable! The city of Philthadelhia is in an extremely bad financial situation, but I have never seen mention of this in the news media.

The Olympia is in very nice shape, at least visually, if anyone ever gets a chance, visit her.

For Filipino Americans, this should be a Mecca, as it was directly because of the victory at Manila Bay on 1 May 1898 that the Philippines shared a common destiny with the USA. They might never have ended up emigrating to America otherwise.

Back in the late '90's, the USS Guadalcanal was birthed in Philadeplhia Naval yard, and had been previously announced that it was to be towed to become part of the Intrepid Museum in Manhattan, NYC. The wounded Marines from the bombed out Marine Barracks from Beiruit were Med-Evac-ed to this ship, as it was part of the Marine Amphibious Unit (MAU) at the time. For reasons unknown and unannounced, instead, she was towed out to sea and sunk as a missile target. So this fate for Olympia is serious, as we have folks in DC who appear to put little value on the military or American history. What a sin!
 
Lost Skeleton said:
If you want to help, please become a friend of the Cruiser Oylmpia:

http://cruiserolympia.org/site/
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Thanks for posting. I'm trying to spread the word about the ship. Hopefully it will be saved.
 
According to an article on Military History Channel website , the Olympia has been in the water for 60 yrs. She has not been hauled since 1945 and has 62 patches to her hull. She is in bad need of repair. The Friends of the Cruiser :x need to raise 2.5 million by January 2011 before ownership can be transferred.
 
I've contacted the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. It will easily fit though the Erie Canal.
Don't give me any crap about the 'current administration', when it was the last one that screwed over my favorite museum, The Patton Museum of Cavalry and Armor and put us trillions in debt.
The truth is, politicians of either party are ignorant baffoons.

Ron
 
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