Navy says Mare Island best place for USS Iowa

VALLEJO - The creation of a USS Iowa memorial and museum in Vallejo has moved a giant step closer to reality with the Navy's declaration that Mare Island is the mothballed battleship's only practical option, it was learned Thursday.

"The Navy has deemed our organization the only viable candidate, so the other parties are out of the running," said Merylin Wong of the Vallejo-based, nonprofit Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square. "We're very excited. We've survived the competitive bidding process."

The historic ship fought in World War II and the Korean War and has been in the Suisun Bay's mothball fleet for the past several years.

San Francisco and Stockton were competing to become the Iowa's permanent home, though only Stockton seemed to be seriously pursuing it.

Bidding, which included presenting the Navy details about logistics, funding, dredging, pier improvements and ship restoration, took about a year, though Wong said her organization has been working on the project for a decade, she said.

In a letter dated Oct. 31, Vice Admiral David Architzel wrote Wong that once evidence of firm financing has been received, the Navy will "further consider the (group's) application for donation of ex-Iowa."

The letter was also sent to Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, who represents Vallejo, said spokesman Justin Hamilton.

"The Navy said it has made the determination that Vallejo is the best option," Hamilton said. "Congressman Miller would be very happy to have the Iowa in Vallejo. It's an important historic ship that played a major role in defending our country and it deserves a place of honor."

Nothing now stands in the way of bringing the Iowa to Vallejo except money, Wong said, adding that realizing the dream will cost $15 million to $20 million.

Mare Island's main landlord, Lennar Mare Island, backs bringing the Iowa the Vallejo, said spokesman Jason Keadjian.

"We have supported the efforts to locate the USS Iowa to Mare Island and continue to be supportive," he said. "We feel the ship has the potential to be a positive amenity and contribution to Mare Island's reuse."

Keadjian noted the obstacles still to overcome, like financing, but calls the latest development "a step in the right direction."

"We're looking for contributions, donations, guarantees, loans or pledges," she said.

Contributions can be sent to Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, P.O. Box 361, Vallejo, Ca., 94590.

Yes - Fisherman’s Wharf is better located, better accessed, better advertised. Lots more (by many tens of thousand) walk-by tourists and locals.

Too bad it is next to San Francisco resident looneys.
They could have had a good exhibit: able to grow in the future, with the WWII battleship, WWII Liberty Ship, WWII submarine ... SFO is world-famous for its bases and airbases, (former) shipyards and construction (like the Kaiser yards, NAS Alameda, SF Naval Shipyard, Treasure Island, Oakland, Vallejo Naval Shipyard, the air bases and blimp stations in San Jose, the naval weapons depots up the Sacramento river, etc.

But the current residents?

They'd be honored in Kamchatka in the Siberian gold mines under Stalin.

I think the Navy should recommission the ship for a short stint about three years , and really address the problems that need to be fixed I have seen pictures of the ship in the mothballed fleet their is damage to the underwater part of the bowl and also the stern mainly to hull plating the 16 “ turret that exploded needs to be completely removed from the ship and torn down and rebuilt and why not do all three 16 “ turrets the 5 “ 38 centimeter twin aa guns turrets that were removed need to be replaced and put back in order those cruise missile launchers need to go you could keep the ciws though in a three year refit in some areas only a token refit would be needed the Navy could afford to do this and at the end of her short tour she could be presented to the Mare Island Battleship Commission for a museum ship this would make the memorial commissions job a lot easier the ship is still the best of her class although the other three ships are nice by an act of fate this turret explosion accrued on her could have been any of her sister ships or even a south Dakota those are retired in a peace time world even with Irag you cant fire enough ordinance from the main batteries to train a crew the Navy could afford the a munitions at least 12000 rounds and train three full time crews those guns had to be tlc`d and they had to be learned they each have a personality I think thats why they have names written on some of them their are Strong points and weak points firing those guns was always a risk under great circumstance but once they are learned they become really decent its a terrible thing that this happened on Iowa and the lives were lost but believe me it could have been any one of the other three sister ships this occurrence almost happened on the Missouri in the 50`s when a shell exploded to close to the ship those guns can never be fired enough today for a sailor to learn them you would wear out a set of gun barrel liners and would expell a minim of 12000 to 15000 rounds for proper training learning all the quirks in those guns ... all the powerder needs to be thrown out its probably dry and well over the rated limit when this happens you put in a 700 lb. powerder load and it could in fact be 2000 lbs. because the powerder has dried out ... the fuses need to be thrown out as well too old and the ammo was made in the late 30`s for the 16 “ guns. like I said this disaster could have been aboard any of the ships its to bad in that regard the Iowa is a really good old ship despite what some may believe.

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