USS Pampanito
Posted on 03/27/2006 7:34:59 AM PST by SmithL
The Iowa is the battleship San Francisco just can't seem to sink.
The Board of Supervisors flat out rejected a proposal last year to bring the World War II-era vessel to the city by the bay and turn it into a tourist attraction, declaring there's no room for a warship in anti-war San Francisco.
But Iowa backers persisted and tried to win over support by offering to use a portion of the historic ship as a museum for the military's don't-ask-don't-tell policy on gays and lesbians. They pitched holding an annual peace conference on the ship.
Even in San Francisco, the ideas received a lukewarm reception.
Iowa supporters then thought they might find allies at the Port of San Francisco, which oversees 7.5 miles of the city's waterfront and would control any lease with the floating ship museum. But on Tuesday, the port's governing body, the port commission, is expected to hand down yet another Iowa rejection.
And supporters of the Iowa, which now sits in Suisun Bay amidst a fleet of other old Navy vessels, still don't plan to take no for an answer.
"The people behind Pearl Harbor had to do a lot of planning and lobbying to get it, probably 10 years of advanced planning," said Marylin Wong, the woman who has made bringing the Iowa to San Francisco her personal crusade. "I've seen projects before that had the appearance of total failure only to turn around."
Despite the tough talk, Wong's plan certainly has the appearance of being doomed.
Port of San Francisco officials have recommended that the five-member port commission reject berthing the Iowa in the city for a number of reasons, including the fact that Wong's group, Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, hasn't raised any money.
(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...
Screw SF. Those goons do not deserve ANY military ANYTHING. Let the city die, like it is, and then let dead liberal inner city rehab take place.
Surely, there must be some city in the US to take the "Iowa" and give it a good home? Tampa, perhaps? Wilmington, NC? Savannah, GA?
Hell, even Massachusetts took "Big Mamie" home with "Battleship Cove" in Fall River, MA!
How stupid do they think we are to swallow this tripe? No true Iowa backer or veteran would have proposed this.
How about Holland, Michigan
Leave the Iowa right where she is for now. It would be a humiliation to berth her in San Francisco.
Send the Iowa to San Diego. Put it near the Midway. It will be appreciated there.
Ya know, I was thinking about Michigan.....If it can get down here, why not detroit, holland, or somewhere here?
Ick! It's not worth it.
But Iowa backers persisted and tried to win over support by offering to use a portion of the historic ship as a museum for the military's don't-ask-don't-tell policy on gays and lesbians.
Appeasement never works, unconditional surrender is better.
The Iowa and those like her, and the brave men that sailed her are why you weren't all round up and killed in concentration camps....
I know its impossible for you low intellect, mentally deranged folks to comprehend, but you show once again, you aren't "like everyone else".. but a bunch of self absorbed bohemians who are not ever to be taken seriously.
The battle over the Iowa appears to be between the San Joaquin County city of Stockton -- which would welcome it with open arms and plans to donate a dock, a 90,000-square-foot warehouse and 15 acres of parking to the ship -- and San Francisco.
Agreed, the last think I would want to see is this old gal have to dedicate one inch of her noble body to poofer PC nonsense.
Davenport IA...
She would look right nice next to the Intrepid over at Pier 86 in Manhattan...
"Ya know, I was thinking about Michigan.....If it can get down here, why not detroit, holland, or somewhere here?"
Can we get it down the Huron river to Ann Arbor? Or the Grand River to East Lansing? I'd love to see the libs have something to yell about, as it might break up their mantra of "Bush Sucks".
Proposed sign over gay/lesbo museum: "Friggin' in the Riggin'."
Weeeellllllllll...........If we park it at Belle Isle in detroit, it would basically have the same effect of driving libs crazy.........I like it!!!!
The big one, though, is where the money is going to come from to pay for the mooring fees.
Port of San Francisco officials have recommended that the five-member port commission reject berthing the Iowa in the city for a number of reasons, including the fact that Wong's group, Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square, hasn't raised any money.
Seriously, where are they gonna dock this thing? This is NOT a small ship.
It's not too late for San Francisco.
If they really want to demonstrate to the world that they're serious about their anti-war views, it's only necessary that the City Council pass a law mandating that all residents must henceforth speak Japanese. Then they can require all females to serve as Comfort Women, at the beck and call of anyone who wants them, and all males to serve as slave labor, laying railroad tracks in Thailand. Those who are not fit for slave labor on the rails may accept the option of walking barefoot from Corregidor to Manila, as long as they agree to death by bayonet if they fail to keep the pace. Rations for all will be set at one bowl of rice per day, and all who refuse to comply without reservation will be immediately and summarily beheaded.
Oh, how the world will cheer the brave people of San Francisco! And then (and ONLY then) will we believe their views can stand up to scrutiny; otherwise, of course, we'll be forced to consider the whole bunch of 'em full of bullchips.
The Growler is still there. The Concorde is not as big as you think it is.
Bring the Iowa down to Houston 
where we know how to honor old warriors...
I enjoy visiting both the USS Hornet and the USS Pampanito. I think that one reason the Pampanito does so well is all of the tourists who are already there. The Hornet is a great ship in a very out-of-the-way location. Nobody just wanders up to the Hornet and decides to take a tour. Just getting there takes pre-planning and a map.
Good idea.
Forget the Great Lakes or the Mississippi River locations. Iowa's draft is too deep. She also too wide to get through the Welland Canal from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie.
Unconditional surrender is just appeasement without the base alloy of hypocrisy.
Any idea how the Soviets got that submarine into the Great Lakes?
Through the Sanitary Canal in Chicago ?
Docking the Iowa in San Francisco?
I thought it was SOP to scuttle a ship before letting it fall into the hands of the enemy. ;)
LOL, The Iowa and the North Carolina, together again!
Wilmington would have bookends!
Good one! I hadn't thought of that! That would be very dramatic though, ay?
Or Corpus Christi Bay with the Lexington.
That would take a whole lot of little wheels.
Regarding a Houston berth.
I concur. Bring her in and we will treat her right.
FWIW, visiting the steel behometh, North Carolina, is one of my favorite things to do on visits to Wilmington. I couldn't tell you how many times I've walked the decks.
Good for you! It is a great ship.
Aye. I visited her last summer.
The Confederate Navy? (ala the pre-PC Confederate Air Force)
I don't know, but I certainly hope that Stockton gets it. They've been doing a lot of work over the past decade to revitalize their waterfront and downtown areas, and they want to make the ship a centerpiece to draw in tourists and to help reconnect the city with its port roots. They WANT the ship, they have the money and the political will for it, and they don't have to dredge anything to moor the ship.
On the other hand, it will be a little odd to have a battleship moored in the middle of the flat, dry Central Valley. Most people don't even realize that a deepwater port EXISTS here.
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