My family has a long history with Ingall’s (Now Northrup-Grumman). My brothers were there in the 60s building submarines. Can’t tell you how many cousins, nephews, friends, neighbors, etc. have or do work there.
I remember the Iowa well! I went to the recommissioning. My brother-in-law was stationed at Ingall’s until her retired from the Navy then work there for several years. He was amazed by the fine workmanship in the USS Iowa and the USS Wisconsin. Both were built mainly by women! Attended the USS Wisconsin recommissioning as well.
I guess I’ve lived a full life. I’ve seen the Shuttle piggy-back on a 747 and a mighty Battle Ship stem to stern.
Love the USS Alabama museum and park. Did you know Hurricane Katrina cause an 8 degree list in Alabama?
Hell, I was there building subs in the 60’s. The last conventional sub was built there, at the same time they were working on four nucelar subs. The Barb, the Dace, and two others I don't recall the names, one of them might have been the Sculpin. I can't even remember the name of the last conventional sub! I do remember the nuclear subs were hull numbers 1063, 1064 or something like that.
We lived in Grand Bay and my dad used car pool with several other guys down and back every day. I worked in the pre-test lab at first and then over in the nondestructive testing.
My brother was there with Shook and Fletcher doing insulation.
I also did some time at ADDSCO in Mobile. They were coverting the Korean-era carrier Saipan into a floating command post for JFK. His death, the same day they launched the Marine Sulfur Queen, signaled the end of the Saipan project.
Ingall’s for a long time was building those oil rigs for the Gulf. Another pretty impressive site to see one of those bubbas sitting on dry land!
It seems to me like the ship that shot down that Iranian airliner back in the 80’s was built at Ingall’s. I know they built several of those type destroyers. Those were the last ships my dad worked on. He was like a fish out of water by the time, what will all the aluminum superstructure and everything.
Of course, Ingall’s claim to fame is the workers from there who claimed to have been abducted by aliens while fishing on the river in Pascagoula. They took a lot of kidding but my brother knew one of them and said he was never the same after that. He says whatever it was that happened to them it was real in their minds.
Ah, the good ol’ days when Ingall’s had three shifts working! The best boiled peanuts I ever ate in my life were sold by an old black woman right outside the gate, was that Market St. that ran east and west and dead-ended at the Ingall’s gate.
I spent a week in Pascagoula right after Katrina doing some freelance shooting work for a couple of outlets. Quite a sight, but it wasn't like they had never been through it before!
Thanks for memories! I'm gettin’ old and if I don't take them out for air once in awhile they get lost in the dust of the attic! PS Boy this post sure drove the spell checker wild!