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July 23rd Photos Page |
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What a day this turned out to be... It started out great, I had an uneventful trip up from Virginia and was onboard by 0900 hrs. Shortly thereafter I was down below working in the ring outside the barbette of Turret #2 getting brass in that area shined up and ready for visitors. I took a short break for lunch around 1300 hrs and then it was back down below until I heard the bells ring 1800 hrs. That was the time I told myself I would be heading home so I packed up my gear and headed towards the machine shop area located on Deck 2 to take a few more photos of that area for a former crewman. After taking the photos I hit the mess deck for a soda and then went topside to head back to our shop and drop off my stuff. As I approached the aft brow my day took a drastic turn... From one of the guys there I learned that Joe Moran, a long time volunteer onboard and leader of the ships award winning overnight encampment program, had suffered a massive heart attack and died earlier that afternoon. I knew that Joe, affectionately known to the crew as "Buff", had been dealing with medical issues, although to be honest I didn't know any real details. I also knew it had been a few weeks since I'd seen him onboard, but I was shocked at the news of his passing. As I walked away from the person who shared this news with me I was dazed, and thought back to the last time I had seen Joe. It had been several weeks ago as I was leaving the ship, we had talked briefly about my new car and the reason for the specialty tags I have on it. Then, with his always ready smile he shook my hand and wished me a safe trip home, something he had done dozens of times before. As I turned to leave I said thanks and "I'll see you next time", something I say every week when departing the ship. Now the tough thing to face is that there won't be a next time, that was the last time, and now I'm left with so many things I wish I would have said... Joe was a great guy and I looked forward to talking with him before heading home each Saturday. I would regularly stop by his office off the quarterdeck and say hey and hear what was going on, he always had time to talk to me and share a story or a joke. I didn't really work with Joe, but to a person those I know who did loved Joe, and would do anything for him. He was a natural leader and his can do attitude was contagious. Saying he will be missed just seems so inadequate, but for me and so many of his other shpmates, that is the painful reality we now face. Fair Winds and Following Seas Buff, I'm proud to have been your shipmate and friend, Rest in Peace.
A viewing is planned for 0900 hrs - 1000 hrs this coming Friday at St. Albert the Great, located at 214 Welsh Rd., Huntington Valley PA. Everyone is also invited to a luncheon immediately afterwards at the Ashburner Inn, located at 8400 Torresdale Ave. in Philadelphia. Unfortunately I won't be able to attend this service, but it's my understanding there are also plans in the works for a memorial service on the ship sometime in the near future, I hope to be able to attend that service. For additional information about these services I suggest you contact Dan or Pat in the Volunteer office.
The first two photos below are of Buff in happier times. The first is from September 13, 2009 when he hosted the first group of Navy Chief Selectees onboard. The photo was taken near the end of the day with a large group of the Selectees and their Mentors on the Forecastle. True to form Joe was low key, smiling and hanging out in the background reveling in the days events. I was there because he had asked me if some of the Chief Selectees could spend some time working with the Brass Team as part of their volunteer day and we put them to work polishing brass throughout the ship. I think this was a Red Letter Day for Joe, it was the culmination of something he had worked on for a long time and I could tell he was charged up when it became a reality. The Chiefs returned again last year and I hope they continue the tradition this year because it was something Joe felt very strongly about. The second photo was taken last fall after the ships encampment program was presented an HNSA Achievement Award. There he is with many of his team celebrating their achievements, and he would be the first to tell you that it was a team effort, and typically play down his role in the whole thing.
The next few photos are of a bunch of new 16-inch projectiles that have just arrived and the rest are of my trip from the bottom of Turret #2 up to and around the machine shop areas on Deck 2. These go out to Bill, a former crewman from 1988 - 1991 who asked me to snap some photos in and around the shop areas where he once worked. Hope you like the pics Bill. I've made the trip the last three Saturdays in a row so I won't be onboard this Saturday. My next volunteer day will be August 6th, hoping to see a good turnout from the Brass Team then! |
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| September 13, 2009 |
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| Fall 2010 |
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On my way to the ship
this morning I encountered a convey of well over 100 bikes heading north on Route 95. I snapped this photo out the window of my car as I passed them by. I'm not sure where they were heading, but it was a cool site to see. |
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These 16" shells were
delivered last weekend. They will be cleaned up and painted in the coming month or so and then they will be moved onboard to be displayed in Turret #2. |
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These will look great
once they are painted up and in place in Turret #2, but getting them there is going to be quite the challenge. We'll need to rig and load them the same way shells were loaded when the ship was in service. These shells weigh the same as the real thing. and getting them onboard will be a job for sure! |
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A close up of the nose
of one of the shells showing a manufacturing date of 1945. |
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A shot of the area
where I worked today. This is a narrow passageway that runs 360 degrees around the outside of the barbette. It serves an isolation area between the powder flat area of the Turret and the Powder Magazines. There is a lot of brass in this area too, and with a fresh coat of paint it's looking good. |
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At 1800 hrs I was on my
way to the shop area, snapping this shot inside the barbette as I passed through. |
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Another shot showing
the powder elevator for the right gun, along with two powder scuttles and immersion tanks. |
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Here we see the powder
elevator for the left gun, along with a couple more powder scuttles and immersion tanks. It looks so good down here now it's hard for me to walk through this area without taking pictures. The transformation that has taken place in just 4 months is unbelievable, and the Brass Team is proud to have played a part. |
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Up from the Powder
Flats, here we are in Forward Main Battery Plot. This radar repeater was recently grabbed during a ships raid, by members of the ships Radio Club. It came from the USS Forest Sherman, and after a good cleaning up, it's been mounted here and looks like it's been there forever! |
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While the Brass Team
has focused much of our efforts in the Powder Flat areas of the Turret, the Radio Club has focused on getting equipment in Forward Main Battery Plot and the gun house of the turret itself working, and they've done a great job! This is another area that has changed so much recently that a few more shots are definitely warranted. |
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| Forward Main Battery Plot Photo #2. |
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Close-up shot of one of
the coolest portholes on the ship. It is located down on deck 4 between the Main Battery and Secondary Plot areas, the workmanship on this thing is amazing! |
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Continuing to pan to
the right showing other refurbished equipment looking like its ready to go. |
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Last shot showing the
wall of various controls, with lights illuminated and the decommissioning tags and parts envelopes removed so everything looks operational. |
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OK, now we've left
Forward Main Battery Plot and climbed up two ladders to Deck 2. We're in the Starboard side passageway heading aft towards the machine shop spaces. Here we have just passed the dentist's office where this piece of artwork still remains on the bulkhead. |
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A little further aft we
pass by a cross-over to the right where the Post Office is located. The hatch visible on the left leads down to Engine Room #1. |
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Now we're passing
through some crew berthing spaces. Here is a fire fighting station display that was detailed by members of the Brass Team a while ago when the City at Sea Tour Route opened, it still looks great! Is any of this looking familiar Bill, we're just about to the shop spaces? |
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Now we've turned the
corner into the cross-over that leads into the machine Shop. |
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| A close-up of some equipment we pass along the way. |
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| This armored hatch leads down to Engine Room #2. |
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Now we're in the main
space of the Machine Shop looking aft towards the DC Power Shop just through the hatch ahead. |
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| Here we are in the DC Power Shop. |
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This entrance into the
H&T shop has been covered with a sheet of plexiglas so visitors can look through and see the shop area, which by the way is used regularly by ships maintenance personnel. These areas are also currently open to visitors who take the City at Sea tour of the ship. |
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Here we are at the far
end of the DC Power Shop looking back from where we just entered. |
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Panning to the left
here is the media blaster (which we are currently in search of a motor for so we can get it up and running) and a large oven that was used for refurbishing DC motors. |
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Last shot another piece
of equipment in the DC Shop, don't know what it was used for... |
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Outside the DC Power
Shop now in the cross-over leading to the other entrance to the H&T Shop. |
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Here is the other door
into the H&T Shop. The large armored hatch to the right leads down to Engine Room #3. |
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| Another shot of the entrance to the H&T Shop. |
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A shot inside the shop.
Here you can see the other side of the hatch which has the plexiglas covering it. |
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Here we are looking aft
down the portside passageway, the door visible on the right leads into the Sail Locker. |
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Here we've passed
through hatch with the braided rope in the photo above. Looking to the left we see this door, which if I read your e-mail correctly was the shop area where you worked. I don't think I've ever seen inside this space though so this is as close as I can get for you. |
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Now we've moved further
aft and have arrived at the Steam Heat Filter Shop. Love that sign! |
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Last shot, looking
forward in the port side passageway back the way we just came. From here I'm heading to the Geedunk for a soda and heading home. Hope you enjoyed the photos Bill, and that you get a chance to visit the ship yourself one day real soon. |
