Studes in Roadside Americana photos

[Commander Eddie]

One of those ships came through the Panama Canal in about 1972 headed for Vietnam. She limped back through about 3 months later after a huge explosion in one of her amo magazines. I don't remember how many sailors were killed. Very sad.

[skyway]

I seem to remember that those ships were sized as large (both length and width) as possible but still "fit" through the Panama Canal.

[Commander Eddie]

I seem to remember that those ships were sized as large (both length and width) as possible but still "fit" through the Panama Canal.

Correct. The canal was able to accommodate our largest battle ships of the day. I believe it could even handle WWII era carriers. The new canal is able to handle pretty much any ship.
Watching a WWII era battleship go through the old locks was pretty impressive.

[Skip Lackie]

The USS New Jersey passed through Pearl Harbor in 1968 while I was working there. At the time, it was the only operational battleship in the world. Something like 20% of all of the active-duty enlisted men in the Navy volunteered to serve aboard her after the Navy announced she would be re-activated. I ran into many of them in Honolulu and they were all extremely proud that they had been selected to serve aboard her. Ronald Reagan reactivated all four Iowa-class battleships again in the 1980s and sent them around the world as displays of power. They are extremely impressive vessels, but extraordinarily expensive to operate. They were retired again in 1990-92.

Two others were unfinished at the end of the War and were scrapped: Illinois (BB-65) and Kentucky (BB-66).

[Commander Eddie]

I think it was the New Jersey that came through the canal in '72.

[BRUCESTUDE]

Richland, WA:

[Commander Eddie]

Bruce, I do believe that may be the same bridge that is still there. It looks familiar.

[tstoj38]

......................

[BRUCESTUDE]

Bruce, I do believe that may be the same bridge that is still there. It looks familiar.

Not sure Ed, but I believe the road has been widened/freeway-ized in the last decade or so. There are a lot of bridges down there so you could be right...

[WinM1895]

The canal was able to accommodate our largest battleships of the day (with one exception).

I believe it could even handle WWII era carriers. The new canal is able to handle pretty much any ship.

Watching a WWII era battleship go through the old locks was pretty impressive.

After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the battleship USS Tennessee was fitted with torpedo bulges. It was then so wide that it wouldn't fit thru the Panama Canal.

After WWII ended, the Tennessee that had been serving in the PTO had to steam west through the Suez Canal to return to the US

My uncle served 3 years (1942/45) on the Tennessee as a corpsman.

The USS New Jersey (BB:62) is an Iowa class battleship and is now berthed in Camden NJ as a museum ship. The other three Iowas are also museum ships.

USS Missouri (BB:63) Pearl Harbor .. USS Wisconsin (BB:64) Hampton VA

Pic: USS Iowa (BB:61) berthed in Los Angeles (San Pedro) Harbor as a museum ship.

[BobPalma]

From the March 15, 2018 Hemmings Daily Blog:

[studegary]

#9971 -
The newest car that I noticed is a 1953. What was the "Welcome Home" for?

[BobPalma]

#9971 -
The newest car that I noticed is a 1953. What was the "Welcome Home" for?

'Beats me, Gary; here's all the information presented:

Date: circa 1950s
Location: Lopez, Pennsylvania
Source: Sullivan County Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, via Ron Dawson

BP

[studegary]

'Beats me, Gary; here's all the information presented:

Date: circa 1950s
Location: Lopez, Pennsylvania
Source: Sullivan County Historical Society Of Pennsylvania, via Ron Dawson

BP

Perhaps from the Korean War or it could have just been for some important individual.

[BRUCESTUDE]

From The Old Motor: