Our state politicians have created a "U.S.S. South Dakota Day of Honor" event now for August 12 (supposedly something official happened with BB-57 that day). One of the local TV stations ran it as their lead story last night. I found the 98-year old sailor of BB-57 (he probably came on board the ship in later 1944 given his age) telling of some of the events he witnessed in 1945 pretty interesting. The man is so lucid and it was great to see his ability to attend the ceremony. Almost none of those guys left.

https://www.dakotanewsnow.com/2023/...dakota-day-honor-celebrated-sioux-falls/

There were 10 U.S. battleships completed either on the eve of WWII or during the war; 2 of the North Carolina class, 4 of the South Dakota class, and 4 of the Iowa class. All carried 9-16 inch guns in 3 turrets, 20-5 inch guns in dual mounts, and lots and lots of 40mm (quad mounts) and 20 mm anti-aircraft guns. 7 of these ships remain as museums or memorials: North Carolina, Massachusetts and Alabama (both South Dakota class), and all of the Iowa class. I have been on board the North Carolina when I was a kid and have taken pictures of the Massachusetts and Missouri from a far. Its neat to see these classic ships still exist!

I think every school kid of my age made the trip to Mobile to visit the USS Alabama. The Lucky A is a mighty fine ship, she and her sisters and the men who crewed them are indeed the greatest generation.

Totally agree...

amen

I was on the North Carolina for "Battleship Alive" I could have spent a week on the ship. Im convinced that men were smarter back then considering it was designed with T squares and Triangles and slide rules. Not a wasted space in there.

I toured the Missouri a couple months ago. It was neat to see!

On my bucket list

On the Alabama they've converted many of the AA guns to propane and each year this month they get reenactors and any of the old crew that will plus some old warbirds to reenact air action.

I haven't been but dearly want to.

BTW, drachfinel channel on YouTube. Big naval history Channel out of the UK and he's made several US tours to do visits to our museum ships and he gets access to many areas not normally on the tour.

I read where youngest person to ever serve in WW2 was 12 yrs old and served on the US SD. His brother enlisted at 15! The 12 yr old was caught when dentists ckd teeth and discovered he didn't have 12 molars yet. But he'd already been to quadacanal and fought! They threw him in prison and his sister had to get congressmen to help him out.

The ships are interesting, and yes we are losing those vets rapidly I hadn’t thought about ww1 vets until this thread and looked the last U.S. vet was 110 in 2010 when he died and the last I could find was in 2012.

Those men were frrom a different Generation and were tough and very Patriotic. What we have now a days is well we all know what the military has become. WOKE and BROKE!!!

Those men were frrom a different Generation and were tough and very Patriotic. What we have now a days is well we all know what the military has become. WOKE and BROKE!!!