Battleship Memorial Park

Battleship Memorial Park
Battleship Memorial Park
	USS Alabama in Battleship Memorial Park in 2008
Location	Mobile, Alabama, United States
Coordinates	30°40′54″N 88°00′53″W / 30.68178°N 88.01479°W
Founded	January 9, 1965
Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage
Official name	Battleship Alabama Memorial Park
Designated	October 28, 1977
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Official name	USS ALABAMA (battleship)
Designated	January 14, 1986
Reference no.	86000083
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Official name	USS DRUM (submarine)
Designated	January 14, 1986
Reference no.	86000086
	Location of Battleship Memorial Park in Alabama Battleship Memorial Park (the United States)

Battleship Memorial Park is a military history park and museum on the western shore of Mobile Bay in Mobile, Alabama. Its notable aircraft and museum ships include the South Dakota-class battleship USS Alabama and Gato-class submarine USS Drum. Alabama and Drum are National Historic Landmarks; the park as a whole was listed on the Alabama Register of Landmarks and Heritage on October 28, 1977.^[1]

History

In May 1962, USS Alabama had been ordered scrapped along with her South Dakota-class sister ships, USS South Dakota, USS Indiana, and USS Massachusetts.^[4] Citizens of the state of Alabama had formed the "USS Alabama Battleship Commission" to raise funds for the preservation of Alabama as a memorial to the men and women who served in World War II. Alabama's school children raised about $100,000 in nickels and dimes from lunch money and allowances to help the cause.^[4] The ship was awarded to the state on June 16, 1964, and was formally turned over on July 7, 1964 in ceremonies at Seattle, Washington. Alabama was then towed to her permanent berth at Mobile, Alabama, arriving in Mobile Bay on September 14, 1964, and opening as a museum ship on January 9, 1965.^[4]

Alabama was joined in 1969 by USS Drum, a World War II Gato-class submarine, which was moored behind her until 2001, when the submarine was moved onto land for preservation in a permanent display.^[5]

In 2003, a replica of a Confederate submarine that was built in Mobile, CSS H. L. Hunley, was moved to the park.^[6]

Hurricane Katrina caused more than $7 million in damage to Battleship Memorial Park on August 29, 2005.^[4] It almost completely destroyed the aircraft pavilion. It shifted Alabama at anchorage and gave her an eight-degree list to port.^[7] Repairs closed the park until January 9, 2006.^[8]

Features

The World War II-era battleship USS Alabama (BB-60).
The World War II era submarine USS Drum (SS-228).
Bombers and fighter planes ranging from a B-52 from the Vietnam War, a P-51 Mustang flown by the Tuskegee Airmen to an Lockheed A-12 spyplane.
A PBR (River Patrol Boat) used in the Vietnam War.
Military equipment ranging from items such as a M51 Skysweeper anti-aircraft gun to a M4 Sherman tank.
A Redstone MRBM (medium range ballistic missile).
Korean War Memorial
Vietnam War Memorial

Medal of Honor Aircraft Pavilion

Up to World War II^[9]

Boeing-Stearman Model 75
Douglas C-47D Skytrain 4076326
Grumman Goose II
North American B-25J Mitchell 20NC44310004
North American P-51D Mustang 4474216
Vought OS2U Kingfisher BU0951

Korean War era^[9]

Vietnam War era^[9]

Douglas A-4C Skyhawk 147787
Grumman A-6 Intruder 151626
McDonnell Douglas F-4C Phantom II 637487
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17A Red87
Republic F-105B-IRE Thunderchief 540102
Vought RF-8A Crusader 145645

Cold War^[9]

Bell VH-1N Huey 158551
Boeing B-52D Stratofortress 55071
General Dynamics F-16A (GF) Fighting Falcon
Grumman F-14A+ Tomcat
Kaman SH-2F Seasprite
Lockheed A-12 606938
McDonnell Douglas F-15A Eagle 75045
Northrop YF-17 1002 201570
McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet 162417
PGM-11 Redstone SRBM

Coast Guard^[9]

Events

The 2001 USA Cross Country Championships were held at a cross country running course in the park.^[10]

Political events have not been allowed at the venue since 2012.^[11]

Administration

The park is owned by the state of Alabama and is run by an independent government agency, the USS Alabama Battleship Commission. The commission consists of 18 members appointed by the Alabama governor. It has oversight of all operations at the park.^[12]

Gallery

Scenes within the park

Entrance with F-4 Phantom
USS Drum moored behind USS Alabama in 1994
USS Alabama's forward guns and deck in 2008
A-12 Oxcart on display in 1994, before construction of the first aircraft pavilion
Type 69-II main battle tank from Iraq

References

^ ^a ^b "Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". Alabama Historical Commission. www.preserveala.org. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2012.
^ "USS Alabama (Battleship)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
^ "USS DRUM (Submarine)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 11, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2007.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "About The Park". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
^ "A History of the USS Drum (SS 228)". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
^ http://www.hunleystore.com/Newsletter_66-notes/Newletter_66.htm#Hunley Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine replica
^ "Navy Ships and Hurricane Katrina". Murdoc Online. September 3, 2005. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.
^ "Battleship Memorial Park, USS Alabama". Gulf Coast Information Systems. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2009.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e "Aircraft". USS Alabama. Retrieved October 26, 2023.
^ "USATF - Events - 2001 USA Fall Cross Country Championships - Results".
^ Porter, Tom; Dorman, John L. (June 30, 2021). "Trump had to cancel a July 4 weekend rally at an Alabama military memorial park after the venue backed out". Business Insider. Retrieved July 6, 2021.
^ "USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Commissioners". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.

External links

[alregister-1] "Properties on the Alabama Register of Landmarks & Heritage". Alabama Historical Commission. www.preserveala.org. Archived from the original on September 4, 2012. Retrieved October 25, 2012.

[nhlsumALABAMA-2] "USS Alabama (Battleship)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved October 27, 2007.

[nhlsumDRUM-3] "USS DRUM (Submarine)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on January 11, 2008. Retrieved October 27, 2007.

[42years-4] "About The Park". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on July 27, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.

[Drum-5] "A History of the USS Drum (SS 228)". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on August 3, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.

[6] ttp://www.hunleystore.com/Newsletter_66-notes/Newletter_66.htm#Hunley Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine replica

[MURDX-7] "Navy Ships and Hurricane Katrina". Murdoc Online. September 3, 2005. Archived from the original on November 16, 2007. Retrieved November 5, 2007.

[KAT-8] "Battleship Memorial Park, USS Alabama". Gulf Coast Information Systems. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved July 5, 2009.

[Aircraft-9] "Aircraft". USS Alabama. Retrieved October 26, 2023.

[10] "USATF - Events - 2001 USA Fall Cross Country Championships - Results".

[11] Porter, Tom; Dorman, John L. (June 30, 2021). "Trump had to cancel a July 4 weekend rally at an Alabama military memorial park after the venue backed out". Business Insider. Retrieved July 6, 2021.

[COMMISSION-12] "USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Commissioners". USS Alabama Battleship Commission. Archived from the original on June 30, 2009. Retrieved July 5, 2009.

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