Battleship USS Alabama

We're on the MS coast now with Yiayia and Papou. We went to Mobile, AL today to see the USS Alabama at Battleship Memorial Park.

The USS ALABAMA saw 37 months of active duty during World War II, earning nine Battle Stars. The “Mighty A” as she came to be known, safely carried her crew throughout the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean campaigns, and never suffered any casualties or significant damage due to enemy fire.

Displacing more than 44,500 tons, the USS ALABAMA measures 680 feet from stem to stern, half as long as the Empire State Building is tall. Armed with nine, 16-inch guns in three turrets and 20, 5-inch, .38-caliber guns in 10 twin mounts, her main batteries could fire shells as heavy as a small car accurately for a distance of more than 20 miles. Her four propellers, each weighing more than 18 tons, could drive her through the seas at up to 28 knots, more than 32 miles per hour.

Trying out the sleeping quarters.

Ship barber shop.

Old photography gear.

It was so, so hot today and humid is an understatement. The ship didn't have much air conditioning, but we found this one spot where it was blowing straight down. Ben loved it. Ben also learned to drink from a water fountain today. It was necessary, so I was glad he figured it out. Very cute.

A view of the USS Drum and the Atlantic Marine shipyard. The USS DRUM (SS-228) is the oldest American submarine on display in the world.

Battleship Memorial Park also has an aircraft collection from Pre-W.W.II to the Cold War era.

Vietnam War era CIA A-12 - precursor to SR-71 Blackbird

Sam was super excited and didn't sleep a wink on the way there, but he did manage to catch a few winks on the way home.

We timed it (and got lucky) so that Ben would nap on the way there and on the way home. He did awesome and had a great time exploring.