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Efforts to Preserve the USS CHARLES F ADAMS 19 years 1 month ago #16110
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Efforts to Preserve the USS CHARLES F ADAMS 19 years 1 month ago #16118
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Efforts to Preserve the USS CHARLES F ADAMS 19 years 1 week ago #16128
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Re Saving an Adams Class Destroyer
I finally got around to remitting the pricely sum of $20 each as a Cochrane and McCormick (DDG-  shipmate to the association--see my post on other forum item on this topic. Below is an update from the preservation group. Sorry if it is old news. Can't any of you Old Salts pungle up some drinking change for this worthwhile effort??? It's ironic that in my old age (62) I have sentiment for the old hulls. During my tenure, my lack of enthusiasm was pretty large. I still believe the hulls were meant to be expendable, so there is more irony in trying to preserve one. Even the Germans have kicked in a Euro or two on their hulls.Paul, '65-'67 ___________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Adams Class Veterans Association, Inc. (ACVA). There have been several groups take a shot at saving various Adams Class ships since the Adams Class ships started heading to the mothball fleet. This included bringing back one of the ships given to the Greek Navy. There was also talk about getting one of the three German Navy ships which were built new for them by the same yards that built the US ships. The group that seemed to get closer that any other was the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum (SVNSM) who wanted to take the Adams to Bay City, Michigan. They actually submitted an application to NAVSEA. NAVSEA has control of all the WAR SHIPS in storage. That means classes like DD, DDG, CG, BB, SSN, CVA, etc. Another group, MARAD, has control of Cargo Ships, Oilers, Tenders, Troop Transports, etc. NAVSEA maintains a special list of ships called Donation Hold. There are currently 10 ships on this list, including the Adams. www.navsea.navy.mil/ndp/shipHold.asp?txtSearch=&txtPage=1 A ship in storage must be on this special list before groups like ACVA can submit an application to acquire her for use as a Memorial & Museum Ship. Ships on this list remain there as long as interested groups can show NAVSEA genuine progress in their efforts to find a suitable home and the necessary funding for the requested ship. Ships are taken off this list and new ones added almost yearly. In late 2003 the SVNSM submitted their application to NAVSEA for the ADAMS. About two weeks later they canceled that application and headed in a new direction. The USS EDSON DD-946 was being released by the USS INTREPID Museum in NY City and the SVNSM shifted all efforts to that ship. Their thinking here was that the Edson was in better shape than Adams and they are correct. Fact is, the Intrepid Museum was required to make major hull repairs to Edson before NAVSEA would take her back. Remember this, 90% of US Navy ships on display as Memorial & Museum Ships are still the property of the US Navy. They are just on loan to groups like ACVA. Within three months of SVNSM backing out on Adams, our present group, ACVA, was formed. We have an Executive Board consisting of eight (9) members. We have what we call Ship Reps from all 23 US Navy Adams Class Ships. We no not charge dues at this time but do accept donations. We are incorporated in the state of Calif. because that is where our Treasures lives. We are in the process of applying for nonprofit status with the IRS. We also have a set of By Laws. We have come a long way since January of 2004 but still have many miles of open water to cross before Adams reaches her final home. Current efforts are aimed at the Tampa/St. Petersburg area in Florida. We are interested in any items anyone has from the Adams Class Ships. When the time comes and we have a place to safely store them, we will be looking for movie film, still pictures, cruise books, uniforms, training manuals, items liberated from the ships, personal stories and above all people to get their hands dirty. I hate to use the term "Working Party" but groups like ACVA are the backbone of all Memorial and Museum Ships. Who better knows what color the tile was in After Berthing, the proper gear for the IC Room or a million and one others thing that only an Adams Class Sailor would know about our class of DDGs. To get a good look at what ACVA would do on the Adams go to the USS JOSEPH P. KENNEDY DD-850 site. www.ussjpkennedyjr.org/jpkvol.html There are two and only two Adams Class DDGs left in the US. The USS ADAMS DDG-2 and the USS BARNEY DDG-6. As I said before, Adams is on Donation Hold. The Barney is pretty much a stripped ship and was recently moved to the scrapping pier at Metro Machine in Philadelphia. Barney was our last chance to get genuine Adams Class parts and fittings for repair or replacement if we are successful in saving Adams. We have talked with several cities and museum groups about a final home for Adams without any success. Our cuttent efforts to find a final home are centered on the Tampa and St. Petersburg areas in Florida. We have a team there headed by Jim Adlrich a former Adams Class officer. He has two retired sub Admirals also in the area who have been trying to open doors for him and assist in making the proper contacts with local government and community officials. A local group with available pier space has shown a lot of interest in our project and conversations with local city officials have taken place. Other groups such as the local Navy League, Naval Academy Alumni and Propeller Club (Coast Guard) have shown interest in our project. We hope to sign an agreement in the next few weeks for a site survey of the proposed berthing location and possible visit to the Adams in Philadelphia by the group with the pier space. As you can imagine, this effort to save Adams is not an easy or cheap task to accomplish. The proposed site survey by a well known and respected Marine Surveyor and Consultant will run about $5,250.00. For this same person to conduct the visit and survey update of Adams in Philadelphia we are looking at another $2,250.00. In late July of this year, NAVSEA gave us a deadline of October 1 to submit an update of our progress and future plans for saving Adams. As you can see, time is not on our side. We are moving forward and believe we will meet the deadline set by NAVSEA for submitting the necessary updates and future plans. As I said before, we currently have no dues, but will accept donation checks. Those donating $25 or more will be assigned an “ACVA Plank-Owner” number. Donations can be mailed to our Executive Secretary: Dave F. Myerly Executive Secretary ACVA, Inc. 5 Bush Road Denville, New Jersey 07834-2906 Please visit these sites for more information: USS CHARLES F. ADAMS DDG-2 www.bozair.com/adamsmen/DDG2.html ADAMS CLASS VETERANS ASSOCIATION, INC. www.adamsclassddgvets.org OLD SITE FOR CHARLES F. ADAMS CLASS DDG CONFEDERATION www.charlesfadams.com/ This is an older group but the site contains a lot of valuable information. Our thanks to Rick Bennett of the USS WADDELL DDG-24 and Len Gordon of the USS CONYNGHAM DDG-17 for their efforts. YAHOO SITE FOR ACVA groups.yahoo.com/group/Adams_Class_DDG_Veterans_Association/ EZ BOARD SITE FOR ACVA b8.ezboard.com/badamsclassveteransassociation We are looking for "FREE" legal advice, not from "SEA LAWYERS" but the real ones. Questions or comments can be sent to me by email or you may call me at 623-849-9526 (Phx,Az). I have only one line and I use a dial up so if you get the fax tone or no answer, try again later, if I am not home I do have an answering machine. We welcome our members to spread the word about us and our final goal of saving the last US Navy, Adams Class DDG. Tom Crosser, EM2 USS BUCHANAN DDG-14 1966-1968 President, Adams Class Veterans Association |
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