home | welcome | news & events | parks | customer service | contacts | brochure | jobs | register online!
programs, classes, & activities | recreation centers & facilities | inside oakland | rental facilities | request a facility 
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
News & Events
|
home > parks & recreation > news & events >
Historic Warship Heads to San Diego Posted in the Oakland Tribune on Thursday, January 01, 2004 By Kristin Bender, Staff Writer USS Midway, a 1,000 Foot Aircraft Carrier Oakland ~ Every day this week Al Dagsaan drove from his Vallejo home to the Oakland waterfront hoping to capture a glimpse -- and a few photographs -- of history. The USS Midway, the 1,000-foot-long aircraft carrier he served on from 1975 to 1979, had undergone a massive facelift at the Charles P. Howard Terminal this fall and was ready to head to San Diego to open as a floating museum. But every day there were delays -- delays because of a tow wench problem, delays due to weather conditions, delays because of the delays. On Wednesday morning, Dagsaan was back at the terminal, camera in hand, smile on his face, anxiousness in his eyes. "I came here every day," said the 49-year-old. "I wouldn't miss this. This ship brings back a lot of memories. We served a lot of time at sea. I took a picture of my old bunk, it was (emotional) for me." Under gray skies Wednesday, the USS Midway finally got under way. "It's a historic moment," said Dave Adams, chief wharfinger at the port. "There are a lot of people who have some relationship to this vessel." Soon many more will know the Midway, a storied 61,000-ton vessel that served in the Vietnam War, the Persian Gulf War and patrolled the Mediterranean Sea during the Korean War. The ship's owners, the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, will open the ship as a museum in April. While in Oakland, the ship underwent a multi-million renovation, including a 2,000-gallon paint job and interior upgrades to make it safe for visitors. The Midway was constructed during World War II and took to the sea in 1945 shortly after Japan surrendered. It was named after a battle in the North Pacific, which the U.S. won and historians credit as a turning point in the war. In its heyday, the Midway carried roughly 100 planes and 4,500 crew members. Throughout its career in the military, the ship was home to more than 200,000 American military people, said wharfinger Chris Peterson. The Midway is being towed the nearly 600 miles to San Diego by the Corbin Foss, an 8,200-horsepower tug from Seattle. Three 90-foot chains and a 100-foot catenary attached to the 150-foot-long tug will pull the ship to San Diego's North Island. There, the Midway will take on restored aircraft for museum displays. Its final home will be Navy Pier in the city's downtown. The tug travels at 5.5 knots and burns 8,000 gallons of fuel per day pulling the ship. It is expected to arrive in San Diego around 8:00 a.m. Monday, said Captain Todd Wilson. The Oakland Tribune: Cityside
Oakland Tribune: General Contact Information
401 13th Street
|
Related links: - Oakland Tribune |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||
