USS Laffey in sinking condition at Patriot's Point, SC

[David M. Carpenter]

USS Laffey (The ship that would not die) has been in bad shape for a while. See the SOS page here.

http://laffey.org/index.htm

Apparently Patriot's Point is considering cutting back to Just USS Yorktown.

Dave

[acmack]

50 million needed to repair just the 4 boats! My $50 donation is gonna' look like a joke.
Maybe they could write to big corporations that would want to take this on as a PR thing? David

[David M. Carpenter]

David:

The 'big corporations' are as tapped out as well. This is a bad time to need emergency funds. From what I have heard, even communities that had corporate sponsorship for 4th of July fireworks displays/historic celebrations/etc. and that sort are getting the 'not this year' notices.

Your own Battleship Cove could use that $50 as well. Chris Nardi up there is a good guy that has been doing good things w/ Mass.

Dave

[oifvet23]

its a real shame, I work for Intrepid and we seem to be doing ok, but i hate to think about what hey will do with those ships if they down size

[David M. Carpenter]

Vet:

I know what you mean. I guess it is a good thing that you all got your yard period done when you did.

I would like to visit Intrepid one of these years. It is always a treat to visit another ship in the HNSA fleet.

The folks at PP have a lot of stuff on their plate in the short term. I hope that they are able to work it out.

Dave

[oifvet23]

Dave,
Do work for a HNSA ship, I see you have BB-55 in you signature block?

Alan

[David M. Carpenter]

Alan:

Work, no, but does 14 years of volunteer work on BB-55 count?

I am down in WIlmington about 6 weekends a year, or so


I have also volunteered w/ SS JOHN W. BROWN, but since the kids came, I haven't had the spare time to split between Wilmington and Baltimore, as I did. Hopefully, I can start back with her again.

Dave

[oifvet23]

Dave,
Of course it does Even though I am paid by intrepid I still give my time to other museums as well. I have never been to the North Carolina but I am planning on it real soon. I am currently building a 1/96 scale model of her and have to go down and get some detail pictures. Do you have any idea on how she is doing financially. I'd really hate to see something happen to her, the North Carolina and the New Jersey are my favorite ships but don't tell Intrepid that, it might hurt her feelings.

[David M. Carpenter]

Alan:

Being a lowly volunteer, I don't see the big figures, but I understand that we are in pretty good shape. We will have to go to the yard in the future, and there will be fundraising for that, but we are pretty good on the operational side.

I understand that New Jersey was taken over by the State due to the financial situation. She is fighting a bad location, visitor wise. You guys at Intrepid have a great location.

Are you looking to model her as built, late war configuration, or somewhere in between?

I am not a modeler, but as built would show the beauty of her design, with the anchor pocket forward, the 1.1's, and the .50 mounts. If I can help out with anything, please let me know.

Dave

[oifvet23]

Dave,
Yes I am modeling her as built, with the paint scheme she currently has. Maybe when I do get around to getting down to the North Carolina I could ask you to convince someone onboard in giving me the VIP tour and if your ever up this way I will do the same for you. About New Jersey, is that a new thing about the state taking over? I am a member of the museum and haven't heard anything like that, although I don't duabt it for a second. Camden is a real dump, and Im not sure it draws too much from Philly. Its a real shame because they have really worked hard and the ship looks great!

[David M. Carpenter]

Alan:

Arranging that would not be a problem. If I am not down that weekend, I can hand you off to one f the other guys.

Her current paint is Measure 32, which was first put on during the summer '44 refit at Puget. As built, she was in Measure 2. Measure 12 was applied fairly early in 1942. She was in Measure 12 until that summer '44 refit. As built, no 40's, no 20's. 4 quad 1.1 mounts and 16 .50 cal mounts were it. The first skipper, CAPT Hustvedt started asking for 20mm mounts immediately, but I don't know when they started adding them. Also, Stryker's Bridge was not added until I think 1943. The anchor pocket forward, the 1.1's and the CXAM radar went away after the torpedo hit.

Before they put the 40's and 20's all over her, she really had great lines.

Again, I will be glad to help in any way.

Dave

[oifvet23]

Crazy how things happen, a ran into a couple of Laffey vets today on the pier at the Intrepid museum. We talked for a good while about the condition of the Laffey and they said it was in bad shape and needed 12 million they believed to get her fixed up.

[oifvet23]

Laffey will receive a 7 million dollar loan from the state of south carolina to get her in dry dock, she should be headed there sometime in august

[David M. Carpenter]

Glad to hear that SC came off of the hip. Hopefully when she is on the blocks, it will be a straight-forward job. Thanks for the update.

[Zack Magnusson]

Laffey was moved to the shipyard on Cooper River for repairs today.

http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/aug/19/historic-wwii-destroyer-leaves-dock/


photo by Brad Nettles (Charleston Post and Courier)