As indicated in my last blog, I have returned to Battleship Park in Mobile to actually tour the vessels.
USS Alabama was commissioned in August 1942 and earned 9 Battle Stars during WWII. The ship is 680 feet long and under battle conditions weighed in at 90 million pounds. In addition to the size of the ship and her guns, I was astounded at the maze of interior stairs (more like ladders) and passageways.
The sub, USS Drum, commissioned in November 1941, is 311 feet long and earned 12 Battle Stars during the war. I spent only a few minutes inside the sub. I am not claustrophobic, but there were only a few spots where I could stand fully erect.
Included in these photos are 2 shots of parts of my favorite aircraft the SR-71 or A-12, YF-12, or a number of other designations, depending on exact configuration and several other factors.
After many years of visiting the area and traveling I-10 through Mobile an uncounted number of times, I figured it was high time to visit the Battleship Alabama. The park and displays are entirely created and funded by interested individuals, personal donations, and fees, not tax dollars. It is all quite impressive and must for anyone traveling in the area.
After threes hours of exploring the outdoor exhibits in record-breaking temps, I decided against the interior tour of the ship and the sub but will return again soon.
While surveying the B-52, I had the honor of meeting a fellow Air Force Vet who had served as Loadmaster on these beasts while serving in Guam at about the same time that I had seen many of these aircraft being deployed from Kadena AFB in Okinawa. Photos of just a portion of the displays can be seen here.
As promised, today's entry is mostly to share the photos from two weeks spent at Fort Pickens near Pensacola Beach in the extreme NW section of Florida. In addition to the wanderings around the Fort and the surrounding area, there are also shots from the nearby Naval Live Oaks section of the Gulf Islands National Seashore as well as a visit across the Pensacola Bay to the Pensacola Light and Fort Barrancas, both of which are located within the Pensacola Naval Air Station. There are about 70 photos so you will want to allow some time and many of the pictures are captioned for some additional information. Click here.
