U.S. Navy Iowa-Class Battleships Just Completed the Ultimate 'Comeback'

Summary and Key Points: The USS New Jersey (BB-66), the most decorated American warship, has returned to Camden, New Jersey after extensive renovations at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. The Iowa-class battleship, which served in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam, underwent a $10 million, 12-week restoration that included hull cleaning, patching, and painting to ensure its preservation for another 20 years.

-Though no longer combat-ready, the USS New Jersey serves as a floating museum and memorial, honoring those who served on her.

-Guided tours will resume once she is back in Camden, scheduled for Memorial Day.

USS New Jersey: From Warship to Memorial After $10 Million Overhaul

The most decorated American warship is back. The Iowa-class battleship USS New Jersey (BB-66) returned to her home in Camden, New Jersey just last week after undergoing major renovations at the Philadelphia Naval Yard. In March, the warship – which saw service in the Second World War, Korea, and Vietnam – headed to drydock for the first time in nearly a quarter of a century.

However, even following the recent restoration efforts, the "Big J" isn't exactly "good as new" – nor is she anywhere close to combat ready, and never will be again. Even making the recent journey from Camden to the naval yard required the assistance of tugboats. And though USS New Jersey returned to service as late as the 1980s as part of then-President Ronald Reagan's call for a 600-ship-strong United States Navy, the days of the big gun battleships are a thing of the past, and we'll never see their like again. 

Instead, the future role of the 82-year-old USS New Jersey, her sister Iowa-class vessels, and the other remaining U.S. battleships and aircraft carriers that are now preserved as floating museums around the country is as significant. They serve as memorials to those who valiantly served on the warships while honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice during the past conflicts.

BB-66 may not be ready for action again, but the $10 million, 12-week effort to see her preserved has paid off, said Marshall Spevak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Memorial and Museum that is charged with maintaining the historic vessel. During her time in dry dock, the hull of the battleship was scrapped clean, patched as needed, and painted – all of which will ensure she'll be able to endure another two decades in the Delaware River across from Philadelphia.

"She's in the best shape she's been in since she left the active service in the late 80s, so we're really proud to finally be heading home back to Camden," Spevak told CBS News earlier this month.

According to NJ.com, U.S. Navy regulations call for decommissioned vessels preserved as museum ships to undergo dry docking maintenance every 20 years. BB-66 was a little overdue, but by all accounts, the efforts have paid off!

The Battleship New Jersey opened as a museum ship on Oct. 15, 2001, and since that time it has continued to preserve the warship's history while also being among the most interactive museums in the country. Guided tours are set to begin once the ship comes back to Camden. Her return is currently scheduled to occur by Memorial Day.

Though the ship is preserved in its Cold War-era state, complete with Phalanx and Tomahawk launchers, it is still a clear testament to 1930s-era design and construction. The museum highlights the role the ship played as a platform used by the Greatest Generation, but also how it was still able to pack a punch against Saddam Hussein's forces in the Gulf War in 1991.

Author Experience and Expertise: Peter Suciu

Peter Suciu is a Michigan-based writer. He has contributed to more than four dozen magazines, newspapers, and websites with over 3,200 published pieces over a twenty-year career in journalism. He regularly writes about military hardware, firearms history, cybersecurity, politics, and international affairs. Peter is also a Contributing Writer for Forbes and Clearance Jobs. You can follow him on Twitter: @PeterSuciu. You can email the author: Editor@nationalinterest.org.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock. 

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