(Newswire.net — July 8, 2014) Jacksonville, FL — While the fight to save historic homes and buildings has captured the hearts, minds and headlines of Jacksonville, our Jacksonville Naval history is being quietly sent to the scrap yard. So real is the risk that a scrap yard has been identified, International Shipbreaking in Brownsville, Texas.
How perverse is it that OUR USS Charles F. Adams is on a course to its final destination. But there are two paths! It could be that the final destination will be as a museum in Jacksonville, or razor blades in Brownsville! Once in Brownsville, the ship will be shredded then sold as scrap iron following the fate of the USS Forrestal and USS Saratoga and just about every ship that has ever been home ported then departed Jacksonville.
“General Quarters, General Quarters….this is NOT a drill”, those words bring instant alarm to the hearts of every person who has ever served aboard ship. It’s the call to battle stations. It means that the threat to the survival of the ship is real. Only decisive action by her crew can save the ship.
Thankfully, the alarm has been sounded. The leadership is in place to fight for the survival of the ship, but at present there are not enough crew mustered to man every battle station. That’s where YOU come in.
The USS Adams is calling on you to answer the “SOS”….save our ship! Here’s the battle plan. The Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization of Jacksonville area residents, local Jacksonville businessmen, and retired military veterans who have the vision of establishing the former guided missile destroyer USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG-2) as a Naval Ship Museum in downtown Jacksonville on the banks of the St Johns River.
The Jacksonville business community is answering the call to action. As President of JHNSA, Dan Bean has been masterful in recruiting significant funding from major financial supporters. And as Commodore of JHNSA, Joe Snowberger has been mustering veterans who are answering the call with enthusiasm.
The fate of the USS Adams really rests with the residents of Jacksonville. Saving our ship is not a government project. It’s not a tax payer burden, it’s a civic action. It is you, me and thousands of locals just like us standing as shipmates arm in arm between our ship and the scrap yard. We are at our battle stations!
There is a special place for you in the crew! The perfect position for you is described in detail at www.USSadams.com For only $25 you can become a member of the First Crew to answer the SOS call to save the USS Adams. That’s what we really need from you to save the ship, just $25!
Many among you will want to do more. You or perhaps a family member has served and you see the legacy of the USS Adams as representing the legacy of all those of have served on ships at sea. After graduating from the US Naval Academy I deployed on the USS Independence, USS America, USS John F Kennedy and USS Saratoga. EVERY one of those ships is now gone…razor blades!
Curious what the scrap yard paid for the 81,000 Tons of steel that was formally known as the USS Saratoga? One cent, a single penny! That’s the same price paid by the scrappers for another Jacksonville treasure, the USS Forrestal. We have got to stop the scrapping of our history!
I’m asking you to help save OUR ship! Go to www.USSadams.com and join the crew…together we can BRING HOME THE ADAMS!