Why America's Battleship Graveyard is Forgotten (Philadelphia's Abandoned Ships) - IT'S HISTORY

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Outside the Philadelphia International Airport is a shipyard of old and decrepit vessels, but they weren’t always that way. Among these ships are some of the United States Navy’s most storied vessels, heroes of countless wars, and great storied histories. And while their fates are not as glorious as their pasts, one vessel that once rested here is truly the stuff of legend.
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IT’S HISTORY - Weekly tales of American Urban Decay as presented by your host Ryan Socash.
Chapters:
0:00 - Why does Philadelphia have a battleship graveyard?
2:01 - USS Barry
5:45 - USS John F. Kennedy
9:17 - USS Ticonderoga V
11:44 - USS New Jersey
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» CREDIT
Scriptwriter - Gregory Back
Editor - Rishi Mittal
Host - Ryan Socash
This videos is sponsored by Call of War
» SOURCES
/ itshistory
» NOTICE
Some images may be used for illustrative purposes only - always reflecting the accurate time frame and content. Events of factual error / mispronounced word/spelling mistakes - retractions will be published in this section.
Correction: USS Ticonderoga V was scrapped in 2020.

[@ITSHISTORY]

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[@TheDarkeslayer]

The year was 1941 not 1942 for the attack on Pearl Harbor.😆🤣😂

[@DramaMustRemainOnTheStage]

September 2022 has yet to happen. You really need to re-record this one. Now I wonder how many others contain false information

[@johnthomas2485]

Ships are not "decommissioned" when they go into drydock for repairs or refurbishment.

[@robertbeermanjr.2158]

The Most battle Stars. Great, That is awesome. Don't tell us, why would you do that????!!

[@gravelydon7072]

First thing off the bat, there are not Battleships there. A Battleship is a specific class of Warship. Philly only has one. And it isn't really in Philly but is across the river in NJ.

[@AmericanThunder]

People today seem to know more about japanese cartoon characters than they do about history and military vessels.

[@codecmgs]

@@AmericanThunder I know both. Shrugs. Call me a son of a bitch 2 class if you want but don't lump me in a general statement. Ha!

[@AmericanThunder]

@@codecmgs I'd say you are a rare one then.

[@codecmgs]

@@AmericanThunder thanks. Not sure if you got the reference I made towards the SB2C Helldiver lol

[@veganguy74]

It’s definitely not in the Navy Yard, or any navy yard. It’s a museum in Camden, NJ.

[@ShepardUrdnot]

Technically the ship to receive the most battle stars is the Grey Ghost, CV-6 Enterprise. She got 20 while the New Jersey has 19. Liked hearing vets from New Jersey saying that she should be reactivated one more time to earn that 20th battle star.

[@robertandrews6915]

That would be highly unlikely as she is been a museum ship for quite some time. Unless someone like Elon musk took an interest. It would cost millions if not billions to refit the ship, not to mention all the red tape to go through. The navy isn't gonna spend that much for basically sentimental reason even if someone donated the required amount, they'd rather build current generation ships.

[@Duncan_Campbell]

@@robertandrews6915 There is also now a new New Jersey, so it becomes harder to reactivate her for the reason.

[@Camie.in.Philly]

Although CV6 if the most decorated the New Jersey is the most decorated Battle Ship.

[@kmla2449]

NJ is the most decorated Battleship ever

[@michaelusswisconsin6002]

USS Enterprise got 20 battlestars in 5 years while USS New Jersey got her 19 stars in three decades.

[@RyuTakeru]

Seriously, every single mothball vessel deserves a spot at one of the many naval museums round this nation.

[@McZachary44]

All you have to do is do simple google searches about current museum ships. They’re very expensive to maintain.

[@gowdsake7103]

Really and who will pay for em ?

[@nogoodnameleft]

​@@McZachary44 It is a miracle that USS Texas has survived to the present day. For her 1988 drydock she cleared the drydock by only 6 inches. If she had failed to drydock back then they would have had to scrap her. It gave her a few decades of new life. Hopefully the new drydock refit of Texas goes well.

[@airspcfan]

No. As someone who’s spent 18 years volunteering on the battleship USS North Carolina I can tell you we have too many museum ships now. There simply aren’t enough visitors to support all of the ships on display as it is, much less if more are added.

[@gowdsake7103]

Seriously they are scrap

[@madyank779]

I live very close to the Philadelphia Airport …every time I go south on I95 I always have to look to the left and look at these ships and then for awhile imagine where they have been ,what if any battles they where part of and how sad they look sitting there rusting away …it makes me sad but at the same time proud of all these vessels and the men that served on them …protecting our freedoms for so many years 💪🇺🇸😁

[@raystory7059]

The last Battleships at PNSY were the Wisconsin and the Iowa. I was part of the team that drydocked them. I started at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard in 1983 and worked until the closing in 1996. The Battleship New Jersey was never at PNSY in that time frame. In 1999 there no longer was a Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. The location is there but private concerns run the docking facilities , not the USN.

[@GeneralJackRipper]

How dare you inject facts into this feel good story!

[@baconator1200]

Super late to this, but you"ll be happy to hear the New Jersey is now slated for dry docking at some point in '24 or '25, no exact date selected yet but the dry docking is confirmed.

[@furious_wrath7079]

Well USN still had parts of PNSY bc when I was a MA from 06 to 10 there were orders still being issued to PNSY .

[@malleygz3991]

@@baconator1200 She is now in drydock at PNSY near Bldg 1000.

[@NicholasBaldwin-om9xv]

Iowa is now a Museum ship in Long Beach CA - I recommend the tour.

[@brinkadore]

I was an U.S Marine in Beirut Lebanon when the "Jersey was there. It was like the wrath of God when she fired her main guns (one at a time) at a high ground position that was firing mortars at the airport where our headquarters was located. At least once every two days the New Jersey would shut down the shelling from the hills after about six weeks, the shelling stopped because the hills were gone. I also watched the Bob Hope USO tour on the deck of the Jersey, with sailors lying inside the main gun barrels to watch the show from a high vantage point; that's how big the gun barrels are. I feel a terrible sense of sadness that the ship in my memories is no longer there.

[@asn413]

NJ bb 62 is a museum now in camden. she's still with us :) she has her own channel here on youtube. shes due for drydock soon.

[@Studmuffin568]

I was on board the USS New Jersey in Beirut Lebanon.

[@frankcasey7423]

I live in Philadelphia and loved this video! I really appreciated all the history on these ships. You can see the New Jersey right across the river from the Philly side at her resting place just a ways up from the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

[@geographyRyan]

18:17 New Jersey always had 16 inch shells.

[@Bbuffalofan1]

Another great history channel on YT is Battleship New Jersey, great info on the ship and other US navy history.

[@Aelvir114]

And very biased against the Royal Navy. Said that the 15”/42 Mk I (one of the most accurate naval guns ever produced) is inferior to the 16”/45 Mk1, which was notorious for having poor accuracy.

[@VICLIFE3DBL00H]

@@Aelvir114 who cares. It’s a great channel.

[@ericfunderburgh6080]

@@Aelvir114 you watch drachinifel?

[@ianwilkinson5069]

@@ericfunderburgh6080 lmao hes in disguise

[@wesleyfindley1779]

@@Aelvir114 thats not true at all. In fact...Each turret was also installed with an optical range finder, and a ballistic analog computer that made them VERY accurate for the time. Not knocking our family across the pond, but to say they are inaccurate.....is well....inaccurate. Simulations with the yamato have also been done, giving the iowa class the edge because of these reasons.

[@tabithamartin4092]

I miss my ship... I served aboard the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY CV-67 from 88-90. It should have been made into a museum ship, not sold like trash at only a penny, to be torn apart for scrap. I can only hope, that a bit of her will be somehow used in the construction of the new USS JOHN F. KENNEDY CVN-79. Driving through on the interstate, you could see her in Philadelphia. I cried when I saw how she was just rotting away. A sad end to such a noble soldier.

[@fw1421]

Although I agree many important ships should be preserved for posterity it costs an enormous amount of money to operate as a museum ship. If the local economy can’t come up with the money to operate the museum it has to be scrapped. Selling them for a penny actually saves the government a lot of money as it costs many millions to dismantle them,even with the price of the scrap steel added in.

[@tabithamartin4092]

@@fw1421 They could have thought to do something else with it. They could have offered it to public sale. It could have been converted into countless other things if they would entertain options that dont involve museum, or destruction. It could even have been used for housing for homeless veterans.

[@ianwilkinson5069]

@@tabithamartin4092 I always thought they should offer these for public sale. Im sure there is a couple random millionaires that would jump at that.

[@tabithamartin4092]

@@ianwilkinson5069 or a not for profit organization

[@hegemonycricket9549]

My brother still gets misty eyed when he thinks about the fate of the Constellation. He served on it for years. He loved that ship.

[@revparisking]

Unfortunately you only scratched the surface of some fantastic shops that were or are mothballed in Philly. I was stationed in Philly from 89 to 91. When I was there, the shipyard was still housing WWII heavy cruisers along with regular cruisers, destroyers, and frigates. There were even a few aux ships. It was always awe inspiring walking along the mothball fleet at night (if you didn't mind the dog sized rat that ran across your path a few feet ahead of you every once in a while)

[@tkso.philly3879]

Did you hang out at "The Lakes"? That's what we called FDR Park just down Broad Street across from The Vet and Spectrum.

[@kevinirving4586]

@@tkso.philly3879 FDR was off-limits to us when I was on the Independence from 86-88 there. Just before I got there we had a Sailor killed in that park. That said, I do remember the dog-sized rats. Once late at night after stepping down and out of the front gate walking back to Bldg 104, a rat came out from under the dumpster there behind the Officer's club to my left. I thought I would kick the hell out of it but he had the great idea of latching onto my pant leg. There I was at 1am at the front gate dancing like Michael Jackson trying to fling him off. Glad noone was there to see me.

[@tkso.philly3879]

@@kevinirving4586 OMG.😅.I'll back to you when I'm finished laughing-

[@Ed-xt5rr]

Was stationed at Mustin field in '69. Would walk from barracks onto the air strip at night to our catapult site. Those rats would walk with you like they were your pet dogs.

[@newhope33]

As far as I know outside of aux ships there hasn't been any ww2 era ships at Philly since the early 80's. Only Cruisers held there during that period where the 3 Des moines post war heavy cruisers.

[@mrbig4532]

In the 1970’s the Philadelphia navy yard was running at full capacity and had so many ships in the mothball fleet from various eras in time that when they did a inventory they found the USS Olympic docked down there which was Admiral Dewey’s flagship during the Spanish -American war and was one of the only remaining ships from the great white fleet . It’s a museum piece at Penn’s Landing right across from the USS New Jersey where they look like they are sizing each other up even though the Jersey is a beast compared to the older Olympic.

[@patrickmccrann991]

USS OLYMPIA was not part of the Great White Fleet. That fleet was built after the Olympia by President Theodore Roosevelt in the early 1900s and sailed around the world from 1903-1906.

[@kirkstinson7316]

@@patrickmccrann991 With the Olympia as part of it. True she was built in the late 1800s but was part of the fleet. She was not decommissioned until 1922

[@kirkstinson7316]

They did NOT. The Olympia was already under a preservation group in 1954 so there no way she was tucked away and unknown in 1970s. She was probably moored in the area but was not on the navy rolls or even part of the mothball fleet in the 70s

[@patrickmccrann991]

@kirk stinson The "Great White Fleet" refers to the battleships that sailed around the world from 1903-1906 by order of President Theodore Roosevelt. Although the "Olympia" was part of the Navy at the time, she did not participate in the World cruise. Furthermore, she was not a battleship, but an armored cruiser.

[@mrbig4532]

@@kirkstinson7316that ship was in the Philadelphia navy yard not listed on the inventory when someone in the 1970’s was doing a physical inspection of every ship in that yard and he had one to many ships after his count was completed , and it wasn’t a mystery what ship it was they just didn’t know it was docked in the Philadelphia shipyard. That’s on the brief history that’s on the flyer they give you when you take the tour.

[@rizon72]

I will admit, I cringe a bit when people use the term battleship when they really mean warship. Battleship is a type of warship.

[@margaretadler6162]

Worked at the long beach naval Shipyard in the 1980s and work on the reactivation of both the USS New Jersey and the USS Missouri. Both are the Magnificent vessels! While in the Navy in the 1970s I served aboard the USS Suribachi AE21, the USS Enterprise CVAN65 and the USS Mckean DD 784 Sam Adler

[@dennisdownes9319]

I was on the Suribachi '83 and 84....SM2. DD

[@daniellapp7309]

I was a firefighter in the shipyards for 2yrs when the Forrestal was in drydock, I served on her for 5yrs and was on her going up the Delaware River to drydock, it's a whole different experience when you serve on her and then actually walk literally under her in drydock then you see how magnificent she really is,I'm proud to be a squid

[@kawai99100]

I was there too.

[@pauldudley8837]

Starting the Ticonderoga, I think you may have misspoken about when it was sent to Brownsville Texas to be scrapped. You said it happened September 30th 2022 or somewhere about that time. I'm sure you probably meant perhaps 2020 or 2021 since we've not hit September 30th 2022. I am going to be sending this video to one of my brothers who worked as a sheet metalist at the Philadelphia naval Yard in the 1980s.

[@freddyboombatz]

We were leaving Charleston and the Ticonderoga was coming in. We passed her on the way out, I was on the Holland. This was 83.

[@73XBFalcon]

I never saw Ticonderoga, I was on Leyte Gulf.

[@randymarthins3473]

*Could be* 9/30/2022 - Philadelphia Navy Yard is notorious for time-travel experiments

[@patrickgomes2213]

In San Francisco, we called it the victory fleet, even though very few were actually left over from WW2. There's something like ten ships left from the reserve fleet in Suisun Bay now. I used to love seeing them as we came over the highway.

[@TheDarknash1]

I was stationed at the Marine Barracks, Naval Weapons Station Concord Ca in the early 80's. Great views across the river to Suisun Bay.

[@smc1942]

There was also "the dead fleet" in the James River of Virginia for many years. I think they're all gone now.

[@Tomcatntbird]

I was in the US Navy for 8 years 1997-05. Decommissioned 2 ships, USS Guam LPH 9 and USS Peterson DD969. I have been to the mothball fleet twice and can tell you, those ships I went on are NOT A/C controlled. From what I gathered, the ships that remain there usually have systems that are still used in the active fleet or have parts no longer made. Also, the ships that go here arrive with ever space inspected, cleaned, and usually a fresh coat of paint.

[@leoborn4013]

Who cares? Do you want to be honored like a king for your service of “keeping the peace in the Middle East”? Everybody is angry about Vladimir Putin invading the Ukraine, but they forget that we, the United States of America, keep invading countries under the hide of “keeping peace”, without anyone intervening… Shame on our glorious country!

[@iowa61]

Depends on how the ship is classified in terms of potential reactivating. Mobilization assets are indeed dehumidified and have catholic protection. Many do not have those protections and serve mostly for spare parts or awaiting disposal.

[@crankyoldguy2]

@@iowa61 A minor point. You refer to 'catholic' protection. They're not religious institutions or church property. You're referring to their protection against electrolysis.

[@jonrocco8650]

I worked at the PNSY in the early 90s. It's true, the decommission ships basically served as a naval junkyard. Believe it or not, sailors were not allowed aboard the ships without civilian escorts. That's what I did. I got to see some amazing stuff aboard those ships like ammo/torpedo rooms, war games, barbershops and Banks, the bigger the ship the more cool things to explore. I spent more than a year on the USS Coral Sea aircraft carrier and took a lot of the Kitty Hawk sailors or board for parts.

[@scottabc72]

Thanks for posting this, living in Philly Ive often wondered about the stories of these ships you can see when crossing some bridges. However a nitpick 'battleship' is not a general term like 'warship' and there are no battleships in the Naval Yard.

[@enricomandragona163]

Not anymore...no!! However my last duty station was the Philly Yard while my Carrier was getting an overhaul. Both the USS Wisconsin and NJ were birthed next to us! Pretty cool to see the sun rise between their stacks like they were waiting for the word to be called to duty!! Which they actually were once my ship was finished. Got an opportunity to re- enlist and get promoted next to her!! Her plates proudly sail on my vehicles!!

[@craigr.johnson2079]

Very good video. However, in the segment regarding the Battle of Leyte Gulf, you had a few mistakes. The task force you called Taff 3 was actually Taffy 3 and the destroyer Johnson was actually the U.S.S. Johnston (DD-557).

[@daniel_poore]

He had ALOT of mistakes, throughout the video.

[@kyleludlam6704]

There were a lot of mistakes throughout the entire video and it does a disservice to all of our historic ships.

[@dunruden9720]

@@daniel_poore What's an ALOT?

[@madmav24]

@@dunruden9720 A new You Tube record that's quite an achievement.

[@bret9741]

When was in the Navy in 88-93, there were hundreds of ships in Philadelphia. It makes the numbers of today seem paltry.

[@jdiluigi]

Thank you so much for making this. Since I was a child we pass over this on I95 to get to the Phillies game once a year and my dad pointed them out to me and I now point them out to my kids. Now I have and even better story to tell. Were going to the New Jersey this summer. They have a great channel if anyone else is into WW2 battleships.

[@jonhancock7695]

Looking for more forgotten war history? Evansville Indiana played a huge part of WW2 having a ammunition factory, mustang aircraft factory and LST shipyard. The last operating LST resides in Evansville

[@pauldudley8837]

Interesting

[@gc4644]

In the 80s I served on USS Spartanburg County, LST 1192. Some of the best years of my service..

[@altoncarlson8801]

DD 933, not a "code number" it is a hull number. I served on DD-938 USS Jonas Ingram.

[@travnickis1]

Yeah, there are more than a few mistakes here. Not as many as the History Channel, typically

[@terryberkenstock3265]

1976 to 79 aft engine room aboard 938

[@altoncarlson8801]

@@terryberkenstock3265 AS Division 82-83 our berthing was below B&M.

[@kwad8]

@@travnickis1 the title is a dead give away of that.

[@dennisdownes9319]

I was on the Jolly Jonas June '81 until De-commissoning. Signalman. DD@@altoncarlson8801

[@clifforddavis7101]

If you think the ship graveyard is forgotten, try going there and you will soon see it's not forgotten and is under guard.

[@melbango1]

Another hit put out by IT'S HISTORY i totally love this channel

[@josephkordinak1591]

I took a ship in there to layup once. It's pretty impressive. When I went in there back in about 03 or so the battleship Iowa was across the main entrance from where we tied up. There was also the Iwo Jima amphibious carrier. I wish we could have walked around that place some.

[@jin1063]

Your information is incorrect regarding the USS New Jersey BB-62. She is Camden New Jersey as muesum ship.

[@brendakrieger7000]

I've been past here when it was still operational..I loved seeing the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

[@breygon1]

I was a summer hire PNSY as a teenager (the summers of 70 and 71). I mostly pushed a broom in the Boilermakers shop and later in the Shipfitters shop. The boilermakers would, as needed, head over to one of the mothballed ships, board her and salvage whatever part that was needed, then take it back to the shop and rehab it to use in another ship. Since I was a tall skinny lad and rather flexible lad that had me crawling in the tighter spots to retrieve the part they needed.

[@jivepatrol6833]

Love the New Jersey! I remember when President Reagan had the Navy refurbish/refit the ship. Some scoffed at the idea. Mr. Reagan was a smart man and knew that the ship was not only prestigious and historic, but also projected American power and struck fear into enemies. Many thanks to all of the great people that served on all of the ships past/present in the Navy!! 🙂🙂

[@evanandrews]

Some strange name pronunciations. Especially for Halsey and Nimitz.

[@JSwan-bd1tc]

I love time travel. How could the Ticonderoga travel to Brownsville TX in September 2022 and be a memory when it's only February 16th, 2022?

[@ITSHISTORY]

Play Call of War FREE on PC, iOS or Android: callofwar.onelink.me/q5L6/ItsHistory Receive a unique starter pack, only available for the next 30 days!

[@douglasmeek9774]

The Iowa was the last battleship in the reserve fleet.. it was tied up in Suisun Bay which I believe is north of San Francisco. It was towed to Los Angeles and now is a museum.

[@jonpike9991]

My Dad and I drove by the Naval Shipyard in Philly. My Dad was in the Navy a lot of his ship he served on were in the shipyard. I grew up in Mayport before moving to Philly back in 93. A lot ship I saw growing up on Mayport were in the shipyard.

[@the4tierbridge]

I love how almost none of these ships are still there.

[@addisonquarrell3164]

0:24 beginning of video and 2:06 is actually a photo of the Bremerton ship yard in Kitsap county Washington. i drive that road often. just a interesting tid bit the carrier on the far left was the last one we had there. the Kitty hawk. she just left for scrap a month ago.

[@PHMineHalo]

I'm not sure this was what you were tying to say, but there are no Battleships or Carriers in the mothball fleet anymore. There are two LHA's in Pearl, but the Kitty Hawk and JFK have been scrapped in Texas(for a penny). Obviously NJ, Wisconsin, Iowa, Missouri, and Texas are all Museum ships, and they were the last Battleships in the fleet.

[@sidiouswargaming3971]

As a Philadelphian, I can say most of us don't see the shipyard a big deal anymore than the USS United States rotting at it's pier.

[@stevenlittell1071]

I hated seeing that

[@LostShipMate]

20:40 Theres definitely a qualifier there. The most decorated ship in terms of battle stars would be the USS Nicholas(DD-449) at 30, the most decorated of any one one war is USS Enterprise(CVN-6) at 20. I find it a little odd that you spent so much time describing the battle of Leyte Gulf, when New Jersey did little to nothing in the conflict. In fact the old Pearl Harbor battle line did more than New Jersey. They helped cut the IJN Fuso battleship in half, it was found floating on fire in two separate pieces(only one destroyer from the southern force escaped from the doomed Japanese fleet). Just kind of odd. Your videos normally seem far more researched and informative; but now that you made a video about a subject i know well, I'm finding it to be more disconcerting than informative.

[@doctordoom1337]

It's not that New Jersey did nothing at Leyte Gulf, it's that almost every major campaign from early 1944 until mid 1945 was carried out from New Jersey with Spruance and Halsey trading flag on the ship. Nimitz himself broke flag on the ship for Halsey's special inquiry.

[@robertandrews6915]

Most people don't know much about history so you have to present it like everyone doesn't. I wouldn't say she did nothing as her mere presence made an impact. But it would've been cool to have her against the Yamato. Probably would've been the most iconic bb battle of all time.

[@jamesburdian56]

@@robertandrews6915 cv6 (or cv(n)6) uss enterprise vs yamato

[@shdwbnndbyyt]

Over the decades I remember articles about those ships and their final disposition. Every time there was some agreement on whether to sell to a different country or to scrap them, there would immediately be some event that would block the plan... Mind you many of the ships at that time were in fact WW2 ships... not sure if they ever got rid of them.

[@arthurweers]

I guess we had an Admiral so secret no one has ever heard of him. Helsley?

[@dmacarthur5356]

Admiral William "The Calf" Helsey. Naval legend.

[@benjaminevans2422]

Even before I was in JROTC, I always had a love for Military Documentary Films. Come to think of it, my Special Needs Son loves watching both Airplane and First Responder Documentary films.

[@Grzegorz_D]

Thank you so much, as WOWS active player I am grateful for this video. I shared it to our group. I've been living in New Jersey for last 19 years visited BB NJ several times but I had no Idea about other ships. thanks again

[@xylomeat9913]

Warships. Battleships are a specific class of warships.

[@gowdsake7103]

Accuracy is not his strong point

[@snobak1]

I was stationed on board the U.S.S. JOHN F KENNEDY 1987-91 Such a sad state to see her in 😞

[@lkmh3223]

nice work, this was a great history video.

[@davidponseigo8811]

My uncle was Admiral George McFadden O'Rear who was Captain of the USS Arkansas BB-33 battleship and commander of the fleet at the battle of Iwo Jima and served on the USS Arizona and before that he commanded one of the US Navys WW1 submarines and Captained the first relief ship to Pearl Harbor after the attack and told us the story of how upsetting it was to see his former ship the Arizona destroyed and knowing people he had served with and went to the Naval Academy with were dead and dying or worse still trapped. At Iwo Jima he begged the higher ups to give him larger battleships to shell the island with but they only gave him refit WW1 battleships with 12 or 14 inch guns not the newer 16 inch guns that were on the battleships made after Pearl Harbor. My father in law served on the USS Chicago and USS Oklahoma City commanding the Talos missile system and credited with a Mig shoot down and possibly another and firing the first surface to surface and surface to air naval missile and destroying multiple Vietnamese anti aircraft missiles systems and artillery and armor and a number of large barracks and was highly decorated.

[@RetiredSailor60]

I reported to my first ship, USS Semmes DDG 18, at Philadelphia Shipyard in Jan 1983.

[@alanciarlone8444]

After being decommissioned in 2004, Ticonderoga was stored at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia. She arrived in Brownsville, Texas for scrapping in 2020.

[@kempmt1]

I’m upset that they didn’t turn her into a museum or at least upgrade her and her four Mk26 sister ships with the Mk41 VLS.

[@patrickmccrann991]

Too expensive to upgrade the Block I cruisers. $400+ million per ship in 1995 dollars. I was onboard the USS Yorktown (CG-48) when the cost study was done. They were retired because of their inability to launch Tomahawk missiles.

[@karlsenula9495]

Love seeing the ships every time I drive to Philly's airport.

[@crashgorilla]

My dad used to work at the navy yard in Philly. And I have toured the New Jersey with my son. She is very impressive!

[@johnbray3143]

I wanted to hear about the reasons for having a reserve fleet, not all the potted histories of the ships

[@gowdsake7103]

Honestly its beyond you ? Its not that tricky

[@rogerpenske2411]

Yeah I worked in Philadelphia many years ago and flew in and out of Philly many times. I’ve driven past that shipyard a few times as well. Philadelphia is the United States Navy but Tucson Arizona is the United States Air Force.

[@douglasmiller8176]

I wish I was flying around the university city in a chevrolet Corvair!

[@Doug4422]

There has only ever been 2 ships to bear the name John F. Kennedy, the first one, pictured here, and the second, will be CVN 79, a brand new Gerald R. Ford class carrier, scheduled to be commissioned some time next year.

[@DBAllen]

The proper designation is Taffy-3 for the force left behind to support the landings in Leyte.

[@skinnypete22]

20 seconds in I noticed that the aerial view of the ships parked looked very familiar and that’s because it’s the Bremerton naval ship yard in Bremerton, wa

[@genegiordano1248]

Thanks! Lot of memories here. Stationed in PNS in ‘74 during a CLG 17 refit. BB’s Iowa and Wisconsin there at that time. CLG 17 was part of the Kennedy group in the Med during the ‘73 war…remember it well, 30 days at sea guarding the Gibraltar strait. She was scrapped in PNS years later.

[@jerseystrongg2g352]

Thank you for your service sir 👊🏼🇺🇸

[@patrickmccrann991]

DLG-17 not CLG-17. Redesignated CG-17 in 1975 when Congress ordered the Navy to build no more DLGs.

[@genegiordano4328]

@@patrickmccrann991 You are correct, I forgot they dropped the L with the change too many years ago now! I was on her from '73 to '75. I remember we all thought the change was crazy given our size as compared to the Albany CG-10

[@patrickmccrann991]

@@genegiordano4328 Did tours on USS Belknap (CG-26) and USS Yorktown (CG-48). Belknap started life as DLG-26. Also did tours on an FF (ex DE) and two FFGs. Retired in 2002.

[@genegiordano4328]

@@patrickmccrann991 Remember the Belknap as a DLG. We had a CS1 transferred over to her in early '75 before the collision with the Kennedy. I also did time on USS Nantahala (AO-60) before she was decommissioned in 1973.

[@christopherscott5652]

I was stationed on board John F Kennedy CV67 from '93-'95 went through drydock in Philadelphia for major overhaul

[@frankscibana8233]

I used to walk around the San Diego naval base when I was stationed on the USS Halsey back in 1975, there was a pretty big moth ball fleet at that time

[@greeb666]

Why is there an old picture of Bremerton at the start when you are talking about the Philadelphia navy yard?

[@greeb666]

In fact Bremerton gets shown over and over.

[@spikespa5208]

Chalk it up to sloth.

[@twrecks4598]

I was stationed in Philly for my A school with the Navy... at the time I remember a couple of cruisers parked right close to the base entrance, tho I don't recall their hull numbers or names. We would take a bus from the barracks to the school, passing all these amazing ships along the way. Great experience

[@homoerectus744]

I was in the brig there in the summer of'80, we always had to be fire watches matched with a welder, it was a challenge in the winter with the wind coming off the rivers through the vacant ships we worked on.i was on the Biddle- CG 34,and the Plymouth Rock an LSD...yep.

[@lars1701again]

@@homoerectus744 What did you get sent to the Brig for? :D

[@GarryAReed]

Thank you for this excellent documentary ! 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅

[@King5150Ed]

I was soo close to making the decision to serve for the navy back in 88 (my hs graduation year) however i chose a different path in life.. being self-employed and enjoying that very much, however I do still think about how I would have liked to have challenged myself had i chosen that direction.....maybe in another life? I have nothing but the utmost respect for everyone who has served for our country🇺🇸💪

[@eniszita7353]

they are not really "abandoned". I visit the Navy Yard often and there seems to be people doing maintenance on the mothballed ships all the time. they have gangways set up, and various signs of some kind of work going on.

[@Ratcher.]

been to USS new jersey, very much worth the look

[@dubdaze68]

We go to FDR skatepark all the time, and it is eerie to have those ships loom over you.

[@danielwarren2668]

It was my Honor to have Served on the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY CV 67..!!

[@TxDragon55]

When I was stationed on the USS Nautulas SSN 571 we were in war games with the USS Kennedy while in the Med. We launched 3 flares on her flight deck during a night attack and their crew went nuts trying to find where we were. If they had looked behind her they would have seen us crusing in her wake. The Nautulas played a Hotel Class Russian sub because we almost sounded like one on sonar.

[@corey3301]

Yeah I've read the the Nautilus was pretty loud.

[@JohnC2566]

What about the battleship cove in Fall River in MA. There are some impressive ships there. Please do a video about the ships In Fall River Massachusetts like the USS Massachusetts.

[@davidfoster8172]

i was lucky in 1983 to visit bremerton shipyard in and stood next to missouri battleship, and the deck plaque being signing spot for end of ww2

[@wapartist]

I was driving through there once coming from Georgia to Maine and was shocked when I saw all of the ships unexpectedly. Was very cool to see

[@bobhealy3519]

There are no battleships in the mothball fleet.

[@joeottsoulbikes415]

Not entirely true. The USS New York from pre WW1 sits in Bremerrron currently 22:37

[@robertfoley8414]

You should have also mention that while JFK CV67 has been decommissioned, her name will be carried by the new Gerald Ford Class CV79

[@chipbarnes3991]

The previous JFK was the las CV, the new one is a CVN...all carriers are nuke from USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) on.

[@raitchison]

There are no more Battleships in the reserve fleet AKA "mothball fleet" The last one left in 2011 when the Battleship Iowa was donated to become a museum.

[@brucegoldy4973]

Used to love looking at the graveyard from the bridge on 95 when I was a kid

[@zackakai5173]

Is it really a "battleship graveyard" if it doesn't have any battleships? xD

[@johnschofield9496]

TAFFY 3 , not 3 TAF 3. Please read about this battle. Probably the largest David and Goliath battle ever staged

[@toddkurzbard]

I am amazed at the clear clairvoyance that allows the foresight of the TICONDEROGA departing for scrapping (currently) over 3 months into the future.

[@lars1701again]

The USS Enterprise (CV-6) I believe is the most decorated US navy vessel, it is the most decorated US BB

[@USAF4615]

This is an outstanding video. Thank you for putting it together. As an aside, your narrator mispronounced the name "Halsey" when the video covered the history of the New Jersey.

[@JohnThomas-lq5qp]

One of very few places that navy can park old ships in fresh water rather then in salt water that rust out ships at least twice as fast. But Navy does not care if most old ships stored in salt water. Philadelphia Naval yard was the first naval yard in the country. We used to go down every summer during annual summer open house back in the 1960's. Was cool to walk the deck of a retired WW 2 air craft Carrier. Feet felt like they were on fire walking flight deck while wearing cheap sneakers. Guess they converted WW2 wooden decks to steel by then. Think they kept the propeller shop open once they closed this yard.

[@matthewdrummond1340]

Great video. Did I hear that right? Scrapped *September 2022* and now only a memory?

[@HaddaClu]

Psst dont tell anyone.... He's a time traveler

[@jamesholt7612]

Awesome video my friend.

[@carlgraf9810]

I appreciate what you're trying to do but, if you're giving a history lesson, get the names of the people, places, etc correct.

[@dillonresidence9690]

yes, Thank you

[@royhorn2782]

I noticed that above everything else. The names of several of the Ultimate Admirals were butchered, as well as other things. Otherwise a nice video.

[@ThomasCrowne]

Neemitz and Halsley?? If you’re going to do the narration, please get some education on the pronunciations as well as the names of historical elements. Grade D-

[@johngaltline9933]

I'll settle for knowing the last battleship was commissioned in 1944 and the oldest ship there was commissioned in 1956. There hasn't been a battleship there since New Jersey left.

[@mikepierce1724]

Philly has alot.of ships so what

[@typical947]

The barry is not the oldest US navy warship in Philadelphia, the oldest is the USS Olympia just north by like 2 miles from ww1, it carried the remains of the Unkown Soldier

[@patrickmccrann991]

Olympia is not from World War I. She is from the Spanish-American War in 1998. She was the flagship of Admiral Dewey at the Battle of Manila Bay in the Philippines.

[@michaelmcclellan6944]

@@patrickmccrann991 it is tragic the way admiral Dewey's ship has been preserved

[@patrickmccrann991]

@@michaelmcclellan6944 I have never visited the Olympia. Why is it tragic?

[@mattmaher3303]

Last I checked there are no battleships at the Navy Yard. I've been in the Philly area my whole life too.

[@disgruntledconservativevet1798]

I seen half of these ships while I was in the Navy. A friend of mine was an MM2 on the New Jersey. He said that the amount of pride of the crew on that ship was unmeasurable. I believe him.

[@alanfan8941]

On the south end of the ship basin there appears to be an abandoned dry dock with two either uncompleted or partially scrapped vessels in it. What kind of ships were they. When were they laid down,and when and why was work stopped on them?

[@samthemultimediaman]

the USS Olympia is right around there too along with the SS United States.

[@sailingspark9748]

the SS United States, the fastest of the Great Liners and probably the fastest Liner of all time, is in very sorry shape. Her fate is almost sealed by this point. The Olympia is in much better shape physically and economically.

[@samthemultimediaman]

@@sailingspark9748 theres something good in the works right now for the SS United States, hopefully it works out this time.

[@sailingspark9748]

@@samthemultimediaman I hope you are right. I have relatives that sailed on her, I would love to walk her decks and see what they saw.

[@benjohnson2421]

Thought for the Vietnam deployment, they only made new shells for the 5"/38. The Rocket Assisted ones that pushed the 5"/38 from 9miles to up to 13miles. The Analog targeting computer wasn't geared out for that range and the rest was penciled in. I dont think they turned one 16" shell since they were first put mothball. The inventory involved with the 16" shell, between all four Iowa's and all decommissioned, South Dakota Class and North Carolina Class Battleships was outrageous. Hell they were popping off powder bags from 1938 in the 80's. Did a job at the Hawthorn NV ammo depot. Saw pics of the 50's row after row, stacked up. Easy 50k 16" shells in one spot on this property next to the rail road tracks that went right to San Francisco bay. Cheers.

[@birdman5223]

Great research young man👍

[@ITSHISTORY]

Much appreciated!

[@streetwork5069]

Once a few friends and a Marine from the philly navy yard took us on a decommissioned destroyer,we entered from near the stern and wondered in the dark with only a lighter and emerged at the near the bow..after almost six hours..the marine knew every inch of that ship and guided us basically in pitch black darkness..

[@dunruden9720]

If you'd had a map and a flashlight, you may not have wondered as much!

[@spikespa5208]

What were you wondering about in the dark?

[@rh1507]

I'm quite sure that all of those ship's and the Seamen that sailed on those ship's would have many stories to tell about the stories that happened on them.

[@dunruden9720]

ship is?

[@rh1507]

@@dunruden9720 It could be the Love Boat or the S.S. Minnow.

[@fhwolthuis]

Great video!

[@bret9741]

I wish everyone could have seen the ship yard in the 1960’s,, 70’s and 80’s. When you took off out of Philly, it was shocking how many carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers were packed side by side by side.

[@DIDCOTTWIST]

Saw USS John F Kennedy of Portsmouth England in 1996 and went on a boat trip to circle around her got very close pretty much went under the front of the bow near the anchor chain.