Save an American Icon - USS Olympia

In addition to Tiki, historic preservation is one of my other life interests. So I wanted to spread the word to the Tiki Ohana, that an American Icon is currently at great risk.

The USS Olympia is a United States Navy cruiser, launched in 1893. She is one of only two protected cruisers left in the world, and the only surviving ship from the Spanish-American War. On May 1, 1898, Olympia was the flagship of the US fleet at the Battle of Manila Bay. It was from the deck of Olympia that the United States took on the role of global power. Olympia later was in Russia during the Russian Revolution, and brought back the body of the Unknown Soldier from World War One.

The navy gave Olympia to a non-profit group in 1957. The organization never had much money, and they deferred a lot of maintenance. In 1996, Independence Seaport in Philadelphia took stewardship of Olympia. But they announced in February that they will close the ship to visitors in November, and may either scrap or sink this irreplaceable piece of American History. Olympia hasn't been drydocked since 1945, and needs critical work on her hull.

If you are asking "so what?", most of our Tiki culture can be traced to Olympia and the Battle of Manila Bay. That battle allowed the US to acquire island possession in the Pacific, which also pulled the US into war with Japan. That led to the WW2-generated interest in the South Pacific, which then led to our Tiki culture. Olympia is the second most historically significant ship in the United States.

But with the current economy, money to repair Olympia is scarce. A new group is currently raising money to secure and repair Olympia. I had the opportunity to volunteer for some cleanup work on the ship (which also meant traveling from California to Pennsylvania). But this group is also making tangible efforts to stabilize the Olympia with donations. I've also been selling some mugs from my collection to raise funds for the ship.

If you would like to help save this American (as well as proto-Tiki!) icon, please visit the website for The Cruiser Olympia Historical Society. Any donation, no matter how small, would help. But we also need to spread awareness of the plight of this ship. If you are in Philly, stop by and pay her a visit before she closes on November 22. You won't be sorry!

I've toured the ship quite a few times and wished there were more decks open. Just taking in what they will allow you to see is pretty remarkable. It gives an insight into the change-over from sailing warships to power. Sailors living conditions were still pretty much as they were in the days of sail and it would have been great to be an officer (just to inhabit the wardroom and cabins) back then. Accomodations for seamen and officers were miles apart.

Always wanted to see the lower decks and get inside a gun turret.

The gov't should step in. That ship is real American history. I think I may have to locate one of the plastic models and build it again.

[ Edited by: foamy 2010-11-21 07:22 ]