Most former US Navy vessels that become museums are listed as having been "decomissioned and stricken from US Navy lists". From there, they are placed in reserve fleets where they await their final fates. Of course, few are saved to become museums on a permanent loan basis. However, as a stipulation of this "permanent loan", which is what it really is, the Navy can close and repo a ship for neglect or inability to properly maintain it.

We experienced annual inspections by the US Navy on the USS Lexington, which began in 1991, with her transfer as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas.

I was thinking about the "lack of money" to save USS OLYMPIA as I was driving back from the airport this morning. Partway into the ride I noticed our all new mileage marker signs, now the size that speed limit signs used to be, with the logo of the highway imprinted so that motorists who didn't read the signs at the entrance ramps can tell what road they are on once they are on it. Then I passed the big brown information signs that advise you are traveling through a "historic" river valley without saying why it is historic (in this case textile industry, all gone now, brownfield superfund cleanup sites, but very historic). Then there is the steady progression of signs on almost level stretches of road telling you that you are passing from one watershed to another. Then you notice the signs telling you this is a "scenic" route in case you were driving without looking out the windows. Then there are the signs telling you that the work on the highway is being done with "stimulus or whatever other" funds, although the local DOT official tells me that stretch of highway was nowhere near needing re-paving but the "money was available". Then finally there is the grand prize of local signs, the one that tells you that you are twenty miles from a particular bridge named for a local citizen. Now that bridge is in a big city, but the large roadside sign does not mention the city. The road maps and GPS all show the name of the city, not the name of the bridge. So if you know the name of the bridge, you are probably from the area, and know the city it is located in, and don't need the sign at all. And if you are not from the area, you see the sign and wonder what it is referring to, because there is nothing on GPS or the map about it. That sign is a beauty, big and permanent, maybe $10K to $15K.

At one point in the ride I counted close to two dozen signs within sight, most of them very recent. I guess a lot of them are there to show you where the money that we no longer have was spent. But there is no money available for USS OLYMPIA......

PC

What do you think the "enhancement" money is used for? All those signs are installed by the usual highway contractors that are used by the various state's "Department Of Tar". And don't you know, those contractors make....

political contributions!!!!!

And groups trying to do things like, um, save the Olympia (for example), well, they usually can't make such contributions (legally) or can't afford to do so.

Wonder how many out-of-state visitors come to look at all those signs (which are usually the result of some politico's "feel-good" naming bill he introduced, instead of doing some real problem-solving on critical issues), and then spend their money in the local tourist economy?

Howard P.
Cynical, CT

No shortage of money for highay signs:

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/signs-st ... d=11163180

PC

There was an article in the Naval Institute's magazine, Proceedings, about the Olympia. Seems the problems with maintaining the vessel fall squarely on the top man's shoulders. His $350,000.00 yearly salary wasn't enough for him. He was found to have sqaundered $335,000.00 of the museum funds on remodeling his own Massachusetts home, $280,000.00 on jewelry, home electronics, designer clothing and rare artwork. He then spent close to $200,000.00 on maritime artifacts one of which was a print of Admiral Dewey himself. He then went on to gouge the museum out of another $900,000.00 in a scheme to restore and sell antique pleasure craft. These actions caused the museum to falter. It's endowment went from 48 million to 7.7 million from 1999 to 2005 while admissions fell 50%. And guess who sat on their hands and did nothing? That's right, the museum board. The article goes on and on but the bottom line is that this guy was sentenced to 15 year in prison. Notice it did not say he was in prison, just that he was sentenced to prison.

They close the article by saying that it might too late to save the Olympia but the "Naval Institute can start embracing a newly active role in protecting critical naval heritage by demanding the Olympia be rehabilitated. This is an investment worth making. The group Friends of the Cruiser Olympia is raising money to save the ship. To find out more, visit www.fotco.org.

And we toil over our historic relics for free because we love to do it. Shame that big corporations cannot make a donation in the form of a years salary for one of their executives to run charitable organizations like these.

Later!
Mr. Ed

Fascinating story. Thanks for sharing it with us.

PC

Can't they just liquidate the assets of this a-hole to pay for Olympia's repairs?

You're welcome. I was surprised to see something in print from a naval organization. Maybe this will be a wake up call for other organizations. It was a federal investigation that caught the creep.

I hope they indeed liquidate all of his assets to recoup as much money as possible.

Later!
mr. Ed