Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial (Camden, New Jersey)

USA / New Jersey / Camden / Camden, New Jersey / Battleship Place, 62
 Second World War 1939-1945, place with historical importance, interesting place, museum ship
62 Battleship Place
Camden, NJ 08103
Main number: 866-877-6262 or 856-966-1652
www.battleshipnewjersey.org/

USS New Jersey (BB-62), ("Big J") is an Iowa-class battleship, and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. Among the four completed Iowa-class battleships New Jersey is notable for having earned the most battle stars for her combat actions, and for being the only battleship of the class to have served a tour of duty in Vietnam during the Vietnam War.

During World War II, the New Jersey shelled targets on Guam and Okinawa, and screened aircraft carriers conducting raids in the Marshall islands. During the Korean War she was involved in raids up and down the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned in to the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet". She was briefly reactivated in 1968 and sent to Vietnam to support U.S. troops before returning to the mothball fleet in 1969. Reactivated once more in the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy program, New Jersey was modernized to carry missiles and recommissioned for service. In 1983, she participated in U.S. operations during the Lebanese Civil War. On 14 December, New Jersey fired 11 projectiles from her 16 inch (406 mm) guns at hostile positions inland of Beirut. These were the first 16 inch (406 mm) shells fired for effect anywhere in the world since New Jersey ended her time on the gunline in Vietnam in 1969. This shelling was in response to attacks on U.S. reconnaissance planes by Syrian/Druze antiaircraft batteries.

New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991, having earned a Navy Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam and a total of 19 battle and campaign stars for combat operations during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese Civil War, and service in the Persian Gulf. After a brief period of retention in the mothbal fleet she was donated to the Home Port Alliance in Camden, New Jersey, and began her career as a museum ship 25 October 2001.
Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_New_Jersey_(BB-62)
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   39°56'22"N   75°7'59"W

Comments

  • http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/62a.htm
  • I have some good pre-com '81 sea stories about Big J. Chief Otto where are you?
This article was last modified 3 years ago