CURRENT STATUS OF USS IOWA
Presently, the USS Iowa (BB-61) remains berthed at the
Suisun Reserve Fleet Facility in Benicia, CA awaiting the Navy's decision
concerning reclassification to donation status. Speculation concerning the
final disposition of IOWA's placement as a museum memorial has created
country-wide attention. Network radio, TV, and newspaper coverage
have in some cases, contributed to confusion and controversy within the
general public and within our Association membership.
The following is the current status of IOWA's disposition within the
context of procedures that must be adhered to before the Navy reclassifies
and awards the ship. It is hoped that this helps clarify
misunderstandings about the process for awarding a ship in donation status
to a qualified Port City. The anticipated U.S. Navy Donation Program
is based on principles used conclusively by the Navy to assess all formal
applications submitted for the IOWA, a process that will assure IOWA’s
success as a great memorial honoring all veterans who served our country.
Your patience, respect and consideration for the Navy, Congress, City
Officials and those working tirelessly to gain custody are needed at this
critical time.
For a number of years the USS IOWA Veterans Association has supported the
Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square (HSMPS) as the primary
organization working to bring the IOWA to San Francisco. This
support was developed in a natural sequence of events since HSMPS was the
only Non- Profit organization vying for the USS Iowa as a future museum
memorial. HSMPS worked with Congress and the Navy and was successful in
relocating the IOWA to the
San Francisco Bay Area as specified by Law.
Recently legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives as a
bill to the Fiscal Year 2006 National Defense Authorization Bill,
which if unchallenged would have by-passed the traditional Navy donation
program and legislated award of IOWA to a specific port, Stockton,
California. This proposed legislation (HR 492, subsequently changed to HR
1815) caught many by surprise. For several months, irate citizens,
crewmembers and some members of the media wondered why the ship should be
awarded to the Port of Stockton. Shortly thereafter California
Senator Feinstein authored a Senate version to the Fiscal Year 2006
National Defense Authorization Bill in the form of an amendment which was
accepted by the Senate and states that the IOWA will be located in the
State of California. Her amendment is consistent with competitive
processes and guarantees Navy Protocol and Standards as specified in the
Navy Donation Program as the process to determine IOWA's fate.
Battle lines were drawn in Congress and a legislative decision was eagerly
awaited.
A new complication clouded the picture when the San
Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8-3 against a resolution that would
have opened the door for IOWA to be accepted along the San Francisco
Waterfront. We believe that the vote was the result of a Board which
was misled and misinformed concerning the IOWA and what it could bring to
San Francisco in terms of additional tourists, revenue and financial
benefit to the city.
That vote alone would not have been the final step in
bringing the IOWA to San Francisco, but it was so heavily publicized that
false conclusions were quick to be made that IOWA as a museum memorial in
San Francisco could not become a reality. Many of our Association members
said "If San Francisco doesn't want IOWA, then put the ship in
Stockton, where they do want it!" But to say that San Francisco does
not want IOWA simply because the Board of Supervisors made a hasty,
ill-advised vote would not be completely correct. Negotiations are
underway between HSMPS and the City of San Francisco and the Board of
Supervisors to overcome at least three of four main issues that
contributed to the 8-3 vote. At least three issues that were
articulated against the resolution were personal and controversial having
nothing to do with the IOWA in San Francisco as a museum memorial.
The next important step in Congress is the Conference Committee Hearing
where all outstanding issues between the Senate and House versions of the
Bill will be debated and reconciled in the immediate time frame. The
Conference Committee could then recommend a provision that would authorize
the Secretary of the Navy to strike the USS Iowa from the Naval Register
and authorize the Navy to administer the Donation Program to specify where
the IOWA will go and to whom custodianship will be awarded. When all
differences are reconciled in Conference, in all likelihood the results
will become part of the final FY'06 Bill and will be sent to the President
for his signature into law. The Bill officially becomes the Fiscal
Year 2006 National Defense Authorization ACT. We must wait for the
Legislative Process to determine the final disposition of USS Iowa.
Speculation, controversial comments and degradation of one port city
against another has no real value at this critical time in the process of
acquiring the IOWA.
The USS IOWA Veterans Association has confidence that the U.S. Congress,
the United States Navy, and the Secretary of the Navy will make the
correct decision in this matter and that IOWA will be awarded to a
deserving California Port City which will care for her properly and ensure
that the ship and its rich history are thoughtfully and honorably
preserved and displayed. Our Association plans to support that decision
and to assist the selected port city in every way possible.
Signed,
USS IOWA Veteran's Association Officers
