--- Photos: SPOTTER'S THREAD (post up all years/models) ---

[89Suburban]

Prolly the coolest thing that little POS will haul in it's life

I didn't even know they made those things. Imagine having one of those as a kid.

 

[Tonyrodz]

I didn't even know they made those things. Imagine having one of those as a kid.

My oldest son had 2--a dump truck and a front end loader. They were pretty damn big. He's 35 now, so they've been around for awhile.

 

[Fosscore]

 

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[89Suburban]

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@OR VietVet

 

[OR VietVet]

@OR VietVet

Yep, looks like a battleship.

Big and deadly, but small compared to the floating city aircraft carrier I was on.

 

[homesick]

Yep, looks like a battleship.

Big and deadly, but small compared to the floating city aircraft carrier I was on.

During our time, the Navy had a string of flight training bases, strung along the Gulf Coast, from FL to TX.

The Lexington cruised back and forth, parking off each of these bases, so the student pilots could carrier qualify. I wanted to go, as part of the maintenance teams, but it never happened.

I finally got to get on her, after she'd been retired and parked in Corpus Christi, as a museum. AFAIK, she was still like she was in 1943, except that an escalator [with LOW head clearance] had been hung on the starboard hull, during the Korean War.

I really wished, again, I'd have gotten on her while she was still active.

joe

 

[Fosscore]

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The USS Wisconsin (BB-64) is an Iowa-class battleship, commissioned in 1944, that served in World War II, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf War, making her one of the few U.S. battleships to serve in three major conflicts. Known for her powerful 16-inch guns, she provided crucial naval gunfire support and is now a museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia, operated by Nauticus.

Key Facts

• Class: Iowa-class battleship
• Commissioned: April 16, 1944
• Builder: Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
• Armament: Nine 16-inch/50-caliber guns, among other weapons
• Service:
  • World War II: Pacific Theater (Iwo Jima, Okinawa)
  • Korean War:Provided fire support
  • Persian Gulf War (Operation Desert Storm): 1991 Aremd with Tomahawk missiles - was involved in the first launch of those missiles in the Gulf War.
• Decommissioned: Final time in 1991
• Current Status:Museum ship in Norfolk, Virginia, operated by Nauticus
  

Notable Features & Service

• "Big Wisky": A nickname reflecting her size and power.
  
  
• Three Wars:
• One of the few U.S. battleships to see active duty in three major conflicts.
  
  
• Modernization:
• Upgraded in the 1980s to remain relevant in modern warfare.
  
  
• Kamikaze Encounter:
• Survived a kamikaze attack in April 1945 with minor damage