Friends of the Battleship North Carolina

Friends of the Battleship North CarolinaFriends of the Battleship North CarolinaFriends of the Battleship North Carolina

Friends of the Battleship North Carolina

Friends of the Battleship North CarolinaFriends of the Battleship North CarolinaFriends of the Battleship North Carolina
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    • Home
    • Daily Update
    • Join Us
    • Donate
    • Guided Tours
    • Events
    • Volunteering
    • Board of Directors
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Archives
    • Friends Store
    • BB-55 Podcasts
  • Home
  • Daily Update
  • Join Us
  • Donate
  • Guided Tours
  • Events
  • Volunteering
  • Board of Directors
  • Newsletters
  • Contact Us
  • Archives
  • Friends Store
  • BB-55 Podcasts
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Friends Teamwear Sale

Show your support for the Friends of the Battleship North Carolina.  Shop online at our "Official" Battleship Teamwear Store.  Proceeds of all sales go to support the Friends of the Battleship North Carolina. 

Shop all embroidered apparel & accessories today and take $15 off $60, $25 off $80, or $40 off orders of $100 

Find out more

Former BB-55 Crew Member William "Bill" Wrape visits the Showboat 21 December 2020

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The Showboat as You Have Never Seen Her

A profile view of BB-55 showing the spaces that are open on the standard tour route but also ones that are open for special tours.  Also, note where the torpedo strike was that ripped a 38ft x 18ft hole in the ship during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons.   

Holiday Gift Giving Ideas

 Looking for a Great Gift Idea for the holidays?  How about a membership to the Friends or a donation in someone's name?  You can also shop at the Friends Teamwear Store.   All proceeds go to support the Battleship North Carolina.  

Download PDF
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A Day That Will Live in Infamy

Pearl Harbor is Attacked

 

At 0755 Hawaii time on Dec 7, 1941, the US was attacked by the Japanese Navy on a quiet Sunday morning. Of the 2403 people that were killed many never knew what was happening. This attack would plunge us into WWII ultimately costing the US over 400,000 lives. This conflict in history was the turning point where the spread of socialism and widespread tyranny was halted. Those of the Greatest Generation arose from the ashes and heeded the nation's battle cry and responded with a vengeance that had never been seen before. Below is a list of what was lost or damaged:

6 Battleships damaged
2 Battleships Destroyed
3 cruisers Damaged
3 Destroyers damages
4 Auxiliaries damaged and 1 destroyed
Aircraft: 158 damaged 169 Destroyed

Remember Pearl Harbor and all that followed thereafter 79 years ago today.

(Credit to H Hoosier)

THE SHOWBOAT PODCAST

EPISODES ... New Episodes every month


About Episode 1

A brief history of the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA and how the Ship was saved through a statewide grassroots campaign. We will also explore how the Battleship earned the name “Showboat.” 


About Episode 2

What does it take to maintain a 729-foot long, 45,000-ton vessel every day? What are the challenges? How are major repairs managed? In this episode, we discover how Showboat is kept in “ship shape” condition for another generation of visitors.


Click here for links for the Podcasts...http://www.battleshipnc.com/the-showboat-podcast/

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Help Us Support the Showboat

Giving Tuesday ... December 1, 2020

The end of a very challenging year is quickly approaching and like many of you, the

Friends of the Battleship North Carolina have set their sights on putting 2020 behind us.

But as challenging as the year has been, the Friends have remained mission-focused in

support of the Showboat.

 https://battleshipncfriends.com/donate

Download PDF

Membership Has Its Privileges

Become a Member TODAY!!!

FRIENDS OF THE BATTLESHIP

Consider a Friends membership and be an official part of the most decorated World War II battleship. Memberships start at $15. Details: https://battleshipncfriends.com 

Shopping online? Shop with Amazon Smile https://smile.amazon.com and 0.5% of your Amazon purchase is donated to the charity of your choice. Choose Friends of the Battleship North Carolina and support the Battleship — at no cost to you!


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The New Showboat Podcast

 

Listened to the Battleship's new podcast yet?⁠

⁠

This is short clip from the first episode of The Showboat Podcast, "Saving the Showboat." ⁠

⁠

Listen to the full episode to learn⁠

 Why is she called "Showboat"?⁠

 How did she end up in Wilmington?⁠

  What did school children and Walter Winchell have to do with it?⁠

⁠

Search your favorite podcast app for Showboat 

Find out more

Meet The Showboat

A Virtual Learning Experience

 

Meet the Showboat from Home!

The "Meet the Showboat" series is a great way to interact with the Battleship from the comfort of your own home.  Be sure to look at all of the topics that are available--there is something for everyone! 


Battleship volunteers RDML Ron Henderson, USN, Retired, LtCol John Munn USMC, Retired, CDR Charles Gore USN, Retired,  LCDR Mike Bowers, USN, Retired, and Alex Dydula invite you to join them in an opportunity to "Zoom In" with an expert on Battleship NORTH CAROLINA. Each virtual program lasts 30-45 minutes followed by time to engage with the presenter. The programs are free but online registration is required as limited space is available.  https://tickets.battleshipncfriends.org/Info.aspx?EventID=18 


In 2020, the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA received a NC CARES: Humanities Relief Grant from the North Carolina Humanities Council, www.nchumanities.org. Funding for NC CARES has been provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act economic stabilization plan. 

 

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Welcome Back

Covid -19 Update

 

SEE MORE OF THE SHIP! Under Phase 2.5 of Governor Cooper's plan to ease COVID-19 restrictions, the Battleship will welcome visitors to the full public tour route starting tomorrow (Saturday, September 5).

Procedures remain in place to help ensure the safety of staff and visitors, including
* Offering only self-guided tours of the full public tour route.
* Requiring visitors to wear a cloth mask over their nose and mouth. Non-medical masks, bandanas, or scarves may be worn.
* Limiting the number of visitors allowed in the gift shop and closing the visitors center.
* Welcoming only non-cash (credit card) payments.


Adult admission will return to $14, with visitors offered the group, child, military or ADA rate as applicable.

Operating hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. every day, the last ticket sold at 4 p.m.

We look forward to seeing you soon!

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Celebrating VJ Day

Work Continues on the Hull Repair

Hull Repair - Steel Replacement Has Begun

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Phase II Begins

Contractors are getting ready to begin the Phase II hull repairs.  Steel will be replaced on the port side bow section.   Phase I was the construction of the cofferdam which allows us to drain the water from around the ship so Phase II can begin. Construction is expected to be completed by 15 December. 

Video

A History of the Showboat

Keeping our Volunteers Safe

  Masks for the Battleship North Carolina Volunteers

by Eric Mens


Under a cloudy but rain-free sky, the Brunswick Forest Stitchers visited the Battleship North Carolina Memorial in Wilmington to make a special presentation.  The women's group, known as the Shelmore Stitchers, from Leland’s Brunswick Forest community, had made 80 personal use masks for the volunteers who work on the ship.  The presentation was made to Michael Zalob, Chairman of the Battleship North Carolina Friends.  Michael coordinates the work of community volunteers who devote their time and efforts to work at the ship in various capacities.


Nine from the group attended the presentation on Wednesday, June 17th.  The event brought the total number of masks delivered to the Battleship North Carolina to 105.  A first batch of 25 masks, made by Nancy D’Abrosca and Marilyn O’Brien, was presented to the staff and gift shop workers on the day that the ship opened to the public.  The Memorial had been closed as a result of the COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings.  Eight women made the second batch of 80 at the request of Michael Zalob.  The Battleship North Carolina Friends chose the distinctive star-decorated red, white, and blue material so that the visiting public could distinguish the ship volunteers from others on board.  


To ensure that the masks were identical, kits were assembled with directions for each of the eight women who had committed to making ten each.  Upon completion, Nancy cleaned the masks and packaged them along with filters and instructions on how the wearers should care for their new masks.


The community mask-makers have been busy making and donating masks since April 2020.  Organized by Nancy D’Abrosca and Cindy Bryant, the group consists of 20 material donors, cutters, and seamstresses.  The group has made and presented over 800 masks to various local non-profit organizations such as Brunswick Senior Resources, Inc., Brunswick Family Assistance, Brunswick Cove Living Center, patients of NHRMC in Brunswick Forest, the New Chapter Book Club, as well as for staff and customers at local small businesses such as Hickman’s Pharmacy and others.    


Credit for their work and commitment to community goes to Lynn Keller and Debby White, who donated time to cut and prepare materials.  The American Sewing Guild, Diane Gray, and Sandy Rueda, donated materials to the group's overall efforts.  The seamstresses also donated materials and include Arliss Bailey, Marena Brons, Cindy Bryant, Ann Carbone, Nancy D’Abrosca, Kathleen Giadone, Diane Guididas, Cornelia Maxted, Dara McCarthy, Marilyn O'Brien, Elizabeth Ord, Suzy Pearson, Barbara Sloyer, Anne Tapaszi, and Joan Zeltmann.



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The Brunswick forest Stitchers 

Welcome to the Virtual Balleship

Download the Battleship NORTH CAROLINA app from Google Play or the App Store to enrich your visit to the Battleship or to learn more at home.


  • View the collections.
  • Play Battleship games.
  • Watch videos.
  • And more!

Find out more

#NCFirsts

This week we've been highlighting #NCFirsts and some of the ways that the NORTH CAROLINA led the way


  • First to have our secondary battery -- 5-inch guns -- in rotating armored mounts rather than casemates (small openings in the hull).
  • Launched with a superstructure, whereas earlier battleships had tripods and cage masts.
  • First with a sweeping flush deck, unbroken from bow to stern.

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Daily Happenings on the "Showboat"

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