The fact is that the navy is SINKING all these retired carriers. It is a SHAME!! These ships let us sleep in peace as they patroled the oceans of the world. The FIRST thing the President ask in an emergency is “Where are the Carriers?” They are the 911 of our country.

Please, she will only be a few miles south of you folks in the Sea-Tac area. I hope you will watch our progress, support us with your donations and allow future generations to come, to see what a great memorial Ranger will be. She sailed in harms way, now it is time to let her rest and serve in peace, for our kids and grandkids.

God Bless America and each one or you!

John Adams
jm0418@yahoo.com

On the surface it may look like a big gray tub with a short street slapped on top. But to someone who’s been on one of our Navy’s many ships, calling it home for one it’s deployments, it’s a piece of their past and a piece of our nation’s history.

My step-father served in the Korean War on a frigate. Several years ago I took him to fleetweek in Seattle where we had a chance to tour the deck of ship similar to the one he served on. Even though it was Seafair and the airshow was going on over Lake Washington, all he wanted to do was get to the waterfront to see the ships. Only his age kept us from staying on those ships until they chased us off. An uncle, who was laid to rest a year and a half ago, also served in the Navy during the Korean war.

Maybe if you tried looking with your heart instead of just your eyes you’d understand its beauty. And by the way, thanks for supporting my original point.

I think the Ranger was a tough fit, but I don’t think it was impossible. From what I’ve heard the opposition (official or citizen) made it more difficult and were able to put it over top and win the day, which lost it for those of us who care.

It’s encouraging that there was more support than I first realized. Too bad it wasn’t enough.

I appreciate our discussions. Seldom do I find someone who will stick to facts and not let things deteriorate to name-calling and insults.

As to the above, a couple last thoughts: first, after checking around online, I am high on my 500K estimate for annual attendance. From what I can tell the USS Lexington carrier in Corpus Christi does about 325,000. That might be comparable, especially given the very large military population in our area. I do believe that the chance to walk around a carrier is a unique and fascinating experience and would serve as a tourist attraction for a huge geographic region far larger than our county or even the Puget Sound.

The other point is that you’re still assuming officials were looking for a reason not to put the Ranger here. I really did not find that to be the case. Everyone I talked to saw the good fit the carrier would have had in Tacoma.

To even get close to a valid comparision between art museums and an aircraft carrier museum we’d have to combine all of San Diego’s other museums and figure the percentage that went to the Midway. Then total up all of the museums in Tacoma and take that Midway percentage and apply it to that. Just one exhibit at the San Diego Museum of Man had 400,000 visitors. The San Diego Museum of Art has 400,000 per year. The city has many more museums. Care to do the math?

San Diego and San Francisco are 500 miles apart. San Diego is only 120 miles Los Angeles, but San Francisco is 380 miles from LA, making San Diego a much more likely trip.

By comparison, 500,000 visitors for the Ranger in Tacoma is a ridiculous figure.

There’s also the question of mode of transportation. Museums attract a lot of school field trips and tour buses. Factoring out parking for cars for all of the bus riders included in those numbers and factoring in buses instead brings the number down.

There’s a common practice in politics of hanging a bunch of amendments on a bill that will be certain to torpedo it in a vote. Parking sounds like it might have been the amendment used to torpedo the Ranger’s home in Tacoma.

It sounds like so many other projects that are killed, not because they’re actually not viable, but because the people trying to kill it needle it to death. In this case it sounds like it was continually obstructed by blocking viable locations. I’m aware of more that was going on behind the scenes than what you’ve mentioned in your comments. I’ll try to get permission to print some quotes. Until then remember the welcome that the USS Olympia got from Olympia. The ship that carried it’s name wasn’t allowed to dock there. Tacoma is just up the road and is influenced by some of the same people.

Make all of the excuses you’d like. A naval vessel has a lot more to do with Tacoma and it’s history than a glass-blower and a few of his students. That one got built.

I will say, though, that it is encouraging that there was support for the project on some levels. But one of the things you have to remember is that bureaucrats and politicians are happy to say one thing to your face and then work against you behind the scenes.