Here is the latewst on the Navy Birthday celebration that the Adams folks attended in Jacksonville. If you click on the link that John has provided you will be able to also see photos of the event and where the ship will be located once we get it there.



> Subj:Re: Jax Weekend Photos
> Date:10/16/2008 10:59:37 AM Eastern Daylight Time
> From:BERTWATSON (ACVA DIRECTOR & JHNSA PRESIDENT)
>
> Hey guys and the occasional gal:
>
> Here is my recap of the weekend and the re-cap provided by Craig Bernat below is awesome. There is little I can add to it, although I will try.
>
> I had the opportunity to corner a city councilman who had the misfortune of crossing my path in front of our tent. If you want some of the "Inside Baseball" briefing on the conversation, feel free to contact Wayne of Craig. Suffice to say that I "shared" my dismay with him that. although the city had formally endorsed the project, when a state agency called the city, there was no knowledge and no support articulated. Ya'll know how well that sat with me! More info on that as it becomes available.
>
> Another two folks came up to help us from farther South in FL - Chuck "Irish", who found out about the weekend on Friday - packed a little bag and drove his Harley up first thing Sat to get here by noon. He brought with him action photos of a ship under fire - the Stoddert from Viet Nam, cruise books, etc. And Bob Hoffman came up from Central FL with his wife and helped as well. Tim Nightengale was there and Roger Perkins made copies for handouts and helped as well. Given that amount of support, we were very pleased and grateful that these folks were there to help because numerous times we were ALL engrossed in conversations with different visitors. One of the coordinators of the event came by and expressed that we were the most popular booth out there (Naval Order, Navy League, USO and us). He spoke the truth.
>
> The Sunday paper had a "B" section front page photo that showed the crowd, long lines and interest in the Stephen W. Groves FFG ship. We are going to demonstrate to city and business leaders that the Adams CLASS museum will be no different- okay maybe better!!!!
>
> All-in-all an awesome weekend for the Navy, the Adams CLASS museum and Jacksonville. A great thank you to Wayne MIsenar (ACVA Director) and Craig Bernat! Now on to the Blue

Angels show in two weeks!


REPORT FROM CRAIG BERNAT (ACVA TREASURER FROM PA)
> Some of the pictures are from my room at Crowne Plaza looking across the river to Jax Landing and the ship. The others were taken from the Main St Bridge looking toward the ship and the booths. I attempted to zip the files and send all of them. That e-mail failed becasue of the size. I selected a few pictures out of the many that show how large the lines were and the ship.The pictures of the line of folks waiting to see the ship were taken from the Main Street Bridge. What the photos don't show is the line of people extending under the bridge and in front of Jax Landing. This is another several hundred feet of people.
>
> The Weekend recap.......
> Thursday morning I picked up that lobbiest fellow in Fairfax, VA. (Bert Watson) with a truck full of goodies. (Donated items from USS Requim Museum in Western PA.) Bert's job was to keep me awake for the drive, but just like a kid he spent the entire drive until dark e-mailing, texting, and talking with his headset on via cell phone taking care of ACVA and his own business issues. We arrived in Jax and I checked in at the hotel around 10:30pm.
>
> Friday Bert and I were to get together before lunch at the Jax Landing to set up the equipment in a vacant store front. Due to his office and cell phone ringing off the hook with ACVA and business calls, we were unable to get the truck unloaded until 5:30pm. Once we were down to unloading the 3 repeaters the sky opened up and we got drenched. Bert, being the trooper he is, took the plastic covered repeater on a cart in the pouring rain and pushed it to our tent location by the ship. After some butt kissing with a LT on the Groves they agreed to keep an eye on it until morning. We then rushed to get to River City Brewing to meet with all those that came to the are to help ACVA for the weekend.
>
> Saturday morning we got off to a slow start and eventually got everything set up. No rain, but hot. Rather than hiding the repeater under the tent, we placed it in the walk traffic flow in front of the tent. There was always a crowd of parents and kids around it and those that past by did so because of the crowds we had around the repeater. We had the kids in awe when we opened the top up showing the inside of the repeater to the them. Many people had mentioned seeing the small equipment display inside Jax Landing. We tag teamed them. As I was showing off the big video game to the kids, Wayne and Tim Nightengale were handing out the information and donation forms. We stayed in to the evening and then wrapped up for the day. Wayne and I then held a mini board meeting at Hooters over $10 margaritas! The line for the ship was several blocks long and thousands were turned away.
>
> Sunday we had our stuff together and were ready to go earlier than Saturday. This day was the same as Saturday. Bert was in and around both days talking to important contacts about our efforts. The river taxi want us there and wants a stop at the end of the pier once it is built for Adams. Again several thousand turned away from the Groves tour. After we tore down everything, we had another board meeting at Hooters and spent the evening eating wings and discussing film.
>
> Great weekend. We got nothing but support and great idea of having Adams on the waterfront. I think the Navy Birthday Weekend would be a great annual event. We should work with other local groups to make it happen. We also should try to get the one next year about the Adams effort. Get another navy ship in a newer DDG perhaps, and try to get a foriegn navy to come as well. Slowly make it bigger and better.

This is the latest news on the efforts to find a home for the Adams. If you can afford to donate anything to the cause please do- We have a long way to go to raise the needed money.

The news follows:
To ACVA Board and ACVA Ship Reps and Interested Members:

The ACVA continues to pursue our goal to attain the USS Charles F. Adams
and have it become a museum ship in Jacksonville, Florida.

The ACVA met the NAVSEA deadline and submitted our initial NAVSEA Ship
Application on March 31, 2008. It was several books and about 700+ pages.
After months NAVSEA responded with about 17 questions on many subjects.
We ask for face to face meetings with NAVSEA in Philadelphia, to better
understand what they wanted and found they were changing some application
items and format and while they considered our application a very
credible document, they ask if we would resubmit the entire application again
using the newer format. We did so and submitted it as a completely revised
document before the deadline of Jan. 31, 2009. This time it amounted to several
volumes totaling about 1000 pages.

One thing we changed in our updated application was the timeline needed for
fundraising. We recognize that due to the economic downturn we cannot expect
to raise pledges, cash and/or in kind services, of $10-12 MIL in the next
two years and we increased our fundraising timeline into 2012. That means
getting the ship from NAVSEA will be later as well.

NAVSEA responded in mid April with a letter asking us to elaborate on two items:
Fundraising Plans, and Proof of the location to place the ship. We have until
mid July to return some answers to NAVSEA.

1. Fundraising - They want to see more about when and how we will be doing
the fundraising so they can be certain we will be able to run and manage the
ship once they give it to us. They want to see much more money in the bank,
show pledges in writing and see what companies agree to commit work or in
kind services to our project.

Bert Watson, JHNSA President and ACVA Director in Jacksonville, and Bob
Branco, ACVA President with several other ACVA Board members, are working
to specifically identify our fundraising plans which we want to implement. However,
we need to wait until after we receive "approval from NAVSEA" saying our application
has been found to be acceptable and feasible. We have people and companies
willing to commit and supply services but they are not willing to do so until they
know NAVSEA has given us approval on our application. This produces a catch
22 situation which we have to work around. 


2. Location for the ship - The location we have discussed and identified is next
to the Acosta Bridge in Jacksonville and we need to have signed paperwork
from the City of Jacksonville to formally give us the space.

Bert Watson is working on getting the location specified in writing from the
Jacksonville Council. Due to changes in the Jacksonville Mayors office one of
our supporters left and in addition a new person took over as chair of the
Jacksonville Environmental Development Commission (JEDC). We have to meet
again with the Mayors office and JEDC to make them aware what we are
specifically trying to do. We heard about several studies being done, we think
by the JEDC, for a possible development of the area we proposed for the ship
and are trying to find out what affect this might have on our plans. We hope the
space issue can be resolved and concluded to our satisfaction and we can have
something in writing to submit to NAVSEA before their July deadline.         

Other items
Atlantic Marine Shipbuilding Co. (Mayport/Jacksonville) support us and want to do
work for us and recently purchased piers and a dry dock near the Phil. shipyard.
We hope this will work in our favor when were ready to move Adams and put it in
dry dock to repair the hull prior to a tow to Florida. If we only have to move the
ship a very short distance from the Navy Yard to do the initial dry dock our costs
can be greatly reduced.

ACVA was in Phil. PA. last fall and participated in a strip ship week on several
ships. We were able to acquire many items that we were allowed to store on the
Adams with NAVSEA permission. We will be receiving several radar antennas as
material donations from NAVSEA as they are removed from the USS AUSTIN after
it gets to the scrappers in Texas in several months. We arranged to have these
antennas brought back to Florida to be displayed at a Largo, Florida military
museum until we are ready to reinstall them on the Adams mast and antenna
pedestals.

ACVA is ready to participate in another strip ship event in Phil. Pa. May 11-15
where two Yorktown class cruisers are available. We will see what we can find to
use on ADAMS from these ships. We have am inventory of missing items on the
ADAMS and anything we can find will help keep our restoration costs down. The
USS Forrestal is to be brought to Phil. during 2009 and we considered asking to
go aboard in Boston for strip ship in May 2009, however, NAVSEA informed us
that much of the equipment was taken by the Saratoga people and a lot of
equipment had been removed from the ship for replacement prior to the decision
made to scrap the ship. Not much is expected to remain for us to get from her
in the future.

ACVA has the Environmental Service Co. (ESI) in Jacksonville under contract to
attain the needed Local, State and Federal Environmental permits to place the
ship at the location designated in Jacksonville. This will take many months.

Donations checks and credit card donations continue to come in and we are
happy to see more support each week. We accept Visa and M/C credit card
donations on our web site. Checks come to me in the mail for processing.
To join the ACVA you only have to submit a completed Member Application
which can be found on our ACVA web site. If you also send a check or make a
credit card donation of $25 or more you are assigned an ACVA Plankowner
number. All donations over the $25 go to our Project Jump Start fundraiser and
your name appears on a list of donors on our web site. All groups and individuals
donating $1000 or more go onto our "Major Donor List" on the web page. This
can be cumulative donations over any time period. 

I hope you have a great ships reunion. We have 700+ ACVA Members and 385
ACVA Plankowners from all Adams Class ships including the 3 German and
3 Australian ships.         

If anyone has questions they can email mew or send them via regular mail and I
will answer them as fast and as best I can.


Dave Myerly
Adams Class Veterans Association, Inc.
ACVA Executive Secretary

Keeper of the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2 Crew List
USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2 Plankowner RD2 1960-1962

Email - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
5 Bush Road
Denville, New Jersey 07834-2906

A person who forgets it's history is bound to to repeat it's history. All thru the southeast U.S. scool kids will get to see our history first hand. What a blessing.

Al Hands, this is the latest developments from the ACVA on the Adams. Aany help would be greatly appreciated. They have some novel ways to donate. We have a hull plate reserved for us, we need to collect $2500.00

Also any of you who went to Brownsville and have items off of the cochrane should be able to donate them to the Adams with a note that they came off of the 21. We are most likly the only crew who ever go to visit their old ship before dismemberment so may have some needed items, Horace you remember the signal light you packaged up for me, I will donate that if this all comes about.

Please read the information below on how you can help.


An IRS 501(c) (3) Non Profit Organization
www.adamsclassddgvets.org

July 22, 2009

Adams Class Museum Supporters,

On behalf of everyone involved in this project, we "THANK YOU" for your generous contributions to date. Your donations have to this point gone towards the long process
of submitting our Donation Application for ex-USS Charles F. Adams. Including engineering surveys, marketing studies, environmental studies and permitting.  Our
ACVA team has donated over $650,000 dollars of cash and in-kind labor to support
the project in developing the Donation Application and obtaining all types of shipboard equipment to restore the CHARLES F. ADAMS to her seagoing appearance once the
Navy donates the ship.

We apologize for the slowdown of recent updates.  We have been working diligently
to meet NAVSEA imposed deadlines since getting the application accepted and approved is key to taking the ADAMS home to Jacksonville, her old homeport.  The biggest NAVSEA requirement is that all necessary funding, both cash and in-kind contributions, be in place before the ship can be awarded. For the project to move forward this issue must now be addressed. Just to dry dock and repair the hull and address key safety issues on board DDG-2 will cost over $3 million dollars. In addition, volunteer repair
and refurbishment work is planned to accomplish much of the rest of the restoration including preservation and painting the ship, restoring compartments and equipment
inside the ship.

We are at a point where we must begin raising over $4 million to be used for the restoration of the ship and establish the ship museum. To accomplish this goal we will need you and your shipmates' generous support. The ACVA & JHNSA are jointly promoting several fundraising programs that we hope you can contribute to.

HULL PLATE SPONSORSHIP
This program is designed for individual, groups and business participants. There are
about 1245 (4X8 ft) hull plates on an Adams Class ship (sides, bottom and rear). All
funds raised with this program will go towards the restoration of the ship. The cost to sponsor / pledge each hull plate is $2500. There are various payment programs available
to meet your budget. Please visit the ACVA website at www.adamsclassddgvets.org
for details on the payment plans and Hull Plate Sponsorship Form. The form is also
attached to this email. You may also contact me via phone or e-mail, which is listed
below, and I will forward a sponsorship form to you. You may pay by check or go to
the credit card donation page on the ACVA website to pay by credit card.


        During the recent USS Lawrence DDG-4 Association reunion in June three Crewmembers stepped forward and agreed to sponsor/pledges for three hull plates
for a total of $7500. I ask all ACVA Ship Reps to propose to their groups to sponsor
at least one hull plate, perhaps the one representing their ships hull number. Hull
plates 2 to 24 are reserved for the Adams Class DDG's to sponsor. The best way
to make this work is not to use your association's funds, but ask your members to
mail their tax-deductible donations to a central person to be put towards your ships
hull plate. Our goal, as Adam's DDG crewmen, from DDG-2 to 24 is $57,500 or one
plate per ship. We can do the same for USS Gyatt DDG-1 and the three German
ships DDG28, 29 & 30 and three Aussie ships, DDG38, 39 and 41. We should be
proud enough to sponsor / pledge more then one hull plate per ship. You can help
us broaden this program by visiting your local veterans groups, VFW, American
Legion, AMVETS, and others and seek support from former Navy and other service veterans.


YARD O' CONCRETE
        This program is designed for individuals, groups, and businesses and is to cover
the cost of pier refurbishment, upgrades and/or building a new pier as required to place
the Adams permanently in Jacksonville. FL. We ask participants to sponsor at least
ONE CUBIC YARD of concrete for $150.  There are various payment programs available
to meet your budget. Please visit the ACVA website at  www.adamsclassddgvets.org
for details on the payment plans and the Yard O' Concrete Sponsorship Form. The
form is also attached to this email. You may also contact me via phone or e-mail,
which is listed below, and I will forward a sponsorship form to you. You may pay by
check or go to the credit card donation page on the ACVA website to pay by credit
card.

          ACVA and JHNSA are both rolling out these two programs in Jacksonville as
well and we are planning to have several other major fundraising events for Jacksonville beginning in fall 2009.
     
        We are contracting with a well known Jacksonville events company to handle
several large "turn key" events for us. Under discussion are Sports Memorabilia
Shows & Auctions, Bid for Bachelors, Casino Nights, Texas Hold'em Tournaments, Celebrity Waiter Dinners, Golf Tournaments, Motorcycle Events and others. There
are two major events we hope to hold that require major planning, a Motorcycle
Event and a Major Concert.


JACKSONVILLE, FL. - MOTORCYCLE EVENT & POKER RUN
      This event is to take place about late October or early November 2009 and we
are working to firm up the dates, get event proposals, and have the planning company
contract completed. We have less than 3 months to put this together and make it a success. There will be a 100-mile poker run with prizes awarded for the best card
hands. We hope to have it arranged so anyone lucky enough to pull a Royal Flush
will win a brand new Harley=Davidson. There will be food, beverages, and entertainment throughout the day. We are checking on the availability of a celebrity to lead the bike
ride and chair the event. We will need help in the area leading up to and during the days
of the event. If you can be in Jacksonville to volunteer, please contact me. The ACVA needs your donations now.  There are many up front costs to cover to hold these events and with a maximum turn out of motorcycles, riders, and local Jacksonville, folks we
can expect to raise over $100,000 for the restoration of the Adams. Your $20, $50,
$100, and/or $500 donations, if you have really deep pockets, can help make this
event a success and allow us to begin planning for the next event. Please donate
now!  If you are able to assist in any of these fundraising activities please contact
me as soon as possible.


        We have also been busy obtaining and tracking down equipment for CHARLES
F. ADAMS that has been either been removed from the ship or "Demilled". "Demilled"
is when equipment is intentionally broken by the Navy to make the equipment unusable.
I am coordinating with several locations and companies to find and obtain equipment.
I will need assistance, probably on short notice, to remove and transport equipment
from the former Gunners Mate School at the Naval Training Center in Great Lakes,
IL. The school is being torn down and buildings demolished. If you are able to assist
please contact me soon. I don't have the dates yet, but I can tell you that we have,
at most, a 30-day window to get the equipment or it goes to trash. You will need to
supply your own tools, transportation, meals, and lodging to Great Lakes at your own expense. We can provide a form to use for taxes to cover everything you spend except meals.

      This is all we have to report at the moment. More will be coming, just give us
some time. Remember, if you want to walk the decks of an Adams Class DDG
again, now is the time to help with funding and the hull repairs.


ALL DONATION CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO "ACVA, INC."
      Persons sending a completed ACVA Member Application with a check and/or
Credit Card Donation of $25 or more will become ACVA Members and ACVA
Plankowners. You can locate our ACVA Member Application and/or Credit Card
Donation page on our web site.   


Membership Plankowners and/or "REGULAR DONATION CHECKS" should be
sent to:
ACVA Executive Secretary
Dave Myerly
5 Bush Road
Denville, New Jersey 07834-2906


HULL PLATE and/or YARD O' CONCRETE Donation checks should be "MARKED
TO SHOW THE FUNDRAISER THEY ARE FOR" and sent to Craig Bernat at the
address shown below.  Credit Card donations may be made to these fundraisers
and is available on our web site.


If you have any questions please contact Craig Bernat by e-mail or phone.

Sincerely,

Craig T. Bernat
ACVA Treasurer & Director Fundraising
President, USS Lawrence Association (DDG-4)           

135 Zurenda Lane
Mineral Point, PA 15942-4505
814-322-4150
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

All Hands, please read below and do what you can to support this important event

                                              September 18, 2009
All Adams Class Veterans and Supporters:

The Adams Class Veterans Association, Inc. and the Jacksonville Historic Naval
Ship Association, Inc., invite you to be part of a special event commemorating the
service of the Adams Class Commanding Officers and DDG Veterans during the
Week of Valor celebration in Jacksonville, Florida. This will take place between
November 4-11, 2009. Please accept my apologies for not addressing this to each
of you individually, but time is short and we need to move quickly to make this
memorable opportunity possible.

The week begins with a Thursday, November 5th Reception as our Adams Class
Veterans arrive. The highlight of our celebration will be a Friday night November
6th, at a Reception and Dinner, at the Omni Jacksonville Hotel, honoring all Adams
Class DDG Commanding Officers and DDG Veterans who served on these ships
over thirty years of naval service.  Memories of the 23 USA DDG ships and DDG
ships in Australia and Germany and veterans who served in the Cold War, Vietnam,
and crises all over the globe will be shared at this special event. This event will be
attended by many flag officers who commanded these ships that revolutionized
surface warfare with modern technology. There will be a major focus on fund
raising to support the Adams Class Naval Ship Museum. The Omni Jacksonville
Hotel is providing rooms for our guests at a special rate of $79.00 a night, single
or double occupancy, if reserved before October 22nd.

Anyone having memorabilia from your Adams Class service including cruise
books, photos of ships in action, videos and other special historic items and
would be interested in sharing them for display during this event, and/or at the
Jacksonville Landing JHNSA display, please contact our Jacksonville ACVA
Director and local coordinator to arrange to send or bring items.
            Wayne Misenar
            7335 San Pedro Road
            Jacksonville, FL 32217
            904 367 0872
            This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Other events of the Week of Valor include:
            Saturday, November 7th
                    US Navy Blue Angels Air show
                    Tour USS KLAKRING FFG-42
                    Grand Opening of Adams Class Naval Ship Museum
                          at Jacksonville Landing

            Sunday, November 8th
                    Attend Jacksonville Jaguars NFL game

For more information go to our ACVA web site at:  www.adamsclassddgvets.org
or call Destination Planning Corporation at 904 249 3729.

For hotel reservations The Omni Jacksonville reservations center can be reached at
1-888-444-6664. Ask for the "Adams Class" rate. Reservations for transportation
to/from the airport is available. The Omni web site link for reservations is:  www.omnihotels.com/FindAHotel/Jacksonvil...sClassReunion11.aspx

To get this very special rate, please make your reservation no later than October
22nd. Use the RSVP form (below and attached) and indicate YES or NO for each
event you are interested in attending. The form is marked YES to start.  Either,
print and mark the form by hand, and send regular mail to the Destination Planning
Corporation address, or, cut and paste the form into an email and send to the
Destination Planning, Attn. Jeff Tawney. Destination Planning will contact you if
they have questions concerning payment.

Destination Planning Corporation phone 904 249 3729.
Email contact - This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 
Mailing Address
            Destination Planning
            Attn. Jeff Tawney
            11330 - 2 St. Johns Industrial Parkway Suite 2
            Jacksonville, FL  32246


If you have additional questions, please contact me by email or phone.

Sincerely,

Dave Myerly
ACVA Executive Secretary
Adams Class Veterans Association, Inc. (ACVA, Inc.)

5 Bush Road
Denville, New Jersey 07834-2906
973 625 4474
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.


                  Adams Class Naval Ship Museum
                  Commanding Officer Commemoration
            Reception and Dinner - Friday, November 6, 2009
                                  RSVP Form

Yes      Reception Thursday, November 5, 2009
            $20 per person - Price includes hors d'oeuvres and first cocktail
            Venue to be determined - 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
            Adams Class Veterans and Sponsors

Yes      Reception and Dinner Friday, November 6, 2009
            $70 per person - Omni Jacksonville Hotel (Black Tie or Suit and Tie)
            Reception - 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM
            Dinner - 7:30 PM to 9:00 PM
            Dessert - 9:00 PM to 11:00 PM
            Price includes two drinks and the following:

Yes      Saturday, November 7, 2009
            Blue Angels Air Show 9:00 AM to 3:30 PM
            Tour USS KLAKRING FFG-42
                  Times to be determined by Commanding Officer
            Reception and Grand Opening of Adams Class Naval Ship Museum
                    at Jacksonville Landing - 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM

Yes      Sunday, November 8, 2009
            Jacksonville Jaguars NFL Football Game, Jaguars Stadium
            Estimated Price $40

Number in your party _____ $ ________ Total

Name(s) ___________________    ______________________

Number of each Entrée Selection for group:
Petite Filet ______    Mahi Mahi ______

Address __________________________________________

City __________________ State ____ Zip Code _________

Phone Number ______________ Email _________________

Please indicate shirt/blouse sizes for you and any guest:
Sizes (S M L XL XXL) You __ Guest __

Please return this RSVP or email your reservation to:
            This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Please make checks payable to  JHNSA and send to:
            Destination Planning Corporation
            Attn. Jeff  Tawney
            11330 -2 St. Johns Industrial Parkway Suite 2
            Jacksonville, Florida 32246

To make event reservations using a credit card
Call Destination Planning (Jeff Tawney) at 904 249 3729

If you are unable to attend but would like to make a tax deductible
contribution to the Adams Class Naval Ship Museum, please mail
your donation check to:
            JHNSA
            9917 Margate Hills Road
            Jacksonville, Florida 32256

For more information on available tours and sightseeing options or
special transportation to/from airport, please go to
www.adamsclassddgvets.org or call 904 249 3729

Here is a message about the latest goings on concerning saving the Adams. There is also a link at the end of this message that contains pictures from the last open house on the Adams, was a real walk down memory lane.

I have moved the picture link to just below, you may have to copy and paste to your browser:

www.adamsclassmuseum.org/Documents/Ship_Visit_May_18_2010.pdf

From: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
> Date: Mon, 24 May 2010 19:16:26 -0400
> Subject: USS Adams Museum Ship Project and latest Photos
> To: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
>
> Fellow Naval Officers and friends this email has a link to a ppt series that was put together
> last week after we had a group of four men go on board the USS ADAMS (DDG-2). This is
> a guided missile destroyer that first operated in the waters of the world in 1962 and the ship
> retired in 1992. Our intrepid ship visitorsluggedold equipment from the other inactive
> ships in Philly to the ADAMS. Craig Bernat put this together. The hull looks a little
> rugged with the rust stains but as you will read on the link page, the ship visitors found
> the hull and internal spaces in solid shape and restorable.
>
> The ADAMS is the last (and the First in Class)of the 23 DDG's built for the Navy. The
> Germans have one of their 3 DDG's as a museum ship, but the 3Australian ships have been
> dismantled. We have had a retired Australian CPO with us at the Adams Class Visitor
> Center in Jacksonville for three weeks and a German couple just stopped into see the Visitor
> Center on their way to Orlando!
>
> There are two non-profits working this museum ship project. The Adams Class Veterans
> Association (ACVA) www.Adamsclassddgvets.org is the oldest(2004) and is currently
> collecting funds for hull shell plating replacement andyards of concrete for the pier. You
> can become a member of this organization.
>
> The Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA) is a little over two years old
> and is working hard to grow its Board,and collate the local political support necessary for
> the Navy to release the ship toJacksonville. Major fundraisingwill commence in June as
> the City Council votes to agree to a minimum 10 year mooring commitment to berth the ship
> downtown adjacent to the Acosta Bridge
> (I-95). See www.adamsclassmuseum.org for more details and you can make a safe
> contribution to our effort right on line.
>
> Please email me for details on how you can get involved.
>
> There are essentially three pieces of the funding pie: the largest being the 400' pier including
> surveys and permits here in Jacksonville; dry docking, hull inspection, removal of the
> screws and two PAIR sonar domes, checking the hull openings and fittings, painting the hull
> up to the forward mast radar platformand towing the ship to Jacksonville. The radars,
> masts, gun barrels and other items will be reinstalled, painted and stenciled as necessary.
> We would like to locate a 26' Motor Whaleboat and a Captain's Gig, and dummy 5"/54 cal
> gun ammo and dummy torpedoes. When I was CO of Little Creek I used to have a boat
> yard there with such small craft, but will have to find out where all those craft went. We
> have three Training Missiles.
>
> We are looking for any of you who has a company that would like to support our effort, help
> us yourselves and/or send the word out around the country to all former Sailors, provide in-
> kind work or products, help finish up the top side upkeep when it gets to Jax, provide any
> information about a Charitable Foundation or a Grant Writer who could help us speed up the
> process to raise the dollars.We will need angled ladders to be built and installed to replace
> the vertical ladders on the weather decks.
>
> Remember the countless hours these fine ships provided as Plane Guard forAircraft
> Carriers, firing their two Gun Mounts against shore and sea targets and providing Air
> Defense for their fellow ships in the Task Groups.
>
> We know that prices are much more reasonable now for pier construction, and other
> expenses, thus we need to find the right companies, individuals and foundations to help
> "Bring the ADAMS Back Home to Jacksonville". Keyser Marston -the same company that
> ran the business case numbers for the very successful USS Midway (CV-41) ship museum in
> San Diego -has concurred with a second study that agreed that this museum project will
> work here financially in the River City. We envision this ship illuminated at night with a
> newly designed LED type light system, a new hull paint system and even the mooring lines
> have already been promised by a local company!
>
> Think of your ship reunion, a group of school childrenor a public gathering on the decks of
> the ADAMS enjoying the setting or rising sun just like you used to do in an overseas port!
> GO NAVY!
>
> HERE IS THE LINK TO THE LATEST PHOTOS OF THE "CHARLEY DEUCE".
> www.adamsclassmuseum.org/Documents/Ship_Visit_May_18_2010.pdf
> All the best, John
>
> John E. O'Neil, Jr.
> Captain USN (Ret.)
> Executive Director
> Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA)
> 1372 Windsor Harbor Drive
> Jacksonville, Florida 32225
> 904-221-7348
>

---

End of forwarded message

---