Gerald Hannah

"John,

For some reason the 'reply to this' link was missing so I I click on my own post.

As for the attachment on Palin. That is excellent information that should be posted here. Unfortunately, a segment of society will dismiss all proof that she…"

"Some one sent me this a day ago,kind of slaps obama in the face as far as her qualifcations. What do you think, Tim?Fw_ Subject_ SARAH PALIN'S SECURITY CLEARANCE.eml"

"I cannot wait when Palin and Biden debate on TV. I did not see the Charlie Gibson interview but I read she kicked butt.

Amazing they question her qualifications for the office she is running but praise obama whom has the least experience of all…"

THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2008 Last modified: Friday, March 28, 2008 10:36 AM CDT
The USS Orleck, which has been offered to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum as a permanent display, is pushed to a mooring in Orange, Texas. (Photo Courtesy of Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum)
Free delivery included, some assembly required
By D.J. Smith \ Staff Writer \ djsmith@nlrtimes.com
Mayor Pat Hays called the offer by the Southeast Texas War Memorial and Heritage Foundation to bring the Cold War-era destroyer USS Orleck to North Little Rock an “intriguing opportunity.”

At Monday’s City Council meeting, Hays said that opportunity was just “a fleeting thought” about a month ago, judging by the difficulty of towing the Orleck here from its home in Orange, Texas.
The Orleck needs a 10- to 12-foot depth in the Arkansas River to make it here. The Arkansas River is rated at 9 feet and the maximum height for a vessel traveling on the river is 52 feet, said Greg Zonner, director of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum (AIMM).

“I want to emphasize that no decision has been made,” Hays said. “We would not be interested in that vessel unless it was delivered free of charge at our [river] banks.”

The second condition was obvious, Hays said: The City Council would have to approve the plan.

The Southeast Texas War Memorial and Heritage Foundation and the USS Orleck Education Preservation Information Corp. (EPIC), when originally approaching North Little Rock about donating the Orleck, said the delivery would be free, Zonner told the council as he explained the discussions he had with the foundation and EPIC.

The Orleck’s screws and sonar dome are being removed, then the draft of the vessel will be measured to determine what depth is required and discern whether towing it here is possible, Zonner said.

The Orleck was built in Orange and commissioned Sept. 15, 1945, Zonner said. After service in the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War, the Orleck was transferred in 1982 to the Turkish government, where it served until 1998.

The Turkish navy donated the Orleck to the foundation in 1999, and it was towed 7,000 miles to Orange to become a museum, according to the Web site www.ussorleck.org.

The World War II submarine the USS Razorback, which is berthed at AIMM, also came from the Turkish navy. The cost to tow the Razorback here was not borne by taxpayers but by donors; however, the city incurred expenses to prepare mooring stations for the sub, Zonner said, and similar expenses would come into play with the Orleck.

“Basically we’re looking at realigning and utilizing the mooring facilities that are currently in existence” at AIMM, Hays said. “There would be some modifications — we don’t know exactly the extent of those — but you’re looking at something between $50,000 and $100,000 in terms of possible modifications.”

Zonner said that if the stabilizing spar poles that hold the barges away from the riverbank were sufficient to hold the Orleck in place, then about $50,000 would be needed. The money would be used to remove them, move the Razorback, slide in the Orleck and reattach the stabilizers.

The tie-down cables, the water and electrical connections and the gangplank could be used without modification, but the sidewalk would be raised 7 feet to reach the Orleck’s higher deck.

But at 390 feet long and 40 foot 9 inches wide, stabilizing the Orleck — which displaces 2,250 tons, compared with the Razorback’s 1,870 — may require an additional stabilizing spar pole, which could cost the extra $50,000, Zonner estimated.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Debi Ross and Ward 4 Alderman Charlie Hight asked the mayor whether the engineering had been done to ascertain whether the extra $50,000 would be needed for the spar and who would do the work.

“We’ll give you an exact financial track on both what we need and when we need it prior to us voting on whether we want to accept [the Orleck],” Hays responded.

Little Rock-based Garver Engineers did the overlay of the current configuration, at no charge to the city or AIMM, to ensure that the Orleck and the Razorback would fit, said Zonner.

AIMM still plans to have the World War II tugboat the USS Hoga arrive at the museum, he said. The Hoga was the inspiration for AIMM, but its arrival from Suisun Bay, Calif., has been delayed.

Zonner said the two covered barges now moored at AIMM would be moved to Burns Park as rentals for small groups, and the flat barge would move there to be used as a fishing landing; the Arkansas Queen riverboat and the barge housing the Parrot Beach restaurant would not be affected. The Orleck’s size would allow AIMM to move the museum’s operations — displays, offices and gift shop — on board the destroyer, he added.

The foundation and EPIC have pledged $50,000 to $100,000 a year to help maintain the Orleck, Zonner said. The museum has surface-vessel Navy veterans waiting in the wings to volunteer to keep the Orleck shipshape, he added.

The Orleck was placed in dry dock for six months right after Hurricane Rita hit Texas in 2005 to repair damage, Zonner said.

John Branning, chief engineer of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park in Buffalo, N.Y., said Tuesday that the fact the destroyer was in dry dock is a “plus” for the Orleck. Having a recent inspection of the hull below the waterline helps tremendously for the maintenance of destroyers, Branning said. Sailors nicknamed these vessels “tin cans” because their hulls were made of very thin steel so they could be built quickly and cheaply and to make them fast, he said.

But that is a weakness because “leaks can spring up suddenly,” so vigilance by staff is crucial, Branning said.

The Buffalo museum has the World War II destroyer The Sullivans, berthed there since 1977, and the World War II Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock is docked there. The World War II submarine USS Croaker is there, too.

Branning said that if a high-quality paint is chosen, a full hull paint job can last 10 years at the Buffalo facility. The milder climate in Arkansas — especially because AIMM wouldn’t have to deal with ice stressing the hulls in winter — should make maintenance easier and possibly less expensive, he said.

While his museum uses The Sullivans for overnight rentals for up to 125 people, the USS Little Rock, because of its larger size, is the No. 1 revenue source for the museum, Branning said. Both ships’ galleys are functional, he added.

Wedding receptions, scouting camp outs, corporate retreats, audiences for fireworks — the list of uses for the vessels goes on and on, Branning said.

Zonner said the Orleck’s water and electrical systems were checked and are functional, permitting just such rentals and creating a similar revenue source for AIMM.

If online interest in the Orleck is any indication of its potential to bring visitors in North Little Rock, the vessel could have a powerful draw. The Orleck Web site shows 539,572 unique visitors since Jan. 28, 2001, with 3.57 million page views in that time.

Maury Drummond, executive director of the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum in Baton Rouge, La., said the museum budgets $12,000 to $13,000 a year to paint that destroyer. He echoed Branning’s assessment of the benefit of the Orleck’s recent dry-docking and inspection.

“You’re good to go for years,” Drummond said.

Zonner said he planned to visit the Orleck on Monday to see firsthand its condition but added that he has two marine surveys from 2006 and 2007 that “basically say she’s in good shape.”

A decision on whether the Orleck could be towed here is expected in about two weeks, Zonner said.

Comments

Tim Gulliford September 11, 2008 at 3:09am

Gerald,

I found this site online and thought about showing you.

http://grunt.space.swri.edu/thepast.htm
Gerald Hannah April 14, 2008 at 8:51pm

Finely the Vietnam Wall has been added to the internet. Check it out, you may find a loved one. Highlight and paste. http://go.footnote.com/thewall?xid=249
Gerald Hannah April 5, 2008 at 1:29am

THURSDAY APRIL 3, 2008 Last modified: Friday, March 28, 2008 10:36 AM CDT
The USS Orleck, which has been offered to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum as a permanent display, is pushed to a mooring in Orange, Texas. (Photo Courtesy of Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum)
Free delivery included, some assembly required
By D.J. Smith \ Staff Writer \ djsmith@nlrtimes.com
Mayor Pat Hays called the offer by the Southeast Texas War Memorial and Heritage Foundation to bring the Cold War-era destroyer USS Orleck to North Little Rock an “intriguing opportunity.”

At Monday’s City Council meeting, Hays said that opportunity was just “a fleeting thought” about a month ago, judging by the difficulty of towing the Orleck here from its home in Orange, Texas.
The Orleck needs a 10- to 12-foot depth in the Arkansas River to make it here. The Arkansas River is rated at 9 feet and the maximum height for a vessel traveling on the river is 52 feet, said Greg Zonner, director of the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum (AIMM).

“I want to emphasize that no decision has been made,” Hays said. “We would not be interested in that vessel unless it was delivered free of charge at our [river] banks.”

The second condition was obvious, Hays said: The City Council would have to approve the plan.

The Southeast Texas War Memorial and Heritage Foundation and the USS Orleck Education Preservation Information Corp. (EPIC), when originally approaching North Little Rock about donating the Orleck, said the delivery would be free, Zonner told the council as he explained the discussions he had with the foundation and EPIC.

The Orleck’s screws and sonar dome are being removed, then the draft of the vessel will be measured to determine what depth is required and discern whether towing it here is possible, Zonner said.

The Orleck was built in Orange and commissioned Sept. 15, 1945, Zonner said. After service in the Korean War, the Vietnam War and the Persian Gulf War, the Orleck was transferred in 1982 to the Turkish government, where it served until 1998.

The Turkish navy donated the Orleck to the foundation in 1999, and it was towed 7,000 miles to Orange to become a museum, according to the Web site www.ussorleck.org.

The World War II submarine the USS Razorback, which is berthed at AIMM, also came from the Turkish navy. The cost to tow the Razorback here was not borne by taxpayers but by donors; however, the city incurred expenses to prepare mooring stations for the sub, Zonner said, and similar expenses would come into play with the Orleck.

“Basically we’re looking at realigning and utilizing the mooring facilities that are currently in existence” at AIMM, Hays said. “There would be some modifications — we don’t know exactly the extent of those — but you’re looking at something between $50,000 and $100,000 in terms of possible modifications.”

Zonner said that if the stabilizing spar poles that hold the barges away from the riverbank were sufficient to hold the Orleck in place, then about $50,000 would be needed. The money would be used to remove them, move the Razorback, slide in the Orleck and reattach the stabilizers.

The tie-down cables, the water and electrical connections and the gangplank could be used without modification, but the sidewalk would be raised 7 feet to reach the Orleck’s higher deck.

But at 390 feet long and 40 foot 9 inches wide, stabilizing the Orleck — which displaces 2,250 tons, compared with the Razorback’s 1,870 — may require an additional stabilizing spar pole, which could cost the extra $50,000, Zonner estimated.

Ward 1 Alderwoman Debi Ross and Ward 4 Alderman Charlie Hight asked the mayor whether the engineering had been done to ascertain whether the extra $50,000 would be needed for the spar and who would do the work.

“We’ll give you an exact financial track on both what we need and when we need it prior to us voting on whether we want to accept [the Orleck],” Hays responded.

Little Rock-based Garver Engineers did the overlay of the current configuration, at no charge to the city or AIMM, to ensure that the Orleck and the Razorback would fit, said Zonner.

AIMM still plans to have the World War II tugboat the USS Hoga arrive at the museum, he said. The Hoga was the inspiration for AIMM, but its arrival from Suisun Bay, Calif., has been delayed.

Zonner said the two covered barges now moored at AIMM would be moved to Burns Park as rentals for small groups, and the flat barge would move there to be used as a fishing landing; the Arkansas Queen riverboat and the barge housing the Parrot Beach restaurant would not be affected. The Orleck’s size would allow AIMM to move the museum’s operations — displays, offices and gift shop — on board the destroyer, he added.

The foundation and EPIC have pledged $50,000 to $100,000 a year to help maintain the Orleck, Zonner said. The museum has surface-vessel Navy veterans waiting in the wings to volunteer to keep the Orleck shipshape, he added.

The Orleck was placed in dry dock for six months right after Hurricane Rita hit Texas in 2005 to repair damage, Zonner said.

John Branning, chief engineer of the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park in Buffalo, N.Y., said Tuesday that the fact the destroyer was in dry dock is a “plus” for the Orleck. Having a recent inspection of the hull below the waterline helps tremendously for the maintenance of destroyers, Branning said. Sailors nicknamed these vessels “tin cans” because their hulls were made of very thin steel so they could be built quickly and cheaply and to make them fast, he said.

But that is a weakness because “leaks can spring up suddenly,” so vigilance by staff is crucial, Branning said.

The Buffalo museum has the World War II destroyer The Sullivans, berthed there since 1977, and the World War II Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock is docked there. The World War II submarine USS Croaker is there, too.

Branning said that if a high-quality paint is chosen, a full hull paint job can last 10 years at the Buffalo facility. The milder climate in Arkansas — especially because AIMM wouldn’t have to deal with ice stressing the hulls in winter — should make maintenance easier and possibly less expensive, he said.

While his museum uses The Sullivans for overnight rentals for up to 125 people, the USS Little Rock, because of its larger size, is the No. 1 revenue source for the museum, Branning said. Both ships’ galleys are functional, he added.

Wedding receptions, scouting camp outs, corporate retreats, audiences for fireworks — the list of uses for the vessels goes on and on, Branning said.

Zonner said the Orleck’s water and electrical systems were checked and are functional, permitting just such rentals and creating a similar revenue source for AIMM.

If online interest in the Orleck is any indication of its potential to bring visitors in North Little Rock, the vessel could have a powerful draw. The Orleck Web site shows 539,572 unique visitors since Jan. 28, 2001, with 3.57 million page views in that time.

Maury Drummond, executive director of the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and Museum in Baton Rouge, La., said the museum budgets $12,000 to $13,000 a year to paint that destroyer. He echoed Branning’s assessment of the benefit of the Orleck’s recent dry-docking and inspection.

“You’re good to go for years,” Drummond said.

Zonner said he planned to visit the Orleck on Monday to see firsthand its condition but added that he has two marine surveys from 2006 and 2007 that “basically say she’s in good shape.”

A decision on whether the Orleck could be towed here is expected in about two weeks, Zonner said.

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