Brochures and tourism sites don't give justice to the Battleship North Carolina. You expect the ship to be a draw for history buffs and military members, but you might be surprised to learn that people of all ages are entranced by this majestic memorial to World War Two.
The Battleship North Carolina is twice the length of a football field and two-thirds the width.
Now a National Historic Landmark, the battleship was commissioned in April 1941, eight months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. Twice the length of a football field and 2/3 the width, the Battleship North Carolina was home to over 2300 sailors and marines as it participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific arena. The ship earned 15 battle stars, and the Japanese Navy claimed 6 times that the North Carolina had been sunk. With a total of 10 men lost, the North Carolina was decommissioned in June of 1947. In 1961, after a grass roots fundraising, the Battleship North Carolina was dedicated as a state memorial in its berth on the Cape Fear River.
We decided to tour the ship mainly to appease my son, a Marine who had spent part of his career on the USS Wasp. With a family group ranging in age from my 4-year-old grandson to my 79-year-old mother-in-law, I was amazed to find that each person discovered their own unique fascination with this incredible landmark.
Kids love the dials, wheels, guns, and climbing the stairs and ladders to the 9 decks that are open for self-guided tours.
Unaware of the history upon which he trod, Jake — the 4-year-old — was delighted to run the decks and touch to his heart's content. He was entranced by the dials, wheels, and guns, and he loved climbing the stairs and ladders to the 9 decks that are open for self-guided tours. He especially liked the control room, where he could not only count the dials but could count the numbers on each of them!
More Battleship NC photos in our
Wilmington Tours.
Send us a STORY, PHOTOS, or make a COMMENT!
