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MILITARY & VETERANS AFFAIRS |
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IMMEDIATE (2 September 1999) |
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Battleship New Jersey to Depart Bremerton, Washington on Sunday, September 12
TRENTON, NJ – The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMAVA) recently announced that the Battleship New Jersey will embark upon her voyage home to her namesake state on Sunday, September 12, 1999, from the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington.
The most decorated naval ship in U.S. history with 16 battle stars and 15 medals and achievements awards, the USS New Jersey will depart from Bremerton, head north through the Puget Sound and out the Strait of Juan de Fuca into the Pacific Ocean. Crowley Marine Services will tow the 889-ft. vessel with its tugboat, Sea Victory, which also towed the USS Missouri from Bremerton to Pearl Harbor, HI in 1998.
The approximate two-month journey will take the battleship down the West Coast of North America well off the coastlines of Washington, Oregon, California, Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama. Then, from October 16 – 20, the USS New Jersey and the Sea Victory will pause in the Panama Canal Zone to recognize the historic value of another American achievement, the building of the Panama Canal one hundred years ago. There will be a ceremony to honor the significance of both the USS New Jersey and the Panama Canal on October 17.
At noon, December 31, 1999, the Republic of Panama officially assumes control of the Canal after 85 years of American authority over this vital international shipping passage.
The battleship's transit will reflect the value the Canal has represented for America and the world throughout the 20th Century.
After exiting the Panama Canal, the Sea Victory will tow the USS New Jersey north toward the Yucatan Channel between Mexico and Cuba where it will enter the Gulf of Mexico and then across to the Straits of Florida. The battleship will then make its way up the East Coast off the shorelines of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and Delaware.
The mammoth 45,000 ton battleship will conclude its long journey home as it glides into the Delaware River and reaches the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard on approximately November 5, 1999, weather permitting. Here, the USS New Jersey will remain in storage until the decision is made for its final destination in New Jersey. A ceremony has been scheduled for November 11 to honor the Battleship New Jersey as a part of Veterans Day.
The NJDMAVA, under the direction of the Adjutant General, is both the headquarters for the New Jersey Army and Air National Guard and the government agency responsible for the administration of state provided veterans' programs and services within New Jersey. More information on the Battleship New Jersey can be found at www.battleship-newjersey.org. For more information on the NJDMAVA, locate its web-site at www.state.nj.us/military.
Crowley Marine Services, Inc. (CMS), with US West Coast operating headquartered in Seattle and US East Coast and International headquarters in Jacksonville, Fla., provides specialized marine transportation and logistics and services on a worldwide basis, operating one of the world's largest fleets of marine and related equipment. The company's primary services include tanker escort and ship assist; petroleum transportation and sales; contract barge transportation and ocean towing; logistics and support services; marine salvage and emergency response services by CMS; and all-terrain transportation. More information on Crowley Maritime Corporation and its subsidiaries can be found on the Internet at www.crowley.com.
