U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial

When I was working on my "Banner Elk" post, I forgot to add a couple of pictures.  We missed our turn in Boone, North Carolina, and ended up climbing a mountain to Banner Elk.  We saw barns with quilt patterns painted on the side.  

And this little house for sale

I wanted to share those pics before moving on to the U.S.S. North Carolina.

Our grandson Dalton was out of school for Spring Break and our daughter Alissa was on vacation.  So, we decided to go on an adventure -- to Wilmington to visit the U.S.S. North Carolina and the aquarium at Kure Beach, so off we went.  

Wilmington, North Carolina, is approximately 140 miles due South of where we are parked in Nashville, North Carolina.  We were up and out the door at eight o'clock Thursday morning.  On our drive, we saw these beautiful wildflowers along the highway.

We arrived at the USS North Carolina Battleship Memorial shortly before eleven o'clock.

This Coast Guard ship was parked across the water from the USS Carolina.

Entrance fees vary, depending on ages.  Adults are $12; active duty and retired military, along with those 65 and older, are $10; children 6 -- 11 are $6 and children 5 and under are free.  

Dalton immediately found a friend

The USS North Carolina is 729 feet -- that's the size of 2  1/2 football fields.  It made its own electrical power, producing 8.4 megawatts of electricity -- enough to power a small town of 6500 people. 

The bow

The stern

When building began in 1937, North Carolina was the first American battleship to be built in 16 years.  North Carolina and her sister ship, Washington, comprised the North Carolina class.  They were the first of ten fast battleships to join the American fleet in World War II.  Commissioned on April 9, 1941, North Carolina participated in every  major naval offensive in the Pacific during World War II, earning 15 battle stars.  She established the role of battleships as protectors of aircraft carriers when she defended the carrier Enterprise against air attacks during the Battle of the Eastern Solomons on August 24, 1942.   The North Carolina carried out nine shore bombardments, sank an enemy troopship, destroyed at least 24 enemy aircraft and assisted in shooting down many more.  Her anti-aircraft guns helped halt scores of attacks on aircraft carriers.  One of her pilots performed heroically during the strike on Truk when he rescued ten downed Navy aviators.  She steamed over 300,000 miles during wartime.  Although Japanese radio announced  six separate times that the North Carolina had been sunk, it wasn't true.  However, she did sustain a hit when a Japanese torpedo slammed into the battleship's hull, creating an 18x32 foot hole.  By war's end, she had lost only 10 men in action and had 67 wounded, which I find amazing.  After the war, the ship served as a training vessel for midshipmen but was decommissioned in June 1947 and placed in the Inactive Reserve Fleet in New Jersey.  In 1960 when the US Navy reported the battleship would be scrapped, the State's citizens mounted a campaign to bring it to North Carolina to preserve her as the State's war memorial to the 10,000 North Carolinians who lost their lives during World War II.

We were amazed at what we found on this historic battleship.

The battleship is armed with nine 16-inch 45 caliber guns in three turrets...

 ...thirty-six to fifty-three 20 millimeter, 70 caliber...

twenty 5-inch, 38 caliber and forty to sixty 40 millimeter, 56 caliber guns.

The Kingfisher plane sits proudly on the USS North Carolina and was used on battleships for shore bombardments and air-to-sea rescues.

We ventured to the next level -- very carefully...talk about steep and narrow!

The second deck featured daily life spaces, which made the ship feel like a floating city.  The first area we encountered was the Chapel.  Church services were usually held in the mess hall but could also be in any available area or the main deck.  

  The altar ares is now surrounded by glass.

Seating in the Mess Hall.

A bugler sounded the church call and a quartet or choir performed.  The battleship's chaplain held weekly services, oversaw the crew's spiritual welfare and served as a morale builder.  He also held weekly Bible studies and he managed the ship's library.

Across the room was the cafeteria-style serving line...

 ...along with the many serving trays waiting to be used by the crew members.

Have you ever seen a potato peeler like this?

Water ran through the machine and there was an abrasive substance like sandpaper inside the peeler that cleaned and peeled the potatoes.   So what happened to all those military folks you see in old movies that were peeling all the potatoes by hand?

Water Fountain "Scuttlebutt"

Each section in the kitchen had its own area -- such as dishwashing, vegetable preparation, et cetera.  And the crew members who worked in each area also slept in that area.

Not far from the kitchen area was the "Chief Master at Arms."  This section served as the ship's police force.  They had authority over all enlisted, patrolling the ship to ensure Navy directives and policies were strictly followed.   Their duties included, but not limited to: 

• make sure there was no gambling, fighting, profanity,      littering or making, keeping, selling or drinking alcohol;

• ensure the crew obeyed the designated smoking times and places.  

Being an old, retired civilian court reporter for the United States Air Force, I wanted to know where the courtroom and the jail were.  Apparently, the brig is in the very bottom of this battleship -- where no one was allowed to go.  However, those in the brig were probably held until they returned to their home port before any court-martial was convened.  Of course, I'm just guessing here -- I really don't have any idea.  As far as the above responsibilities of the Master of Arms -- well, just let me say, there has been considerable change in our military since World War II -- and I'll leave it at that!

Moving right along -- some individual sections were behind what looked like a cage, which made picture-taking difficult.  The "Gebunk" was the ship's soda fountain.  As you will see in the next picture, "Gebunk" is Navy slang for ice cream, sweets or snacks.

The ship could carry 120 days of food supplies, including:  7800 eggs, 16,800 lbs of butter, 94,200 lbs of sugar, 214,000 lbs of fresh meat, 466,000 lbs of fresh vegetables and 135,000 lbs of fresh fruit.  WOW, that's a lot of food!

The Ship's Barbershop 

 

OH NO, more steps downward -- more steep and narrow than ever!

 

Dig the phone booth

 

 

Engine Room

 

 

A complete printing shop

The print shop published such things as a newspaper, liberty cards, plans for the day, letterhead and maps.


Lost and Found was known as the "Lucky Bag."  Check out what it meant to have a personal article found and placed in the Lucky Bag.

The Lucky Bag

If I had to do extra duty in order to reclaim a lost item, I'd  more than likely watch as it was auctioned off...LOL!

Pics of the laundry facilities aren't that good, but how's this for washers:

 

Or a dryer:

 

 

We were surprised the washer wasn't a wringer-type and there actually was a dryer -- not just an open-air clothesline. 

It cost to have uniforms, pressed and officers, mess cooks, bakers, galley cooks and chief petty officers were the only ones allowed to pay the "finished service" fee for pressed uniforms.  Enlisted member's uniforms were not pressed.  Sometimes enlisted personnel could got their uniforms pressed if they knew someone who worked in the ironing room.  Otherwise, pressing meant using your own iron on a makeshift ironing board, such as pea coat lockers, or placing it underneath your mattress and sleeping on it.  How that could be acceptable pressing of a uniform is beyond me...LOL! 

Tailor Shop

Post Office

How does one get mail on a battleship you ask? Mail was delivered by destroyers.  The destroyers went into port, picked up mail and delivered it when they came alongside to refuel.  For a crew of over 2300, the volume of mail could be overwhelming.  It sometimes took months to reach its destination.  To help reduce the bulk, a new mail procedure called "V-Mail" (V for Victory) was launched.  Using a special form, the letter was photographed and reduced to microfilm.  This allowed the entire ship's mail to be handled in just one small bag.  Before delivery, the microfilmed letter was reprinted at half-size, folded and placed in an envelope for delivery.  V-Mail was free to servicemen oversees and only cost the sender three cents a letter.   

Guess what?  I have one of these V-Mail letters -- a letter from my dad to my mother.  I have often wondered why the letter appeared on small paper with "V-Mail" on the bottom and looked like it had been copied -- now I know.  I  got so  excited when I realized I had one of these letters -- how cool is that?

A store where one could purchase Prince Albert in a can and Barbasol -- among other items.

Did you ever call someone and ask them if they had Prince Albert in a can?  If so, let him out -- I have to admit I have:)

Have you ever wondered what they did with all the garbage -- they had a "garbage grinder."  Pic is taken thru a "cloudy" -- for lack of a better word -- window."

Paper trash was burned in an incinerator.

 

 The "Wishing Well" this is one of several 16" ammunition loading trunks.

A trunk is a series of openings for transporting supplies or ammunition.  The bottom is 4 levels down -- or 35 feet.  So, there are four more levels to this ship -- WOW!

Can you see the bottom?

They invite you to toss a coin and make a wish...all money collected is used for the ship's restoration projects.

This is the winch used to bring up the supplies from the trunk.

Movies were an important entertainment for the crew

Open bays where the enlisted men slept

From the looks of it, these are the original mattresses...not much room -- better not sit up.

And the berths fold up

The beds came with a mattress, a mattress cover and a fireproof cover.  The Navy issued each man two blankets and two sheets.  They were expected to change their sheets weekly and had to purchase their own pillow.  Some folded their blankets and used it as a pillow.

How's this for a closet?

Each locker had a number that corresponded to a number on a berth and the ship's command determined how their locker content was to be arranged.  The lockers contained uniforms, sheets, underwear, toiletries, shoes and personal items like stationary, Bible, candy and souvenirs.  No civilian clothes, cameras or diaries were allowed.

Talk about open-bays -- how about open-bay toilets...no privacy here!

 Yes, these are toilets

And no privacy in the shower -- be sure and save the fresh water

Don't want to miss the medical aspect of this ship.  Whatever you would find in a hospital, you will find on this ship.

 Operating Room

   Dentist

Doctor's office where they also slept.

Dispensary -- and again the men who managed this also slept here.

.

As the old saying goes, RHIP -- "Rank has its privileges."  Officers had their own mess hall, separate from enlisted, where African-Americans prepared and served all the food.

Officers paid extra money each month so they could enjoy a more elaborate menu that the rest of the crew.

Back up the stairs we climbed.

This is the memorial to the 10,000 North Carolinians that lost their lives in World War II.  Each name is listed by county of residence.

Display of "kill board" and battle ribbons

The red-and-white flags (9) on the left indicate the nine times the North Carolina bombarded Japanese-held islands.  The 24 red-and-white flags on the right signify that North Carolina downed 24 enemy planes.  The single flag represents the Japanese merchant marine ship the North Carolina sunk during the occupation of the Marshall Islands.  The two different flags are both Japanese.  The red sun with the rays is the Ensign that flies from military ships and installations.  The plain red sun was and is the national flag and flies everywhere else.  

The battle ribbons are as follows:  top left to right -- American Defense Service Medal and the American Campaign Medal; middle row left to right -- Atlantic - Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal and the Navy Occupation Medal; bottom row left to right -- Philippine Presidential Unit Citation; Philippine Liberation Medal and Philippine Independence Medal.

I hope I got all those correct...if not, please let me know.

 The "Bridge" where the steering of the battleship takes place -- a popular place.

 Dalton checks out the Captain's chair

View out the Captain's window

The ship's compass

There are two alligators living in the water around the USS North Carolina -- "Charlie" and "Charlene," but we only saw Charlie.

We left the USS North Carolina with a greater appreciation for the Navy and the men who served during World War II.  If you have the opportunity to visit a World War II battleship or aircraft carrier, please do...it's well worth your time.


We have family and friends in Arkansas and Texas that are experiencing severe storms and tornado activity.  Our thoughts and prayers are with the families who have lost loved ones and we pray for the safety of everyone.  There was considerable damage to Little Rock AFB -- my old stomping grounds -- and to the town of Vilonia just North of LRAFB where many military families live.  Please pray for those who were affected by these terrible storms...thank you!


God bless and be safe wherever you are!

THANKS!

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for your positive comments on my latest post -- "Banner Elk, North Carolina."   I am now working on the post about our visit to the USS North Carolina and the aquarium at Kure Beach.  I have lots of pictures and info to sift through.  I enjoy writing blogs, but it seems to take a lot of time to "Git-r-done!"

Thanks again for encouraging me with all your positive remarks.  I may "look" at the swinging bridge, but you definitely will not catch me walking across it! 

We pray everyone has a great Easter.  To us, it is more than chocolate bunnies, colored eggs and eating ham.  We celebrate the Risen Savior.  Without Him, we would be nothing!

God bless you, one and all!

Banner Elk, North Carolina

We have really been busy this week -- not only did I visit Banner Elk, North Carolina, but Thursday we took our daughter and grandson to Wilmington to tour the USS North Carolina, as well as the aquarium at Kure Beach. 

However, I want to first share what I have learned about the quaint bustling mountain town known as Banner Elk.  The first people to occupy this area were the Cherokee Indians.   Cherokee artifacts indicate the tribe used the land around Elk River as hunting grounds. In 1840, Martin Luther Banner -- a man of Welsh descent -- first saw the area now known as Banner Elk in the valley of Elk Creek.  He was just passing through on his way to Nashville, Tennessee, when he recognized the natural beauty of the North Carolina mountains and decided he would return.  He did return with his family and in 1848,  the first official settlement was established.  Eventually, the family grew to 55 members and the area where they lived  became known as Banner's Elk, which was shortened to Banner Elk in 1911 when the town was incorporated.  Rumor has it that the town was named after an elk -- one of the last -- that was allegedly shot by one of the Banner kids.  The little red dot in the northwest area on the following map indicates Banner Elk.

 Early settlers were farmers and fur traders.  Today, agriculture is a large part of the economy of Banner Elk, as the area is known as the "Christmas tree capitol of the world," growing millions of Frazier fir Christmas trees like these:

As winter begins, Banner Elk welcomes thousands of families to the many "Choose N Cut" farms to select a Christmas tree.  Once the holiday festivities are over, the area becomes a "ski town."  Known as the "Ski destination of the South," winter sports enthusiasts flock to the area for skiing, snowboarding and tubing at the area's larger resorts, Sugar Mountain and Beech Mountain.  Grandfather Mountain is North Carolina's largest attraction and is the highest peak in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Why is this mountain so popular?  Mainly because of its mile-high swinging bridge, along with the many hiking trails and various native wildlife.  Grandfather has seven environmental habitats for black bears, river otters, cougars, golden eagles and white-tailed deer.  Grandfather Mountain is also known for its mile-high swinging bridge.

The 228-foot suspension bridge is more than a mile in elevation.  It was built in 1952 for $15,000  but was reconstructed in 1999 to the tune of $300,000.  It is America's highest suspension footbridge and I've been told you can see forever.  I honestly do not know if I could walk from one end to the other -- and look down while doing it.  We did not make it to Grandfather Mountain on this trip, so I did not take this picture...it is from the Internet.  We hope to return to Banner Elk sooner than later and visit Grandfather Mountain, the swinging bridge and everything the area has to offer.

Banner Elk is also home to Lees-McRae College, a private four-year liberal arts school affiliated with the Presbyterian Church with over 900 students from more than 20 states and countries.  LMC is known for their Summer Theater program and National Championship Cycling and Soccer programs.

The population of Banner Elk is less than 1000 and approximately 18,000 folks make up Avery County. 

Now for my very own personal perspective of Banner Elk.  At one point  during  WWII, my father was assigned to what is now Camp Robinson in North Little Rock, Arkansas.  When my mother graduated from high school, she moved from her small town in Arkansas to the "big city" of Little Rock to work. 

 



   My Parents
Catha and John

   









Somehow their paths crossed and they began dating.  Of course, he was soon shipped off to the Pacific, but they kept in touch through letters.  When the war was over, he returned and they married in June 1945 and moved to Banner Elk.  You see, my dad was born and raised in Banner Elk.  They settled into married life and my brother Jerry and I were both born in Banner Elk in Grace Hospital.

The building that once housed Grace Hospital is now Tate Hall at Lees-McRae College

My dad suffered from what my mother termed "shell shock."  Today it would be classified as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.  When I was three months old and Jerry was two, my mother left my dad and returned to Arkansas and they divorced.  She did what she thought she had to do for Jerry and me.  Through the years, we had very little contact with our dad.  As everyone knows, times were very different back then -- no cell phones, no computers, but we do have several letters we exchanged.  I actually only remember seeing my dad once when I was 27 years old when he came for a short visit.  Several months after that meeting, he suddenly died in May 1978 at the age of 53.  I traveled to West Virginia to attend his funeral, where I met my five half-siblings (4 girls and 1 boy), as well as other family members.  

Several years ago, Jerry received a Christmas card from our sister Christina and we started communicating through email.  Then sister Cheryl moved about an hour from where we are now in North Carolina at our daughter's and we were able to "reconnect."   A picture of my five siblings, along with their Mother, follows: 

(l-r) Christina, Janet, Keith, their Mother Mary Lou, Cheryl and Johnnye

This photo was taken a few years ago -- they are a beautiful family!

Last Monday, Cheryl and I went on an adventure -- to Banner  Elk.  Cousin Pauline and her husband Cecil served us a great lunch of lasagna, hot bread, salad, fresh apple cake and brownies -- WOW, was it good and I ate way too much.

 Pauline, Me and Cecil

Cousin Carolyn also joined us

 

Cousin Pauline, Sister Cheryl, Cousin Carolyn and Me

They say I look like them:)

Pauline and Cecil live in our grandparents' house...of course, it has been remodeled, but the chimney is the same.

As you can possibly tell from looking at the surrounding trees, Spring hasn't totally sprung in Banner Elk.

Behind their home is the little house we lived in many, many years ago.

 Then -- the only other time when I visited Banner Elk.

  And now -- what a difference!

After visiting with Pauline, Cecil and Carolyn, we left Banner Elk and drove about an hour to visit Aunt Clara, the only surviving sibling of my dad's.

I finally found where my "shortness" comes from.  I have always been the shortest in my family.  Aunt Clara is just a tad shorter than me -- at 5'1".  She is 89 years young.  

 Sister Cheryl and Aunt Clara

Before we left the area, we also visited Cousin Gail.

Aunt Clara is Carolyn and Gail's Mother. 

I am blessed that I had the opportunity to meet and visit with these family members.   I have often wondered about this side of my family...now I am getting some answers to my questions.

Pics from the area

 

I had a wonderful childhood, surrounded by grandparents, cousins and other family members.  I now  feel a real personal connection to the mountainous area of Banner Elk as well. 

Thanks for stopping by and taking the time to read about my personal journey.  My prayer is that my family and friends will live each day to the fullest because we never know what tomorrow will bring.  In the meantime, may God continue to bless our voyage, as well as our family and friends, near and far.

Missing in Action

I have been MIA the last couple of days, as I took a road trip -- to visit Banner Elk, North Carlina, the small town where I was born.  Banner Elk is a mountain town in the Western mountains of North Carolina, not far from the Tennessee border.  I visited family members I either hadn't seen in 30+ years or had never met before.  I hope to get my thoughts together soon and report what I saw and who I met in and around Banner Elk -- so stay tuned:)

WHEW, What a Relief!

I'm feeling very blessed today.  I had my stress test yesterday...good report -- "everything looked GREAT" were the words from the doc this morn.  So, I have decided I am going to stop worrying about my heart.  Just because there is heart disease on both sides of my family and I've now been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation doesn't mean I should stop living!  You see, my dad died in his early 50s from a heart attack; my maternal grandmother at 61 and my mother at 71, so I confess -- I am paranoid about my heart and notice every little extra beat or whatever.  However, today I'm turning over a new leaf -- I'm going to stop worrying...I will take my meds as instructed and move on!  I've got a lot of living to do!

Everyone shows pictures of their four-legged pets, mainly dogs, but some have cats as well.  Last June, we had our precious Lucy put down.  She had suffered for months from what the vet said was prob a brain tumor, so we decided to end her misery -- although her tail never stopped wagging.

Granddaughter Morgan and Lucy catch up on their sleep

 Lucy loved the MH and was always ready to go

We still miss her...she was absolutely perfect for us and was the sweetest little girl.  I still remember the day we got her and how she became a part of our family.  She was on display from the Humane Society at the local Wal-Mart.  Our grandson (Allen) came to me and said, "Nana, I have found the perfect dog for you.  Please, please come see her."  And as they say, the rest is history -- we brought her home with us that day.  She apparently had been abused because it was months before we ever heard her bark -- and then it was a result of the "bug man" who came to spray our home and Lucy became very protective.

With all that being said, I wanted to share pics of our  North Carolina grand-dogs.  First is Zoey -- she is a rescue dog.  

I teasingly say she is part-wolf -- she has blue eyes, very wiry hair and likes to show her teeth, especially when she is guarding a bone.  Actually, she scares me a little from time to time.  It's the eyes and how she looks at me -- like she could jump on me and take me out without much thought.  The only time she has ever growled at me is when she was guarding a bone and I learned really quickly that you better not go near that bone!  

Then there is Boomer.

Boomer is a fine specimen and a very sweet, sweet boy.  How can you not love that face?

The two of them get along very well...and play constantly.

See Zoey's teeth...aarrggghhh!

It doesn't matter what kind of pet you have -- he or she is a very important member of the family.

Thanks for stopping by -- we enjoy reading your comments.  For those who have blogs we follow,  we  appreciate your  willingness  to  share your adventures and wonderful pictures with us.  Until next time, may God continue to bless our voyage and our family and friends wherever you are.

Life on the Farm

Not much going on with us.  We are finishing up doc and dental appointments, getting ready to leave North Carolina for Branson, Missouri, in early May, and our first workamping experience.   I will have my last dental appointment tomorrow.  YAY!  In the last two months, I've had a root canal and deep cleaning.  Monday I will have my teeth cleaned and polished -- my pearly whites will be sparkling:)


I was recently diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and started on meds, along with 325 mgms of aspirin...not the normal low dose of 81 mgms -- doc says that's for folks who don't have heart probs.   I have continued to have shortness of breath, so I will have a stress test on Wednesday.  A week ago I had a significant a-fib episode, so the cardiologist increased my meds.  Since the increase in meds, I had not had an event until I was in church this morning.  It wasn't anything really significant, but it certainly made me wonder -- God, are you trying to tell me something? 

What is killing our son-in-law's chickens?  We have seen a hawk hanging around, but since he added a scarecrow to the scenery, we haven't seen it.

That's a sweet face -- not scary, but whatever works!

 
However, the chickens keep disappearing.  Yesterday we learned from a neighbor that he saw a fox carrying a black chicken in its mouth from our yard.  Our son-in-law found where it was sneaking in and patched the hole in the fence; however, early this morning, we heard a commotion going on outside -- we looked but didn't see anything, but another chicken is gone.  So far, eleven chickens have been killed -- either by the hawk or the sly fox.  Not sure what our son-in-law will try next.

We are awaiting new life on the "farm."

 Baby ducks are on the way

 

 

More baby goats expected soon

Baby chicks on the way too!

We've had quite a bit of rain and the azaleas and dogwoods are reaping the benefits of all the moisture.

These are for my bird friends -- look closely!

Listen to the Mockingbird...listen to the Mockingbird!

Until next time, thanks for stopping by.  May God continue to bless our voyage, as well as our family and friends everywhere.