Memo 2
March 9, 2007
LAST CHANCE TO SAVE THE ADAMS AS A MUSEUM SHIP
Fellow ACVA Shipmates,
Unfortunately we are about to loose the last remaining ADAM’s Class
Destroyer to the scrapper. The Adams Class Veteran's Association, Inc. (ACVA)
continues to work very hard to secure a home for the USS Charles F.
Adams, DDG-2 to become a museum ship. We are leaving no stone unturned
but hit a curve in the road.
Last summer we thought we found a home at Tampa, or St. Petersburg
Florida. At that time NAVSEA agreed to allow ADAMS to continue on
donation hold but advised it could be the last time unless we were able
to show significant progress. A short time later, the Mayor of Tampa
decided instead he wanted to pursue locating a cruise ship terminal at
the location where the ADAMS was to be located. The St. Petersburg
location was not able to be worked out.
The ACVA continued searching for additional alternate locations. The
ACVA wanting to be honest and professional and we kept NAVSEA updated
with the loss of the primary city and our attempts to find new
locations. Unfortunately, it appears that NAVSEA made up their minds
some time ago and decided ADAMS was going to be removed from donation
hold and probably scrapped and kept that decision within their inner
circle until they held a Feb. 7, 2007 meeting.
ACVA continued looking for cities throughout the fall and early winter
of 2006 and was able to find two cities that were very interested in
taking ADAMS. The first was Gloucester City, NJ who approached the ACVA
with the idea, and the second was Pineville/Alexandria, LA where former
DDG-4 crewmember Steve Hamel lives. Steve was instrumental in getting
his cities interested in obtaining ADAMS. Both locations sent "Letters
of Interest" to NAVSEA (No Later Than the deadline of) Feb. 1, 2007 and
ask that ADAMS be kept on "Donation Hold" so they could get all their
ducks in a row to make the project work for them and start an
application. You would think NAVSEA would be thrilled that ACVA turned
around and found two locations and that they actually received letters
from these interested cities. That is what the ACVA was led to believe
as well.
HOWEVER, IT APPEARS ACVA AND ALL ADAMS CLASS VETERANS WERE SAND BAGGED
BY NAVSEA!
First, it is obvious that NAVSEA already decided ADAMS was to be removed
from Donation Hold and later scrapped even before the Feb. 7, 2007
official meeting took place to decide on her fate. We know this because
it was leaked to us by an outside source.
Second, after getting the letters from both cities a NAVSEA
representative called the Mayor of Gloucester City, NJ and out right
told him they should want nothing to do with ADAMS and that having a
museum ship would be bad for them. We do not know if they contacted
anyone in the city of Pineville/Alexandria, LA.
Third, we receive updates from the Historical Naval Ships Association (HNSA)
President and they sent a message this week saying, ADAMS will be "open
for authorized groups to strip ADAMS equipment from April 9-13, 2007
during their OPEN HOUSE." They only advertise this information after
NAVSEA provides HNSA the dates and list of ships to be made available to
be stripped.
The real slap in the face is that NAVSEA has not yet had the courage to
notify us (ACVA) of their decision on Feb. 7, 2007.
What can you do to help?
Take time and e-mail or call your Congressman and Senator and ask for
their help to "IMMEDIATELY" have ADAMS returned to "DONATION HOLD"
status.
Explain from your heart as a DDG sailor the importance of saving the
first built Guided Missile Destroyer DDG-2 and ask that they intercede
and stop the strip ship scheduled for April 9-13 on the ADAMS. Then ask
them to write and cosponsor legislation to keep ADAMS on donation hold
for another several (5) years with a progress review at that time.
If we can get this done then NAVSEA must abide by legislation and keep
ADAMS
on donation hold and give us a fighting chance needed to find a city
that will work to take her as museum ship. Please keep me updated with
any responses you receive.
NOTE:
We've been cautioned about contacting Congressman and Senators that
unless an email is sent personally to a staffer’s email address and not
the main address listed on a website, it generally will not get read.
You should first call and ask who handles Defense issues for the
Congressman/Senator, then you get
to them and ask for their email. Otherwise, 99% of the time, an email is
a waste and will only get a “canned response”.
Please forward this to your Navy friends and ask them to help as well.
Thank you for your time and efforts.
Dave Myerly
ACVA Executive Secretary
Keeper of the Master Adams Crew List
USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2
Plankowner RD2 1960-62
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