Memo 8
April 19, 2007
WE WON THIS BATTLE, BUT A TOUGH WAR REMAINS TO BE WON!
Adams will remain on "Donation Hold" per CNO Admiral Mullen,
until March 31, 2008. However, by that date we must have an application
filed with NAVSEA or Adams will be history.
We were advised April 17 in a call from NAVSEA that they had a memo from
Admiral
Mullen (CNO) stating the Adams is to remain on donation hold until March
31, 2008.
In addition we were advised Adams was removed from the Strip
Ship List before the event took place.
CNO Admiral Mullen, requested a response from us and wanted to know "Why
we feel
the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2 should be put back on Donation Hold." We
sent our response Sat. April 14 to Admiral Paul Tobin, (Ret). Historic
Naval Ships, to personally take it to Admiral Mullen. His response was
immediate. He agrees with us and sent a
memo to NAVSEA April 17 agreeing to keep Adams on hold.
USS Semmes DDG-18 Crew NewsOver
the last several weeks we have had a good response from many ACVA
Members
who sent Faxes and letters to the CNO, their Congressman and Senators
asking they
help change the NAVSEA decision to remove Adams frUSS
Semmes DDG-18 Crew Newsom donation hold. A number of those
Congressman and Senators contacted the CNO and NAVSEA with calls,
letters
and inquiries. Some asked the Navy to review why they made this decision
or asked that the Adams be held for the ACVA to have more time to locate
a city to become a museum ship. We provided sample letters which allowed
everyone to revise and fax, email or send their own letters quickly.
Our sincere thanks to everyone who has written letters, sent emails and
faxes, made phone calls and said a prayer or two to help ACVA make this
happen. We also sent individual letters of thanks to the several
Admirals who personally went to the CNO
on our behalf.
Now we must work harder to find a location to berth Adams as a museum
ship, and
raise the necessary funds, looking toward the day when we put the first
NEW PAINT
on her deck and hull.
We've been advised the biggest issue of concern by NAVSEA and perhaps
the CNO
is the somewhat unknown current condition of the Adams.
Is it still in good enough
shape to become a museum ship?
We advised the CNO the ACVA was considering retaining a Marine Engineer
to go
aboard and perform a complete material condition survey, at ACVA
expense. We contacted the Marine Engineer we used previously, who is a
Marine Engineer NAVSEA holds in high regard. He will agree to perform
the survey inspection, for a flat fee of
$7100. He says he could probably be ready to conduct the survey quickly.
He will
need two days minimum on the ship to perform the survey and a minimum of
4 days
to work up the results and submit reports to the ACVA and NAVSEA. A
survey
inspection will answer many questions and provide documentation for the
CNO,
NAVSEA, ACVA, and potential berth sites to officially know if the ship
is still in
good enough shape to become a museum ship. The survey report will also
serve as
initial data for a Donation Application.
ACVA knows we must begin a major fundraising campaign. We currently
only
have about $5000 in our bank account and we need a quick $2000 to cover
the material condition survey. In the longer term, over the next 6
months we
feel we need approximately $100,000 to cover the fees to provide an
application. In the longer term a total of $5-7 million will be needed
to be
raised.
The ACVA needs everyone to donate as much as they can and send it
quickly for our initial needs. For those who have not yet become an ACVA
Plankowner, if you send
$25 or more we will assign you ACVA Plankowner status with your own ACVA
Plankowner Number. For everyone else you will have our thanks. All
donations are
tax deductible and 100% goes to acquire the Adams. No one on the ACVA
board
is paid nor gets expenses.
Checks can be made out to "ACVA"
Please rush them to:
Dave Myerly
5 Bush Road
Denville, New Jersey 07834
We are following up on the two locations who submitted "Letters Of
Interest" to NAVSEA before the Feb. 7 meeting where NAVSEA decided to
remove Adams from Donation Hold, (Gloucester City, NJ and Pineville,
LA). In addition we are still talking with other individuals who advised
us they are working within their local governments to put together
proposals to consider the Adams for their areas, in Toledo, OH, Muscle
Shoals, AL, Jacksonville, FL, and several others who are not far along
in discussion.
We feel we have a good chance to "SAVE THE ADAMS," but only with your
continued support. We only have 11 months to accomplish a huge task -
please throw your support behind this effort!
Dave Myerly
ACVA Executive Secretary
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