zygoma
09-16-12, 04:39 PM
Hiya, all.
This seemed to be the most appropriate place to post this; hope I got it right.
I don't know if anyone here has gone aboard USS Ling 297, a Balao-class WW2 boat at the New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, NJ.
After doing some research, I was able to determine that this is the boat that I had the good fortune to tour with a small group of my fellow Boy Scouts back when I was about 15 and living in NJ. At the time, it was tied up at Brooklyn (NY) Navy Yard, and was ostensibly in service as a training boat. One of my Ass't Scoutmasters was an ex- USN SM1 and "knew somebody who knew somebody" who was able to get us aboard for a brief and informal tour, where we were shepherded around by a couple of old Chiefs (well, I was 15; *everyone* seemed old to me).
By happy chance, my high school in Cedar Grove is having a "Classes of the 70s" reunion on October 5th, and I'll probably attend. The relative proximity of the boat's new home in Hackensack (a mere 14 miles from the official hotel in Wayne, NJ) will make it much easier to get to. Plus they've got a captured (or surrendered) Seehund, a Kaitan, a Riverine, and other wartime vessels.
I wanted to see if anyone else is interested in going. Individuals can tour only on Saturdays & Sundays for $12 adults, $6 for children (come to think of it, given the age distribution of our membership, the break point might be around 36 ;)
If it turned out there were a minimum of 15 people who wanted to take the tour, they'd arrange for a weekday private guided tour of Ling.
Their web site is http://www.njnm.com and they've got a fair amount of info on the page, including a very basic Flash animated "tour" of Ling.
I inquired to them in an email about taking photographs; they said no problem, and that even videos are fine. The volunteer who answered my email is referring my query about group scheduling to another lad named Ronnie Meier, who is to follow up with me.
I know this is kinda short notice, but I just got the notice about the school reunion on Friday, and didn't really think anything of it until I put it together with the USS Ling and my Scouting days, and our merry little band here.
So, is there anyone hereabouts for whom this would be interesting and for whom this would be near enough to be convenient? And is there someone else from amongst us who should actually be doing this for us? Like I said, though, even if no such group materializes, I'll be going on my own on that Saturday or Sunday.
Cheerio,
-- Zygoma --
This seemed to be the most appropriate place to post this; hope I got it right.
I don't know if anyone here has gone aboard USS Ling 297, a Balao-class WW2 boat at the New Jersey Naval Museum in Hackensack, NJ.
After doing some research, I was able to determine that this is the boat that I had the good fortune to tour with a small group of my fellow Boy Scouts back when I was about 15 and living in NJ. At the time, it was tied up at Brooklyn (NY) Navy Yard, and was ostensibly in service as a training boat. One of my Ass't Scoutmasters was an ex- USN SM1 and "knew somebody who knew somebody" who was able to get us aboard for a brief and informal tour, where we were shepherded around by a couple of old Chiefs (well, I was 15; *everyone* seemed old to me).
By happy chance, my high school in Cedar Grove is having a "Classes of the 70s" reunion on October 5th, and I'll probably attend. The relative proximity of the boat's new home in Hackensack (a mere 14 miles from the official hotel in Wayne, NJ) will make it much easier to get to. Plus they've got a captured (or surrendered) Seehund, a Kaitan, a Riverine, and other wartime vessels.
I wanted to see if anyone else is interested in going. Individuals can tour only on Saturdays & Sundays for $12 adults, $6 for children (come to think of it, given the age distribution of our membership, the break point might be around 36 ;)
If it turned out there were a minimum of 15 people who wanted to take the tour, they'd arrange for a weekday private guided tour of Ling.
Their web site is http://www.njnm.com and they've got a fair amount of info on the page, including a very basic Flash animated "tour" of Ling.
I inquired to them in an email about taking photographs; they said no problem, and that even videos are fine. The volunteer who answered my email is referring my query about group scheduling to another lad named Ronnie Meier, who is to follow up with me.
I know this is kinda short notice, but I just got the notice about the school reunion on Friday, and didn't really think anything of it until I put it together with the USS Ling and my Scouting days, and our merry little band here.
So, is there anyone hereabouts for whom this would be interesting and for whom this would be near enough to be convenient? And is there someone else from amongst us who should actually be doing this for us? Like I said, though, even if no such group materializes, I'll be going on my own on that Saturday or Sunday.
Cheerio,
-- Zygoma --