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Hannah McGovern
Design Begins for New SS United States Museum ...

The towering funnels of the legendary SS United States will soon be removed from the historic ocean liner in Mobile, Alabama. Soaring six stories high and sloping backward to convey the record-breaking speed of the ship, the iconic structures will form a dramatic centerpiece of the future SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience. The aft funnel is expected to be removed soon after the forward funnel. The ship is now being prepared for deployment as the “world’s largest artificial reef” off the coast of Florida’s Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

Design Begins for New SS United States Museum and Visitor Experience
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Guest User
America's Flagship, the SS United States, ...

The SS United States, America’s Flagship, arrived in Mobile, Alabama today after an approximately 1,800-mile tow from her berth in Philadelphia. The iconic national symbol and last surviving American ocean liner will now undergo preparations for her deployment as the “World’s Largest Artificial Reef” off Florida’s Gulf Coast near Destin-Fort Walton Beach.

America's Flagship, the SS United States, Completes Voyage to Mobile, Alabama Well Ahead of Schedule
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America's Flagship Departs Philadelphia on ...

“Today, the nation’s sole surviving ocean liner will glide down the Delaware River to begin the next chapter in her uniquely American story. As the fastest ship to ever cross the Atlantic travels for the first time since arriving in Philadelphia in 1996, we are reminded of the postwar high-water mark that the SS United States so gracefully and powerfully embodied when she was launched in 1951.”

America's Flagship Departs Philadelphia on Historic Voyage
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Associated Press: Historic ocean liner could ...

The conservancy that oversees a storied but aging ocean liner and its landlord have resolved a years-old rent dispute that will clear the way for a Florida county to turn the historic ship into the world’s largest artificial reef.

Associated Press: Historic ocean liner could soon become the world’s largest artificial reef

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Sept 17, 2016 -- Crew Reunion and Celebration Recap

 The SS United States Conservancy welcomed over 150 guests at our 2016 Crew Reunion and Celebration, among them, seventeen former crew members, twenty-four former passengers, and several former Gibbs & Cox employees, including one of William Francis Gibbs' former assistants!Bill Magee, of MageeMedia Productions, did a remarkable job of capturing the spirit of the event on video. His documentation of the event ensures that stories told by the crew members that day --  and ultimately, the history of the Big U -- will be preserved.Click here to watch a short highlights reel that features excerpts from interviews with Joe Orlando, a former Gibbs & Cox employee, and former crew members Joe Rota and Joe Muchulsky, as well as Dan Landau's stirring performance of "To Every Journey," his homage to the ship.Click here to watch the director's cut that includes the entirety of the interviews with "the three Joes," as well as a bonus interview with former crew member Larry Walker, whose father also worked aboard the SS United States.The Conservancy also produced a commemorative booklet featuring recollections from former crew members, as well as photos from the ship's service career. You may access a PDF of that booklet here.Thanks to our dedicated "crew" -- both past and present -- the reunion was a resounding success. A special thank you is due to Conservancy Board Member Mark Perry, Advisory Council Member Frank Slate Brooks, and Executive Director Susan Gibbs for sponsoring our happy hour reception at the Union League, as well as to Advisory Council Member Sean Edwards for helping us secure the beautiful McMichael Room.All photos courtesy of Kyle Ober.[huge_it_gallery id="8"]

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Oct 8, 2016 -- Asbury Park Press: Shipping the Troops

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Ridington10In an article for the Asbury Park Press, the docents of the New Jersey Maritime Museum examine the crucial role ocean liners played as troop transports during wartime, and analyze the specifics of what would have been required to convert the SS United States to a troop ship."The first order of business in converting a cruise ship to a troop ship was to remove all furniture, art work, pianos, and any luxuries which had been provided for paying passengers. These would be stored somewhere until the need for the troop ship ended, and could be restored to passenger service again."Click here to read the article in full.