Transitioning a warship into a dynamic attraction is a significant undertaking. Over the last month, we acquired a substantial stash of shipboard materials and damage control equipment from the ex-Navy Display Ship, the USS Barry (DD-933), and accepted a terrific collection of one of a kind artifacts from an ADAMS-class warship, the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) ship and crew.
On July 18, we unloaded and placed in temporary storage, a truckload of shipboard material and equipment needed to bring the ADAMS back to life.
Thank you to our volunteers who showed up to help us offload artifacts and equipment from the ex-Navy Display Ship USS BARRY (DD-933).
The P-250 Fire pump, Peri-Jets, Red Devil Blowers, OBAs, Fire Hoses and Nozzles, and much more were removed from a ship museum in Washington, D.C., which closed due to bridge construction that wold land lock the ship and the Navy set-up an open house for other museum ships to take what they needed. So, the ex-USS BARRY (DD-933) legacy will live on with the ADAMS.
Thank you to “Craig’s Raiders,” a fervent team of ADAMS CLASS VETERANS ASSOCIATION (ACVA) Members (Craig Bernat, Francis Tisak, Bob Branco, & Wayne Misner) who spent a week, on their own dime, in very humid and hot weather, carrying stuff up and down narrow ladders and down dark and hot passageways and off the ship. They legally pillaged equipment and display materials off the BARRY and onto a 26-foot long truck parked about 75 yards away at the end of the pier. Then Craig drove the truck, with a non-operating air conditioning unit, to Jacksonville. Afterwards, an all-volunteer, 20-person Working Party (#SHIPMATES!) met Craig on a warm and very muggy (Poor, Tracy!) Saturday morning with great spirit and energy to offload and stash our treasures. Bravo Zulu to all involved in this evolution!
The second acquisition of materials and artifacts we received were donated the following Monday by the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) Association. The ADAMS-class of Guided Missile Destroyers includes 23 ships that steamed for the United States during the Vietnam and the Cold War era. Most ships have an association of shipmates who work to preserve the history of the ship and the memory of their service to their country as a Warship Sailor.
Thank you to the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) Association for our donation of artifacts to The USS ADAMS Museum.
One of the more robust and active ADAMS-class ship associations is the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) Association. Every year the former shipmates gather somewhere in the Unites States for several days of activities that include history sessions, local sightseeing, fellowship and telling of sea stories. Over the years, the DDG-17 men and their families acquired and maintained a terrific collection of historic documents and photographs from their ship and time aboard. They had so many artifacts that they transported them in a customized trailer to their meetings. Recently, the last “Keeper of the Artifacts and Trailer” finished his tour of duty and they were unable to identify a replacement.
After months of evaluation and consideration, the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) Association offered the collect to the USS ADAMS Museum. The evaluation included several interviews, many questions and even a “Murder Board” in Savannah, Ga. Since The USS ADAMS Museum’s mission will represent all of the ships that made up the historic ADAMS-class warships, the DDG-17 Sailors thought it was time to contribute to our archives of the nations newest and youngest warship on display, the lead ship of the ADAMS-class.
Check out one of the video news stories about the donation we received from the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) by News 4 JAX.
So, on a very hot and steamy Monday morning, Dave Suckow, historian for the USS Conyngham (DDG-17) Association, and his partner Eileen, drove the trailer of artifacts from Minnesota and joined several of their shipmates and their families at the Downtown Shipyards property. In a short, but appropriate ceremony, they donated their collection to the USS ADAMS Museum. Four local media outlets were on hand to capture the event and interview the Conyngham crew.
Check out another video news story about our recent donation by FOX 30 Action News.
Overall, it was a great event and a job well done was celebrated afterwards at Fionn McCool’s in The Jacksonville Landing.
Over the next couple of weeks, our Curator, Mr. Andy Hunold, will supervise the validation of the inventory, document the condition and restoration requirements of these items and prepare the collection for storage with one of our artifact storage partners. Because the Navy is controlling the disposal of the ex-Barry, the material carry some specific inventory and usage requirements for the life of either the material or the U.S. Navy.
We will also survey the collection and postulate display opportunities and the marketing and research value of each item. The CONYNGHAM collection is full of historic ship records and documentation. Very soon we will move the collection into control climate storage , appropriate for long term and safe storage these materials.
Oh…let’s not forget to mention that sweating with the rest of us were employees representing the Enterprise Holdings Foundation. While wearing suits and very warm smiles, they donated $1,000 to help BRING HOME THE ADAMS! The community continues their support of Florida’s Naval Warship Museum and we absolutely appreciate their generosity.