Boycott San Francisco! The Iowa:

Today the SF Board of Supervisors engaged in an offensive display of prejudice, stupidity and a lack of respect for history, both of the military and of the gay community.

"The San Francisco Board of Supervisors today voted 3-8 against a resolution urging the San Francisco Congressional Delegation to support the permanent berthing of the USS Iowa as a museum at the Port of San Francisco."

I'm sorry, but I will not ever visit a place where the US military is not welcome. 

San Francisco has gotten so insular and cut off from reality that it has gotten loonier than Colorado Springs did after its takeover by the theocrats.

Look, the military and I have obvious deep disagreements. But the fact is that it's not the pacifists, or even the gay activists, who have provided freedom for Americans, and yes, even Gay Americans. It was those that were willing to die to protect it.  That means they get my respect. (Of course, I still reserve the right to bitch). Hell, I might even have had relatives serve on the Iowa, like my great Uncle Cliffy, a Marine in WWII.

Men died on the Iowa in so I could sit here at my computer and slur the Government,   without fear of a knock at the door in the night. To treat our military, or even a symbol of it so shabbily is shameful.  It also displays a disgusting lack of knowledge about both the military and of gay history, of which the Iowa is a part of.

On April 19th, 1989, 47 men died on the USS Iowa when a turret exploded.  That was tragedy enough, but what followed was much worse, and a pure example of cover-up and prejudice.  It's a shameful episode in the Navy's history. In order to cover its butt, the Navy did the following:

"In May 1989, "unnamed sources" within the Naval Investigative Services (NIS) leaked to NBC correspondent Fred Francis claims that there was evidence of a murder/ suicide involving a "homosexual relationship" between Gunner's Mate Clayton Hartwig (who was killed in the blast) and Gunner's Mate Kendall Truitt (who survived). In June, Francis reported that Navy investigators were "convinced" that Hartwig was a "troubled homosexual" who was suicidal because other sailors had rejected his advances. In both cases the national media picked up the story, with attribution to NBC. In October 1989, the Navy claimed that the blast was "most probably" intentionally caused by Hartwig."

Later however, the Navy was forced to admit it had made the whole story up.

"But that was false, as Thompson discovered. Hartwig was not gay, nor was his friend who died with him in the blast. They had not had a love affair, pleasant or tormented......The sailor's false statement was later retracted, a fact that the Navy also covered up in its zeal to pin blame for the affair on Hartwig. Naval officials even went so far as to conceal the retraction from FBI agents who worked at the agency's behavioral studies unit and who produced a "psychological autopsy" buttressing the detectives' theory. The Navy's coverup also included the suppression of evidence showing that Hartwig couldn't possibly have caused the explosion."

So why did the Navy go to all this trouble?

"Blaming the victim deflected attention from the Navy's own culpability. That culpability included bad maintenance of the 16-inch guns, unsafe working conditions, poor ship leadership and the use of half-century-old gunpowder...."The environment was one notch above hell," Thompson writes. "It was hot, grimy, nasty, hazardous and cramped. The Iowa turret decks were slippery, coated with hydraulic fluid and oil. A tumbling shell could pulverize a man. One misstep in the gun house and a sailor could plunge into the pit, where he might be crushed to death by moving machinery or by an elevating or traversing weapon. Friction and static electricity were constant sources of anxiety. A spark could trigger an explosion."

So this incident, and this ship, both a part of Navy history, and a part of our gay history, is not welcome in San Francisco. Besides the slap at the military, its a slap at the gay community as well. If we don't make sure that our own history is remembered, both the good and the bad, its going to disappear.

The ship was to become a museum, like the Midway in San Diego, visited by hundreds of thousands of people each year.  As such it could have included among its displays the real facts about the Iowa accident.  It could have made sure that those men falsely slurred by the Navy could have an honest remembrance.  It could even have served to provide facts about the history of Don't Ask, Don't Tell.  The Midway in San Diego has even plays host to fundraising events for local and national gay organizations, such as the Service Members Legal Defense Network, that helps those that run afoul of DADT.

And what about paying some respect to the hundreds of thousands of active and retired gay and lesbian military personnel?  Those that both live in SF and visit it every year?  Don't you think they would have appreciated being able to visit a place that acknowledged and honored their own personal history and sacrifices? We could of done this, and more, on the Iowa. There were good men and women who served on that ship, straight, gay, whatever. Their service on that ship deserved more respect than a boot in the pants by the city of San Francisco.

Now it's just a wasted opportunity due to the childish temper tantrums of a group of over-the-hill yet still immature ex-hippies.  There is no real difference between these Supervisors and their prejudice and that of people like Lou Sheldon, its just a matter of degree, and whom it's directed at.  It is exactly the same, and it is just as petty.

We need an new version of ACT UP to go and demonstrate against these idiots.  Until then, they don't ever get another cent from me.  Shame, Shame, Shame, San Francisco!

Comments

[babylonandon]

SF isn't the only place to do this. The communist asshats in the People's Republic of Madison refused the Navy's request to place the USS Wisconsin IN ITS OWN HOME STATE because weapons of war are not desired in our civilized(!!!) state.

Now the city of Milwaukee is looking at getting a cruiser, the USS Des Moines here (named after a city in Iowa from all places!!). The same forces that stopped us from getting the Wisconsin are stepping up to fight this as well.

[Burkee]

Great response to these idiot politicians up there!! You would think sooner or later they will have to wake up to reality.

I like your reference to the USS Midway here in San Diego. I happen to haved served on the Midway as a pilot and now am a docent on board. It is truly a rewarding experience shaking dozens of hands all day when I'm there. You wouldn't believe how many thanks (for serving) I get also. By the way, we just went over our 1 millionth visitor since we opened June 2004. We are the No. 1 museum in San Diego, which says quite a lot with all the Balboa Park ones. The Midway is just a huge success.

My last duty station in the Navy was a squadron at NAS Alameda, now the home of the USS Hornet museum, so I know the Bay area somewhat.

I agree with your main point that regardless of anyone's politics-de-jour, recognition of this great nation's military should be embedded in their hearts. If not, they are ignorant of US history and their opinions and statements deserve no respect or credibility.

[Patrick]

I like your reference to the USS Midway here in San Diego. I happen to haved served on the Midway as a pilot and now am a docent on board. It is truly a rewarding experience shaking dozens of hands all day when I'm there. You wouldn't believe how many thanks (for serving) I get also. By the way, we just went over our 1 millionth visitor since we opened June 2004. We are the No. 1 museum in San Diego, which says quite a lot with all the Balboa Park ones. The Midway is just a huge success.

Yes I agree, I visited the Midway on vacation last year. (Photo album below and to the left)

It was one of the best times I've had in San Diego. A big part of that was because the docents were willing to answer even the most dumbest of questions from land-locked flat-footers like myself.

And the first thing I did when I got back was to ask my uncle, "How the hell did you fit in those bunks?!" He served on the Nimitz and is 6'7" tall. Heh.

So thank you again very much for your service, both past and present.

[North Dallas Thirty]

I believe that the organization that would fulfill the same function in San Francisco is the Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square Foundation. Have you been in contact with anyone there, Gryph?

[North Dallas Thirty]

DANGER -- just found something else.

Apparently a Member of the House of Representatives inserted something into the massive national defense authorization act for 2006 that stipulates that the Iowa must be transferred to Stockton when it is put into donation status, thus cutting the San Francisco organization that has invested the most time and money into it out of the running. The Iowa veterans' group is mounting a letter-writing campaign to get the provision stripped out of the bill.

[Patrick]

Thanks for the info NDT, I've e-mailed them and offered our help.

[StinKerr]

Good going, Patrick. I'm still furious about what they did with the Iowa "investigation". The coverup started before the smoke had even cleared.

Having spent six years in the Navy, I wasn't surprised that they looked for an enlisted man to blame for the accident.

With apologies to SMASH, who has earned my respect and admiration, I still consider it to be an old Navy tradition.

I appreciate your position on this, Patrick, and believe that their City Commission is enough reason to deny SF the honor of hosting this great ship.

[SMASH]

StinKerr,

While I agree that the Iowa investigation was shameful, I respectfully disagree that it is an "old Navy tradition" to scapegoat enlisted personnel -- and I've seen enough officers have their careers ended prematurely for incidents that were beyond their control to back up that statement.

Yes, there are exceptions. But I always took pride in my own willingness to "take the hit" for my subordinates when the feces hit the fan, and I wasn't the only one.

Remember the Dragon Lady? She was an Army Colonel, but the men she tried to bust were sheltered from persecution by myself and other Naval officers, at some danger to our own hides.

I talked with one of those men just this past weekend, and he still hasn't forgotten my efforts on his behalf. In fact, he was telling everyone in earshot how I put my own ass on the line to save his.

Loyalty is a two-way street, and he has paid me back several times over. But he and the rest of my team never forgot that I was willing to stand up for them. That counts for a lot, in our world.

I live in SF and am disgusted by this behavior too. There are alot of us living here that identify with folks in the rest of the country. That said, we get morons representing us in the local government. Most of us feel as bad about them as you all do. What can you do but vote? Even with that we still just get another ex-hippy in office. ugh!

[StinKerr]

As I said, SMASH, you have my admiration and respect. I would like to think that you are representative of Navy Officers today. You were not representative of the officers I served under from 1967-1973.

There were the rare few and we knew and appreciated who they were and made sure that we took care of them every opportunity we had. Another old Navy tradition.

Some of my time was in the pre Zumwalt era, so I greatly appreciated what Admiral Z did for us with his "Z-Grams". He met fierce resistance but he did it anyway. He'll never be forgotten either.

I'll collect my experiences, thoughts and observations and let you read them. I'll name names and places. Perhaps it will let you see where I'm coming from.

Let the beheadings begin. If they want to defend themsleves, good, go ahead.

[Ken]

Re the Iowa turret explosion; back when battleships were the mainstay of all the world's major navies, they used to lose a battleship (as in ship blew up) every couple years somewhere in the world due to accidental ammunition/turret explosions.

Something about handling large quantities of explosives in a confined area with haste; with explosives, any accident is going to be a bad one.

[Jonathan Williams]

CALIFORNIA
Now's the time to fight for the battleship Iowa
Pombo wants it in Stockton; Feinstein wants open bidding
Edward Epstein, Chronicle Washington Bureau

Saturday, July 23, 2005

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Washington -- If another California city wants to compete with Stockton to become the new permanent home of the historic battleship Iowa, now is the time to step forward.

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., and adopted by the Senate Thursday without objection would open bidding for the 63-year-old, 987-foot-long ship to any California city. As of now, with San Francisco apparently out of the race after the city's Board of Supervisors refused to endorse a nonprofit group's bid for the battlewagon, Stockton is the only city in the running.

Feinstein's legislation in the massive annual defense authorization bill, which she says is in keeping with longtime Navy policy calling for localities to bid on taking possession of retired vessels for a new life as museums, conflicts with a provision that Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, had inserted into the House version of the same bill in May.

The Pombo legislation basically directs the Navy to give the Iowa to the Port of Stockton.

The differing versions will have to be reconciled by a House-Senate conference committee before both houses pass the final version of the Pentagon spending bill and send it on to President Bush for his signature.

Feinstein's bill, which she co-sponsored with California's other senator, Barbara Boxer, and Iowa's two senators, would transfer the Iowa, which now is moored in Suisun Bay, from reserve to donation status and require the Navy to accept bids for it, with no time limit prescribed by the legislation.

Feinstein, the former San Francisco mayor, was bitterly disappointed that the city's supervisors voted 8-3 not to back a plan by the nonprofit Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square to bring the Iowa to the Port of San Francisco as a tourist attraction. Without local government support, a bid for the ship would in all likelihood not succeed.

Those supervisors who voted against the idea gave a variety of reasons --

lukewarm support from the port and Mayor Gavin Newsom, the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell'' policy against gays and lesbians serving in the military and the city's history as a center of the peace movement.

But Feinstein, urged on by Iowa's senators, insisted on an open bidding process, rather than adopting Pombo's approach of giving the ship to Stockton, which although it is some 70 miles inland, still has a deep-water port.

"She believes it should be located at the city most interested in it,'' said Howard Gantman, a spokesman for Feinstein, who helped get the $3 million appropriation that brought the Iowa to Suisun Bay in 2001. "The Navy also wants an open process to evaluate all bids. That's the way it has been traditionally done.''

No other city as come forward yet, and that's fine with Stockton.

"It puts Stockton in an even better position because no one can match Stockton's bid'' even if another locality tries, said Doug Wilhoit, chief executive of the Stockton Chamber of Commerce.

"The Port of Stockton has done everything right,'' he added. The bid includes donation of a mile-long dock, a 90,000-square-foot warehouse that could be used for events and a museum and 15 acres of parking.

For Stockton, a city of 265,000 that's the seat of San Joaquin County, the ship would be another step in a revival. Other elements in place include a new downtown minor league ballpark, an indoor arena and a movie multiplex.

Plans envision 125,000 visitors annually to the Iowa at $12 a head.

Pombo wants to work out the differences with Feinstein, said his spokeswoman Nicole Philbin. "We're hopeful we'll have some good news to report to the Port of Stockton,'' she said.

While World War II ships like the Iowa, known as "The Big Stick,'' are popular with cities looking to attract tourists, they can also be losing propositions. In Alameda, the historic aircraft carrier Hornet hasn't lived up to expectations, and almost had to shut down earlier this year because of back bills. Now, it may have to move, and its backers want it to go across the bay to San Francisco, which is noncommittal.

San Francisco is home to two other World War II museum pieces, the submarine Pampanito and the Jeremiah O'Brien, a Liberty Ship that's still operational. The Red Oak Victory is a World War II cargo ship based in Richmond, where it was built at the old Kaiser shipyard.

[Hooter]

Well Im an old Navy Blue Jacket, just last week watching the history channel I saw the old films playing the return of the bataan Death March troops sailing into San Fran, and the entire city shutting down and turned out to welcome those boys home some 60 years ago. As Churchil once said" A people that have forgotten their heritage are a people who have lost faith in themselves"... That ship should be transfered to the east cost period! it will make a fine addition to ALabama, Texas, North Carolina, New Jersey, Olypmia, and Mass battleship parks. I have no dought that Baltimore, Charleston, Savanah a city in FLorida would welcome that ship home... My only wish is that the Iowa could deliver one more full broadside, and that be directed at SAn Fran!!!

[Flu-Bird]

When i was in a special cloass we visited SAN FRANCISCO but now i wouldnt ever set foot in this wretched stinkhole of a city its a virtiual blight in america run by crinimals and thugs who give sancary to illegal alien crinimals why they realy deserve isa complete boycott of city facilities including the ball teams that play there HET SAN FRANFREAKSHOW right where it hurts right in their bank accounts