![]() From there, my grandfather attended the Naval Academy for three years (accelerated during the War). After six months, he had the opportunity to be tested for acceptance into Naval Prep School, a first step toward attending the Naval Academy, where he could complete his dream of becoming a pilot! He qualified and attended Naval Prep School in Norfolk, Virginia, missing the attack on Pearl Harbor by three months. He was a rangefinder operator and practiced shooting land or towed vessel targets. Once he finished boot camp in 1941, he joined the USS Pennsylvania at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. ![]() During this time, the rules changed, only to allow college graduates to become pilots. He completed basic training at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois. When my grandfather graduated high school in June 1940, he joined the US Navy intending to become a pilot. As I approach my retirement this spring (2019), it’s satisfying to know that walking IOWA’s teak decks will assuredly be more frequent for this old Battleship Sailor! I'm so very appreciative of the leadership and many other organizations participation in finally establishing our great ship as a vibrant museum in San Pedro. It was not all work without play though, as we visited ports in Germany, Norway, Denmark, and France, all of which were extremely fun times. If I had to choose but one period of time it would be our 1985 participation in Northern Wedding where we operated and conducted war games with many of our cold war allies. I've got so many great IOWA memories, she was a majestic and powerful dreadnought with a devoted and faithful crew. In early 1989 I was assigned to Fourth Division and ran the ships Sail Locker. My initial General Quarters station was Turret One, followed by assignment as special detail Boatswain's Mate of the Watch on the ships bridge. I returned to the ship in January 1988 while she was deployed to the Persian Gulf - it was as if I'd never left - I was assigned to First Division which was responsible for the ships Forecastle area, as well as paint locker, etc. Hailing from Missouri my desire was to serve aboard USS MISSOURI (BB-63), but the crew was already established so my detailer offered the IOWA again, which I didn't hesitate taking. It was the summer of 1987 during required active duty for training that I decided to reenlist and go back to what I truly loved - being at sea. There's no question that being a Battleship Sailor was hard work, the cleaning, shining and other physical work like holy-stoning seemed endless, but it was worth every drop of sweat to be a part of such a historic time in our Navy.Īs many do, I chose to get out of the Navy after my initial enlistment to pursue a career within our family business, which for about a year was satisfying, but having remained active reserves I was still associated with the Navy. My General Quarters station was Turret 2. My assignment was within Second Division which was upkeep of the ceremonial Quarterdeck area and adjacent weather decks. There were many from my boot camp division (CO 125 RTC Great Lakes) and other recruit divisions chosen in 1983 to help commission and subsequently serve onboard IOWA. My father lived long enough to see the IOWA in her new role as a museum, and he rested easier knowing that she was not moth balled, but instead being revered in the manor which she so deserved. Ringing out six bells, then one, six bells, then one. Sometimes he would man the ship's bell when the fog drifted in, covering her massive hull, her 16 inch guns, the silhouette of the mighty Big Stick. Whether he was swabbing the deck, setting gun sights, or acting as the Captain's Talker, he was honored to serve in the United States NAVY. He was on board when she was launched, when she squeezed through the Panama Canal, for her first Equator crossing, as she carried President Roosevelt to the Tehran Conference (and back), when she tangled with Typon Cobra, when she was missed by a Kamikaze plane, as she earned her Battle Stars and for the surrender in Tokyo Bay. The first time he saw her in the Brooklyn NAVY Yard he said that he was never prouder, to know that he would soon be up on her deck. A Seaman 1st Class, he served from 1942-1946. My father, James H Conroy Jr was an IOWA Plank Owner.
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