The USS
Drum (SS-228) is located in Mobile, Alabama at
Battleship Memorial Park. She's been there since 1969, and was placed on dry land sometime in the 1990's or early 2000's. And since she was launched on May 12, 1941, I believe that the USS
Drum is the oldest of all the submarine museums listed on this website.
A retired submariner named Tom Bowser and a park employee named Lesley Waters have taken up the task of restoring the
Drum to her former beauty. Tom has vowed to spend 7 days a week in the Park working on the
Drum (when he's not giving tours and such).
The
Drum does not get much income for restoration, as most of the money brought in via park entry fees and gift shop profits go towards keeping the park running and the USS
Alabama, the main attraction (to some) at Battleship Memorial Park. The Park gets no federal or state money.
Therefore, the
Mobile Bay Base of the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc (USSVI) has set up a fund to help channel funds for restoration and maintenance directly to the
Drum. Any money donated to this fund goes to the
Drum, not to anything else in the Park. Any donations can be sent to:
Mobile Bay Base, USSVI
Attn: USS Drum Maintenance/Restoration Fund
P.O. Box 190756
Mobile, AL 36619-0756
with a notation on the check that the money is for the USS Drum Maintenance/Restoration Fund.More information about this fund, along with monthly updates on how the money is being spent and general happenings on the USS
Drum can be found by visiting the
Mobile Bay Base website and clicking on the link for the "Signal Ejector newsletter". Each month the newsletter is updated.
Another way to help with restoration efforts is by purchasing one of these patches in 2008:
The patch was created by the Lockwood Internet Base of the USSVI. All proceeds from the sale of the "Preserve Our Heritage" patches go toward the submarine that the Lockwood Internet Base chooses to support that year. For 2008, the first year of this program, the Lockwood Internet Base has chosen the USS Drum. As far as I know, post-2008 proceeds from the sale of this patch will no longer go to the Drum, but to some other submarine museum in need as chosen by the Lockwood Internet Base of the USSVI.
"Preserve Our Heritage" patches can be purchased from Ron Martini of SubmarineShop.com for $7.00 with free shipping. Item #P005. Ron Martini does not offer online ordering, so call 307-674-9847 with Visa/Mastercard in hand or mail your check to Ron Martini, 1723 DeSmet, Sheridan, WY 82801.
The Lockwood Internet Base has also created a website that highlights submarine museums in need. It's called
SaveOurSubmarines.com. Some USS
Drum news from Tom Bowser can be found on this site, as well as a few pictures. Here's one below:
Yep, you can see daylight through the stern of the Drum. Tom has found a donor of some steel, has succeeded in getting power hooked up for a welder, Sherwin-Williams is going to donate paint (and some labor I believe), and they are working on securing an air compressor to operate a large sandblaster.
2008 will be a big year for the
Drum!
