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Help Save Our Submarine Museumsby Tom Bowser Our history and our heritage are turning into rust and falling apart. With the exception of a few of the museum submarines, most of them have been badly neglected, for one reason or another, over the years and are in dire need of help. The Drum SS 228 at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Al is one that needs help. The Drum sat in the water for over 30 years and the lack of painting, wave action and several hurricanes have done their damage. Finally in 2001 the Drum was hauled from the water and put on permanent dry land display but was given a quick paint job and then within four years the Park was hit hard by two hurricanes, Ivan and Katrina. Ivan damaged the Pavilion roof and Katrina damaged everything except the Drum. The recovery and repair from these two storms ate up all the Parks reserves and more and so the Drum was pushed on the list of things that needed to be worked on. I started going to the Drum on a regular basis, every other week for two years, shortly after the Park reopened after Katrina and started helping Lesley Waters, the maintenance person assigned to the Drum, by donating tools and supplies and physical help when needed. Three years ago my wife passed away and I moved to the Mobile area and took a part time job at the gift shop in the Park so I could be at the Drum every day and help restore her. At this time I became a member of the Mobile Bay Base (secondary) and they got a new Base Commander, Al Ferdinandsen. With the help of the Base and Al we set up a method to receive donations to help restore the Drum, the Lockwood Internet Base has also gotten involved in raising donations for the boat. The next two years were spent restoring the inside of the boat and putting tons of items back where they belonged that the reserves had stored in the refrigerator and freezer and after battery while we started raising money. I had to purchase wire and conduit so we could have 220 volts onboard to run a welder, we purchased a 15 HP air compressor, with money donated by SubVets of WWII, so we could use a medium size sand blaster, I got a steel company to agree to donate steel, a paint company donating paint and other small donations of material. I retired the first of February last year and volunteer on the boat every day, sand blasting, painting and repair and usually go back on the weekends and give tours both days, an average of 60 hours a week for the last two and a half years, occasionally I take a day off. We are making progress but it is slow going as we don’t have the funds to rent a man lift or larger compressor and blaster, these are in high demand in the area and I haven’t been able to get them donated for use. We have a long ways to go, I will have to sand blast and paint inside all fuel/ballast tanks also. Mobile Bay Base and Lockwood Internet Base are accepting donations for the Drum or if you prefer, National will also accept them or you can check to see if a museum boat in your area needs help. Remember they are a part of our history and heritage, help save them.I am asking each base to donate $50.00 to the Drum either through the Mobile Bay Base or Lockwood Internet base to help us finish the restoration of the Drum.
LIB is trying to do their part.
