Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) is celebrating 250 years of service by remembering the 75th anniversary of the launch of the fourth and final USS South Dakota-class battleship, USS Alabama (BB 60), Feb. 16, 1942. In 1942, more than 3,000 men and woman worked 24-hour days for 30 months to complete the project nine months ahead of schedule. After it was commissioned, Alabama joined the fight in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II, where it was awarded nine battle stars. After being decommissioned in 1947, Alabama was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in 1962.
Since 1964, Alabama has served as a museum ship at Battleship Memorial Park in
Mobile, Alabama. The former battleship is now a National Historic Landmark.
The shipyard’s pride in USS Alabama will be evident during the year when
NNSY’s USS Alabama float, a highly detailed replica of the battleship, participates in
various events and parades throughout the region.
This popular float has been shown in many parades and other community events
across Hampton Roads. A Norfolk Naval Shipyard apprentice class built this 55-footlong float in the early 1980s as a class project. NNSY will also celebrate 250 years of shipbuilding, maintenance and repair Nov. 1, 2017. During the months leading up to the anniversary, NNSY will honor its important past and vital future with historic festivities, spirit days, observances, and awareness events, culminating in a final celebration in November. The mission of Norfolk Naval Shipyard is to repair, overhaul and refuel the most technologically advanced warships in the world: the ships and submarines of the United States Navy.
Located on the southern branch of the Elizabeth River in Portsmouth, Virginia,
Norfolk Naval Shipyard comprises more than 800 acres, five dry docks, and four miles of waterfront.
Today NNSY is the fourth largest employer in Hampton Roads, with more than
10,500 full-time civilian employees and 750 military personnel.
–USN—
Note: Please see link below for video of original launch of USS Alabama at Norfolk
Naval Shipyard Feb. 16, 1942. CLICK HERE TO VIEW VIDEO