Size Does Matter

I spent last weekend camping out with my son's Boy Scout Troop aboard the USS New Jersey. This masterpiece of naval architecture is the , fastest, strongest, longest and most decorated battleship in the world. She was born during WWII and was taken out of and put back into service a record 5 times. After serving off of Beirut in the 80's she was finally mothballed and then retired in Camden, NJ where she now patiently entertains thousands of fans and former colleaugues.

We learned how the big 16" 50 caliber guns (6 forward and 3 aft) accurately placed rounds the weight of a VW bug on target 26 miles away. We saw the batteries of dual 5" guns that only throw projectiles 10 miles away or 36,000 feet skyward (anti-aircraft), the Phalanx anti-missile / anti-aircraft systems and the quad batteries of Tomohawk Cruise Missiles.

Unfortunately, we weren't on board long enough to properly tend to the 6 on board museums, but I am sure we'll allocate time when we return; and we certainly will return.

The Battleship New Jersey accepts families, scout groups and other organizations for overnight encampments. They provide dinner, breakfast, a guilded tour and time in a flight simulator. Th docents were knowledgeable and pleasant and bunking in the Navy racks gave the kids something that they won't experience at Disneyland. I highly recommend it.

http://battleshipnewjersey.org 1-866-877-6262 extension 203