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 Author  Topic: Battleship Cove
Gary Szot

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Szot   Send Email To Gary Szot Posted on: Jul 30, 2007 - 3:37pm
Hey folks;

I just visited Battleship Cove today and got a guided tour through PT 617, an 80 foot ELCO by Don Shannon.

As a person who has done a lot of research on PT's, viewed a lot of pictures of PT's it still doesn't compare to the feeling you get standing on deck and seeing it for yourself. I have taken about 70 pictures of the boat inside and out which I will be posting very soon.

Frank, I'm in a hotel room in Springfield tonite and I will visit your exhibit at the Springfield Museum tomorrow AM.

Battleship Cove is a wonderful place to see historic Naval Vessels. Besides the Elco and Higgens you can also tour the USS Massachusetts.(Battleship),The USS Joseph Kennedy( Destroyer), The USS Lionfish (submarine) and a Russian Missle Ship.

All of the boats are open for self tours. I got down into the powder magazines in the Massachusetts a good 6 stories down from the main deck. The engine room is something to see.


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jul 30, 2007 - 7:49pm
Gary

Nothing beats seeing the boats up close for the first time. One can talk about PT Boats all the time, but until you see and stand on the deck, nothing can top that. Gary, very excited that you will be going to the Exhibit tommorow. Wish I had advance warning of your visit. I would have liked to have met you. Please tell me what you think. Battleship Cove is a great place to visit. Seeing the USS MASSACHUSETTS for the first time was breathtaking for me. Can you just imagine how she was filled with ships company and out to Sea?

I can still remember the first tme I saw the Elco PT Boat. It was long before Newberry Hall was built to protect her. She was outside and to me she looked like the most beautiful gal I ever layed eyes on. I could only imagine how it was trying to live on such a small boat. She looked so very large outside of the water, but I soon realized how small she must have looked with a good portion of that blazing red hull just beneath the waves. Still, to me she looked every bit the wooden warrior and I shall never forget that first feeling of joy seeing her. I hope you too Gary shared those same feelings while you were there.....


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Gary Szot

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Szot   Send Email To Gary Szot Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 5:41am
I have just uploaded almost 60 JPGs onto the photobucket site.
To view these pics go to;

www.photobucket.com

login= PTBoats
Password= ELCOPT

All of my photos are in the Battleship Cove folder.

Visiting Battleship Cove and in particular the tour of PT 617 is a very humbling experience. You can't help but feel the intense loyalty that these men felt for their boats. My father told me stories about his PT days but it really didn't click for me entirely until I stepped foot aboard the 617.

To Will and CJ, Don Shannon told me that you guys rarely used the crapper on board. Did you really sit on planks astern when nature called?


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Ray Wilbur

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 8:31am
Gary, did you go on the Battleship and check out the PT museum?

Ray

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CJ Willis

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of CJ Willis  Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 1:11pm
In answer to your question about the crapper, I lived aboard P.T. 242 for 13 months and I can't recall using the inside john once. We had a crapper made from a wooden 50 cal. ammunition box with a hole cut in the top and the bottom open. It was cantilevered over the stern with 2 - 2x4's that slipped under the smoke generator. When not in use we tied it on the stern deck. When Bob Hope, Francis Langford and crew came for their show, we were cautioned by the skipper not to use it while they were there.

C. J. Willis

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Gary Szot

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Szot   Send Email To Gary Szot Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 2:06pm
Ray;

I spent about 8 hours at Battleship Cove. I did extensive tours of all the boats. I could have spent a couple more days there. I found the PT Museum on board of the USS Mass. and found a picture of Mac Arthur on the 525 boat. Good stuff.

Frank;

Congradulations on a great exhibit. I thoroughly enjoyed the displays and in particular the video tape of the Elco factory.

I found the exhibit to be historical as well as informative.

Great job!

CJ; as always your stories are priceless.


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 2:58pm
Gary

Thanks Very Much. I am glad that your trip was one that was worth the time and effort. Nothing like spending a day or so looking at PT BOAT STUFF. You are correct, you could spend much more time at Battleship Cove. I think I went back a few times before I could say with any honestly that I saw everything..........


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Gary Szot

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Gary Szot   Send Email To Gary Szot Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 7:04pm
Frank;

When I was visiting your exhibit I got to talking to the curator. He told me that the previous week Leighton Wood came to visit your display.

He has to use a walker to get around and was a bit dismayed that the museum did not have an elevator.

True to form he showed the same grit and determination that he showed as a PT Skipper to climb the flight of stairs to see the display you had of him.

It never ceases to amaze me the true love these men had for their boats.


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jul 31, 2007 - 11:27pm
Gary

Yes, I too was surprised at no elevator, but to date no PT BOAT VETERAN was sidetracked by that fact. Each one made the climb up the stairs and proved once again just what PT means. PLENTY TOUGH!!!!


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Jeff Sherry

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Jeff Sherry  Posted on: Aug 6, 2007 - 5:38pm
Gary,
I visited Battleship Cove and The PTs last spring with my dad who served on PT-342, Ron 24 in New Guinea. Dad was 82 and he was all over that Elco. Like previous posts have said, you can read all about them and build models over and over but until you see one and get aboard and walk all around one, you'll never really understand a PT. I was struck by how big they were/are. I'd seen all the movies and talked with Dad at great length but now, I get it.
I also want to put out there again for everyone, Don Shannon is a top notch guy and the whole staff treated us like royalty. If you get the chance, GO!
Jeff Sherry


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