Norfolk’s legendary U.S. Navy vessel celebrates its 75th anniversary.
Photos courtesy of Nauticus
The Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy.
It earned five battle stars while serving as a home to nearly 3,000 men from World War II, the
Korean conflict, and Operation Desert Shield. This year marks the 75th anniversary of the renowned vessel, which has been docked as a museum at the Nauticus National Martime Center in Norfolk since 2006. To celebrate, Nauticus is hosting a months-long tribute titled Their Stories, Our History, ending Oct. 2—the date the Wisconsin reported for duty with the Pacific Fleet in 1944.
“The legacy of the Battleship Wisconsin is a uniquely American one,” says Stephen E. Kirkland, executive director of Nauticus. “Over the course of its decades of service, boys from around the country walked across the gangway and later left as men. Their experiences onboard were truly formative, and we’re privileged to tell their stories.” Nauticus.org
This article originally appeared in our August 2019 issue.
