Mobile, AL

I always loved playing the game Battleship when I was a kid! There was something absolutely fascinating about the strategy it took to win the game. I liked the cute game pieces, too. 😉 So when we had the opportunity to go to the USS ALABAMA Battleship Memorial Park on our travels along the Gulf, we didn’t hesitate!

We were greeted by a fantastic collection of aircraft lining the parking lot. Since we absolutely love aircraft, it was amazing for us to see so many different kinds. Once we purchased our tickets, we went inside and found even more! It was incredible! We loved reading the history behind the planes and what missions they flew. ✈️

Although we primarily wanted to tour the battleship, one of the employees told us about the USS Drum, which is a drydocked submarine you can explore on the grounds. We thought we’d spend some time there and we are so glad we did! This was the first time Luke and Juliana had been on a submarine, and this was so much larger than the one Joe and I had toured many years ago. It was amazing!!! ⚓

We really were impressed with how huge this was! We climbed the flight of stairs to start the self-guided tour and were beyond excited! The USS Drum is over 311 feet long and 27 feet wide. It is the oldest American submarine on display in the world, according to their website. This submarine has seen lots of action since it was launched in 1941 and has earned 12 Battlestars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Although we could have spent a full day just touring the USS Drum, we really wanted to spend some time in the USS Alabama Battleship. Launched in 1942, the USS Alabama has definitely seen some action, too. Housing a crew of 2,500, she has earned 9 Battlestars. In case you were curious, Battlestars are awarded to warships for participation in a battle. Also known as the “Mighty A,” the USS Alabama is 680 feet long, over 108 feet wide, and when she is fully loaded weighs 42,500 tons! She has been on display since 1965 at the park. This beautiful battleship was also the ship that was used to make the movie USS Indianapolis: Men of Courage which starred Nicolas Cage! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It was so amazing to be able to tour and explore this fantastic ship! After walking up the gangway, we started on the main deck. We then climbed to the top level that was open for viewing–finding cool places all along the way! On the main deck, we were astounded by the size of the artillery guns. We went into the gun turrets, and walked the deck from bow to stern. 🤩

On the upper levels, we couldn’t believe how tall the ship really was. It was a long way down if you went overboard… We enjoyed looking into the Navigation Bridge, too. 🌊

After we explored the top levels, we toured the bottom 3 levels of the ship. We learned all about the war effort on the home from during WWII. Teaching the kiddos all about rationing was an eye opening experience. Rations on sugar, coffee, and cheese (which led to Velveeta) were all part of the war effort. We even learned that the Fat Salvage Program encouraged the housewives to save the fat waste. The fat waste was then used to make glycerin, a necessary component for gunpowder. 🤯

We toured the Theater, Engineer’s Office, Crew’s Berthing, Isolation Ward, Sick Bay, and the Brig. This self-guided tour took us through so much of the lower levels of the ship! It was absolutely amazing to see! ⚓

Needless to say, we thoroughly enjoyed our time on the National Historic Landmark USS Alabama! Meeting people from around the country who came to see the ship where their relatives served was a very moving experience, and we are grateful to them for telling their stories to us. We appreciate all of the heroes who have served our country! ❤️🤍💙

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