The USS Alabama almost went to scrappers. For fifteen years following decommissioning, the battleship sat at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard. Then, in the early 1960s, the federal government announced plans to scrap its aging World War II battleships, including the USS Alabama. The people of Alabama wouldn’t have it. The children alone raised $100,000 toward the $800,000 it would cost to move its namesake battleship to Alabama. In 1965, the USS Alabama opened in Mobile as a memorial and museum. Today the submarine USS Drum and a plethora of military aircraft and vehicles join the battleship on the 155-acre USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park.
Touring the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park
