Battleship moves; Floating museum leaves Camden today as USS New Jersey goes to dry dock
CAMDEN — The Battleship New Jersey, a focal point of the Camden waterfront since 2001, made its highly anticipated departure today with a celebratory send-off.
Tugboats pulled the massive ship into the Delaware River as a large crowd cheered shortly after noon.
A short time earlier, one of the battleship's guns had fired a salute that awed many in the crowd of some 2,000 people.
Onlookers also were expected to gather in waterfront viewing spots along the battleship's route to the Paulsboro Marine Terminal.
The public was admitted to the battleship's pier at 10 a.m. for a send-off ceremony.
The ship's gift shop quickly drew a crowd, with elderly veterans and other participants huddling to escape the nipping cold.
The temperature was just above the freezing point, and a chilling wind blew along the waterfront. But the crowd's energy was warm with excitement and camaraderie.
John "Johnny Q" Quinesso, a 98-year-old Navy veteran, described the day's events and the turnout as "wonderful."
The World War II veteran didn't serve on the battleship, but came to the pier as a tour guide in 2001 to "get back on the water."
Seeing fellow vets and volunteers on Thursday "brings back the Navy days," he said.
Volunteers distributed American flags and programs to people already carrying blankets, cameras and Navy memorabilia.
As a bugler played the National Anthem, the only other sounds heard were the winds whipping the battleship's flags and the whirring blades of distant helicopters.
In remarks opening the ceremony, Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial CEO Marshall S Spevak described the historic ship as a “tapestry of 45,000 sailors and Marines."
He also drew laughter from an audience of some 2,000 people by describing the ship as "another in a long line of truly great Jersey girls” who doesn't pump her own gas.
More than 400 people, bundled in layers and military paraphernalia, gathered on the pier. Many more were massed along a waterfront walkway.
Thursday's sight-and-sound spectacle included a helicopter flyover and a salute from one of the ship's thunderous guns.
The battleship had been berthed for more than two decades on the Jersey-side on the Delaware River, and it had gone even longr without needed maintenance.
The ship is moving from Camden to Paulsboro before it heads to the Philadelphia shipyard it was built in in the late 1930s.
Spevak has referred to it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Just getting to today was a gigantic task in and of itself," he said.
Spevak, who stepped into his role in November of 2023, explained that, amongst all of the excitement and emotions swirling around those involved with the move, there is also a strong level of gratitude for those that made it possible through years of planning.
More: Four tugboats will help move battleship out of port; how they’ll do it
"It's been a very heavy lift," he said, acknowledging the cooperation and support from numerous groups, like military and police organizations.
Where to watch the battleship move
As the battleship was leaving Camden, a crowd had already gathered on Gloucester City's waterfront, which offered a view of the New Jersey passing beneath the Walt Whitman Bridge from 1 to 1:30 p.m.
Some onlookers fired up grills and started tailgating parties in advance of the ship's passage.
Other viewing points include Red Bank Battlefield in National Park and West Deptford's RiverWinds Complex.
The ship is expected to reach Paulsboro after four to six hours, Spevak said.
The ship will stay there a few days for additional preparation before crossing the river to the Philadelphia Navy Yard to be dry docked, a crucial form of maintenance that inspects and repairs the ship's hull.
Navy regulations require decommissioned vessels to be dry docked for maintenance every 20 years.
For the USS New Jersey, it's been over 30.
More about the battleship:
More: Battleship New Jersey by the numbers. Here are some interesting facts
More: Want to tour the Battleship New Jersey in Philly? Here's how to get tickets
More: The Battleship New Jersey is leaving Camden, and these are 5 things you need to know
More: Maintaining a memorial. The Battleship prepares to leave Camden
Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.
This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: Battleship New Jersey finally leaves Camden for maintenance, dry dock
