Part of the West coast has drifted even farther Left. This continental drift surprised even the Democratic Party elite. In a move that can only be viewed as an insult to the country, veterans and those currently serving (as well as Senator Feinstein), the city of San Francisco has denied berth to the USS Iowa — citing local opposition to the Iraq War and the military’s stance on gays.
By anyone’s standard, the Iowa boasts a distinguished and intriguing military history:
USS Iowa (BB-61), 1943-____
USS Iowa, lead ship of a class of 45,000-ton battleships, was built at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York. Commissioned in February 1943, she spent her initial service in the Atlantic and carried President Franklin D. Roosevelt to and from Casablanca, Morocco, in November 1943. Early in January 1944, Iowa steamed to the Pacific, where she took part in the Marshalls Campaign later in that month and in February. From then until the end of 1944, she was actively involved in raids against Japanese facilities and campaigns to capture the Marianas, the Palaus and Leyte, including participation in the Battles of the Philippine Sea and Leyte Gulf.
After overhaul in early 1945, Iowa returned to the western Pacific for the Okinawa campaign and the final operations against Japan. She was present in Tokyo Bay during the formal surrender of Japan on 2 September 1945. She returned to the United States later in that month and operated with the Pacific Fleet until she was decommissioned in March 1949.
The Korean War brought Iowa back into active service. She was recommissioned in August 1951 and made a combat deployment to Korean waters in April-October 1952, during which time she served as Seventh Fleet flagship. Upon return to the U.S., she was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet. Over the next several years, Iowa made several European cruises and was present for the International Naval Review in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in June 1957. She was decommissioned in February 1958.
After two and a half decades in “mothballs”, Iowa was modernized under the 1980s defense buildup and recommissioned in April 1984. She went to European waters in 1985, 1986 and 1987-88, with the latter cruise continuing into the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea. A fire in her second sixteen-inch gun turret killed 47 crewmen on 19 April 1989, but Iowa was still able to deploy to Europe and the Mediterranean Sea in mid-year. Turret two remained unrepaired when she decommissioned for the last time in October 1990. USS Iowa is presently part of the Reserve Fleet. — Department of the Navy *
San Francisco’s denial of harbor surprised and angered Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). A former San Francisco mayor, Feinstein managed to pork $3 million to tow the Iowa from its Rhode Island berth to its intended resting place at a San Francisco dock. She called the 8-3 vote by city supervisors to oppose the docking “a very petty decision.” For once, I agree with Feinstein. Apparently, it is irrelevant that the Iowa never served in the current Iraq war. It doesn’t seem to matter that several generations of men and women served bravely and proudly on her decks. Even the fact that a Democratic president walked her decks on his way to a historical international meeting carries no weight. No, they believe a “political statement” is much more important.
“This isn’t the San Francisco that I’ve known and loved and grew up in and was born in,” Feinstein said. — By Brian Skoloff, AP
And, there you have it. It has gotten so bad on parts of the Left coast that even party regular Senator Feinstein doesn’t recognize it.
Read the story here.
* Areas highlighted by the writer.