USS CAVALLA SS-244

CAVALLA IN THE NEWS


Galveston Daily News

Submariners to gather at restored Cavalla

By Carter Thompson
The Daily News

Published May 20, 2003

GALVESTON — On Memorial Day, some very knowledgeable tour guides will be showing off the restored USS Cavalla.

Former submariners on hand for a Memorial Day ceremony will afterward lead visitors through the submarine on display at Seawolf Park on Pelican Island.

Submarine veterans for the past few years have rescued the submarine — the only remaining one in the world to have sunk an aircraft carrier — from years and neglect.

The restoration has gone hand in hand with efforts to both publicize the park’s naval display and, through ceremonies such as the one on Memorial Day, honor the men who helped defeat the Japanese Navy in World War II.

Monday’s ceremony will include presentations from a historian and representatives from all branches of the armed services, said John McMichael, chief of the boat.

Restoration of the submarine’s exterior is almost complete. The Cavalla Historical Foundation’s next task is to restore the interior.

“What we are trying to do here is get the submarine restored to the point it looks as good on the inside as it does outside,” McMichael said.

The group also plans to restore the USS Stewart, a destroyer escort next to the Cavalla and link the two ships with a museum and gift shop, a slate of work that was estimated to cost in excess of $2 million.

The foundation got a boost recently in the form of a $250,000 grant from the Burke Family Charitable Trust. The Cavalla sank the Japanese aircraft carrier Shokaku during World War II.

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What: Memorial Day Ceremony at Seawolf Park.
When: 10 a.m. Monday.
Where: Seawolf Park, Pelican Island.
Details: Parking is free from 9 a.m. to noon.


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