USCGC INGHAM Memorial Museum

Our Location today is Sugar Loaf Key, Florida, USA.

With all the walking Kathy and I did yesterday while in Key West and the hot humid air we were exposed to when we laid down to sleep last night someone could have had a party outside our trailer and we would not have heard a thing. When we finally got up after 8:00 this morning as soon as breakfast was completed we had a lot of catching up to do on the computers before settling down to reality. We had chores that needed to be done. I know that you’d just love to hear all the details of doing the laundry and dumping the tanks but I’ll save that for another post.

Like I said in yesterday’s post we toured the USCGC INGHAM Memorial Museum. We have never had the chance to see up close and personal a Naval ship with such a long and decorated career as we did yesterday. After boarding the ship and listening to a brief narration by the volunteer historian we were turned lose to go through the ship at our own pace and told to take as many pictures as we wanted.

USCGC INGHAM was built in 1936 in Philadelphia and served for 52 years until she was decommissioned in 1988. This ship was used throughout WWII on both the Atlantic and Pacific fronts. It was used during the Korean and Viet Nam wars as well before changing its role as a Coast Guard Cutter patrolling the waters between the Keys and Cuba in 1961. Upon her decommissioning the USCGC INGHAM was the most decorated ship in US History. Besides having been in battle the ship was used for rescues and as a Flagship by different Admirals throughout her time in the Navy. Even today the USCGC INGHAM is sometimes used for training purposes by varying sectors of the military.    

Engine Room on Lower Deck.

After leaving the aft on the main deck we went down below to see where the crew had lived and the inner communications centers. We worked our way through the bowels of the ship to the engine room where we were able to see some of the upgrades that had been made during its career but are by far antiquated by today’s standards. We were also very fortunate that our tour path was laid out for us to follow and that there was quite a number of fans throughout in order to move the air a luxury we are sure that was not available to the crew during WWII.

Enlisted Mess

We walked inside the main deck rooms that housed the sick bay, galley, kitchen, communication’s room and meeting rooms before eventually climbing our way up towards the Wheel House. From the outer deck we could see the forward cannon and anti-aircraft guns mounted on the deck below. The entire tour took Kathy and I nearly two hours to complete and showed us the not so glamourous side of what people had to go through while serving in the Navy.

If you happen to be in Old Town Key West in the historic Truman Annex Waterfront at the foot of Southard Street we highly advise you to stop by and see USCGC INGHAM Memorial Museum and see a part of American History. Thanks for following along and feel free to leave a comment. Be Safe and Enjoy!

It’s about time.

Krackers

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