USS New Jersey BB 62 "The Big J" - America's most decorated Battleship - Camden, New Jersey

USS New Jersey as seen from Penn Landing in Philadelphia, PA

“The United States Navy is the envy of every other Navy in the world. They don’t want to be like us……….They want to BE us.”

Admiral Leighton Smith

In late May of 2008 I realized a dream of mine and that was to one day visit the National Historic Shrine that is the USS New Jersey museum in Camden, New Jersey. It was a rainy day but it didn’t dampen my spirits at all. I was going to see and board one of the most historic Naval ships in the history of the world, let alone the United States.The keel of this magnificent ship was laid down in 1940 at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard which is just across the Delaware River from where the New Jersey now resides in perpetuity. On December 7^th, 1942 – one year to the day after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the New Jersey was launched and commissioned as the first in a series of “Super Battleships”. The “Big J” as she was referred to by her crew and other sailors of the fleet was 887 feet long and was armed with 9 Mark 7 – 16 inch guns and 20 Mark 23 – 5 inch guns. The Big J participated in famous World War II battles like the Caroline Islands, Hollandia Campaign, Marshall Islands, Philippines, Iwo Jima and Okinawa. She then went on to earn 4 battle stars in the Korean War, 3 more in the Vietnam Conflict, one during the Beirut / Lebanon Expedition and 2 in the Persian Gulf. In all Big “J” earned 19 Campaign and Battle Stars and many other awards as well. By distinguishing herself in this way, the USS New Jersey and her crew became a legend among Naval Ships and a hero to the American People. It was an amazing experience to walk the decks of this famous dreadnought as a light rain fell over the greater Philadelphia area. The 16 inch guns looked so incredibly foreboding – I’m certain that they terrified all opposing forces both land and sea.While walking through the old ship I decided to take a closer look at the massive 16 inch guns and I found interpretive panels on them that relayed the following information. These guns were ultimate battleship guns in the late 1930s when they first came out and over 70 years later they are still the most destructive naval guns in the world. The New Jersey could fire one 2,700 pound armor piercing shell from each of it’s nine 16 inch guns every 30 seconds. These shells were capable of penetrating 27 inches of reinforced concrete or 22 inches of armor plate steel. When used for shore bombardment, these shells would leave a crater 25 feet wide and 20 feet deep. The shells shot out of the guns at 2,690 feet per second which is considerably faster than a bullet shoots out of a revolver. Imagine a projectile the weight of a small car being hurdled at that speed to a maximum range of 23 miles!!! As my family and I explored the different levels of the old ship we were amazed at how the sailors sleeping quarters were stacked 4 each one upon another from the floor to the ceiling. We also looked at the ships galley, communications room and we climbed up to the bridge and sat in the Captains chair from which we had a fine view of the Philadelphia skyline, the USS Olympia and other historic ships at Penn’s Landing across the Delaware River and of the mighty old green “Ben Franklin Bridge” to the north. The USS New Jersey has been well preserved and carefully restored by volunteers through countless hours of time donated to the cause. There is an excellent gift shop next to the “Big J” and the riverfront mooring for the great ship is a beautiful place. If you are ever in Philadelphia, it is too easy to visit the USS New Jersey. Just go to the Independence National Park Visitor Center and ask about the waterfront connection shuttle which will take you across the Delaware to the New Jersey for $2.00. This is a seasonal service so make sure that you check with the USS New Jersey Museum at www.battleshipnewjersey.org/visit/

Before you go. If you are more adventurous, you can follow the instructions on their website to the park in Camden, New Jersey. Just make sure that you don’t deviate from the suggested route and that you are clear of Camden before dark as it ranks right up there with East St. Louis as one of the more dangerous towns in the Country. My family and I approached Camden and the Battleship New Jersey from the New York City area down I-95 and had no problems but I thought a word of caution was appropriate. From New York City it is about a 2 hour drive down the New Jersey Turnpike depending on traffic and I assure you, the “Big J” is worth a diversion from the “Big Apple” if you have the time. Go to this site, learn from history. Think about the sacrifice of all Sailors and Marines past and present who have left their families and familiar places to travel to all points of the globe to preserve our freedoms and then if you ever meet one of them, thank them for their service. I would like to give special thanks to the staff and volunteers of the Battleship New Jersey for making our visit an enjoyable one and teaching us so much about the proud service of this magnificent ship.

USS New Jersey as seen from Benjamin Franklin Bridge Pedestrian Walkway