Battleship Cove brings the past to life with beds of canvas and mazes of steel
By Darren Garnick
Other than harboring a deep gratitude that the Good Guys won World War II, my personal connections to that chapter in history are peripheral. I have a few great uncles who fought for the Good Guys -- and I am feverishly documenting their service -- but I did not know any of them well.
So I was fascinated to observe how my 7-year-old son would respond to an overnight educational sleepover on the U.S.S. Massachusetts battleship, which saw action against both the Nazis and Japan.
Looking at a display of plastic models of enemy aircraft, my son asked: "Dad, did America win?"
For the most part, these Cub Scouts enjoyed the battleship as a playground. The canvas and steel Navy bunks were jungle gyms and the endless series of ladders and corridors comprised the Greatest Maze of All Time.
For the dads, those jungle gym beds were a chiropractor's fantasy. I would love to see what today's Navy sailors sleep on for comparison, but the World War II guys had to be much much tinier -- or they got over claustrophobia rather quickly.
For anyone lucky enough to have World War II veterans in their family, what an amazing experience it would be to follow them on a ship like this with a camcorder -- recording their dates with destiny for future generations. Wish I had footage like this of my uncles.
The WWII Navy vet on board to talk with the Cub Scouts surprised many adults with his frank and candid anti-heroism. "What was it like being on the battleship when it was under attack?" he was asked.
"I don't know. I couldn't hear anything," he shrugged, explaining that he was usually going over inventory in a supply room deep within the ship.
(Click here for more information on Battleship Cove's Maritime Camping Program)