WETSU: a Battleship New Jersey Podcast

Episode: CDR Mike Holmes – Bringing Big J Back: Inside the 1980s Reactivation

Host: Marshall Spevak, CEO of Battleship New Jersey
Guest: CDR Mike Holmes, President, USS New Jersey Veterans Association
Date: April 8, 2026

Episode Overview

This episode of WETSU delves into the dramatic story of the USS New Jersey’s 1980s reactivation. Host Marshall Spevak welcomes CDR Mike Holmes: a career Navy officer, engineer, and pivotal figure in the ship's 1982-83 recommissioning. Holmes shares memories spanning his origins in naval service, the mammoth challenge of bringing “Big J” back to life, life on deployment from Nicaragua to Beirut, the trauma and resilience surrounding the Beirut barracks bombing, and his enduring commitment to the Battleship’s legacy as a veteran and advocate.

Key Discussion Points

1. Origins and Joining the Navy

[01:34–05:12]

• Decision to Serve: Holmes originally entered SUNY Maritime as a meteorology major. Choosing engineering after witnessing the dynamic onboard hierarchy, he committed to a Navy commission upon graduation after experiencing both Merchant Marine and weekend Navy drills.

  “I saw how badly the engineers treated the deck cadets and I said, I think I want to be an engineer.”
  — Mike Holmes [01:53]

• Early Sea Lessons: A formative quote learned early on—“The sea is selective, slow in recognition of effort and aptitude, but fast in sinking the unfit”—proved true through personal experiences with near-misses and heavy weather.

  “If you don’t keep adept to the sea ... you probably won’t live through many... heavy waves, bad seas.”
  — Mike Holmes [04:13]

2. Dramatic Early Naval Experiences

[05:18–11:05]

• North Atlantic SAR Mission: Holmes recounts a failed rescue attempt in 40-foot seas, a terrifying 53-degree roll, structural damage to the ship, flooding, and fire, all illustrating the dangers and leadership challenges of life at sea.

  “It sounded like a gun firing every couple of seconds as each stringer popped apart…”
  — Mike Holmes [08:15]

• Representing Midshipmen, Meeting the Queen: Chosen for the Queen’s Silver Jubilee flotilla, Holmes met Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip in 1977—an iconic early career highlight.

3. Receiving Orders to New Jersey & First Impressions

[11:22–15:27]

• Getting the Assignment: Holmes receives sudden orders: “Detach immediately... report as reactivation officer, repair officer on the battleship New Jersey.” He describes both excitement and the chaos this created for his current ship.

  “He goes... it was simple, three line: Detach immediately. No relief identified. Report as reactivation officer, repair officer on the battleship New Jersey.”
  — Mike Holmes [11:55]

• First Steps Under Big J: Walking beneath the massive hull in dry dock at Long Beach struck Holmes with awe, both as an engineer and naval architect.

  “I spent a good four hours under that hull that day, learning the hull. And I was just mesmerized by the scope, the size, and actually the beauty of it.”
  — Mike Holmes [14:09]

4. Reactivate and Repair Officer: The Challenge of Bringing the Ship Back

[16:07–19:26]

• Daily Life: Holmes juggled interfacing with shipyard foremen, preparing for recommissioning, and developing an extensive new damage control manual for the battleship.

• On-the-Fly Problem Solving: Holmes shares a story about redesigning the Halon fire suppression system “on the fly” one Sunday, exemplifying the improvisational skills required during the reactivation.

  “We redesigned where the piping was going to go right then and there on the deck plates that Sunday.” — Mike Holmes [18:47]

5. Creative Procurement and “Comshaw” Tactics

[19:26–22:50]

• Supply Challenges: Holmes details the Navy tradition of “commshaw”—bartering ball caps, cigarette lighters, and more for vital parts and repairs, especially in far-flung ports or under-resourced situations.

  “I could do anything I wanted with a ball cap and a cigarette lighter on board the ship.” — Mike Holmes [19:45]

6. Deployments: Nicaragua and Beirut

[22:50–26:52]

• Constant Adaptation: The crew faced rapidly shifting orders—from short trips to unexpectedly extended deployments, often without ideal supplies.

• Beirut Detachment: Holmes explains how “flexibility” defined the culture in indefinite deployments, particularly after learning relief forces weren’t coming due to events like Operation Urgent Fury in Grenada.

  “It was famous.... He would always end his 1MC broadcast with ‘we’ve been extended – be flexible.’ And it got so monotonous...”
  — Mike Holmes [25:35]

7. Beirut Barracks Bombing and Its Aftermath

[28:18–34:06]

• Immediate Response: Holmes hears the explosion while jogging on deck, organizes teams and equipment for rescue and recovery, and volunteers go ashore in the grisly aftermath.

  “I heard the blast and then saw the column of smoke rising. I immediately ran up to my stateroom… got the repair department to start pulling together things like pry bars, anything that we could use for digging operations.”
  — Mike Holmes [28:53]

• Trauma and PTSD: He discusses how PTSD was rarely acknowledged then—only seeking help himself decades later and helping others find their records for VA support.

  “A lot of people did not suffer from PTSD at the time. However, as time went on, finally my PTSD came out in 2011...”
  — Mike Holmes [30:56]

8. Rules of Engagement: Frustration and the First Fire Mission

[34:06–39:06]

• Waiting to Fire: Crew morale sunk as repeated calls to General Quarters ended without authorization to engage.

  “What are we doing here if we aren’t going to be allowed to fire? And you keep sending the aircraft in, but the aircraft keep getting hit with missiles.”
  — Mike Holmes [34:26]

• First 16-Inch Salvo: The moment the guns finally fired in December 1983 was cathartic and electric for the crew.

  “There was silence in the ship. Nobody said a word for about 5, 7, 10 seconds. And then all of a sudden you heard this cheering of... elation that finally we were able to do our job.”
  — Mike Holmes [37:00]

  • [35:21] – Discussing the moment of the first fire mission
  • [37:00] – Description of the crew’s reaction

9. Battleship Culture, Traditions, and Lore

[39:06–43:35]

• Battleship Spirit: Stories of unconventional moments—from bathing in JP5 to “Battleship sailors do it with 16-inchers” bumper stickers—highlight the unique pride and lore aboard New Jersey.

• Uniform Traditions: All officers, regardless of rank, were required to purchase swords—a point of pride but also amusement (with Secret Service concerns on commissioning day).

• President Reagan’s Recommissioning: New Jersey is the only battleship ever recommissioned by a sitting US President.

  “Watching the President’s face... he was just so elated. And the way he talked to us as being battleship sailors and we were the rebirth of the 600 ship Navy.”
  — Mike Holmes [42:21]

10. USO Tours and Life Onboard

[43:35–46:45]

• USO Volunteering: Holmes recounts being “voluntold” as a junior officer to chaperone celebrities including Bob Hope’s troupe, Brooke Shields, and Ann Jillian—leading to some funny and memorable moments.

  “I had the inevitable task of bringing Brooke Shields around, who ... was still under 21. So her mom came along with her.” — Mike Holmes [44:04]

11. Mentoring and Later Navy Career

[46:45–57:53]

• Career Moves and Mentorship: Captain Milligan intervened to get Holmes a highly desired teaching assignment at the Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point), which led to a fruitful period of mentoring future officers, including current Senator Mark Kelly.

  “You never know when you're teaching these young students what they're going to become. And that's why you have to be open, receptive in learning and listening.”
  — Mike Holmes [52:28]

• Modernization Work: Holmes played key roles in the LCS program, advocating for faster, more responsive updates and proudly seeing LCS-15 USS Billings alongside his old ship for Navy’s 250th birthday.

  “My name is all over everything... That’s what was a little different than the DDGs, we were a three year program, but we could do things faster.”
  — Mike Holmes [55:20]

12. Legacy, Memory, and Veterans Association

[57:54–61:56]

• Museum Era: Holmes is deeply proud of New Jersey as a museum, emphasizing the importance of connecting former crew with the public to keep history alive.

  “When guys—some of the docents—say, this is one of the guys that served on board the ship and watching the faces of the students and... they’ll be like, ‘Wow, that’s great.’”
  — Mike Holmes [58:26]

• Veterans Association: He highlights the role of the USS New Jersey Veterans Association in preserving history, supporting the ship, awarding scholarships, and now including the new submarine USS New Jersey (SSN 796).

13. Lightning Round — Quick Fire Questions

[61:56–62:52]

• Favorite Place on the Ship? “Captain’s import cabin and Ann Jillian.”
• Describe the Crew: “Professional.”
• Biggest ‘Shit’ Moment: “Standing there with 1500 eggs... realizing they weren’t for the line-crossing ceremony.”
• Best Port Call: “Patty Beach Island.”
• One Thing Only Battleship Sailors Understand: “The lore and tradition of being a battleship sailor—nearly lost after WWII.”

14. Closing Reflections & WETSU Moment

[62:52–end]

• Defining WETSU (We Eat This Stuff Up) Moment: Holmes points to Secretary of the Navy John Lehman’s wry response to modern threats—“Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms”—as a symbol of both tradition and enduring adaptability.

  “I always go back to John Lehman and the press trying to say the ships are outdated... I think it was just the calmness and the professional response given by the Secretary of the Navy. Just saying, ‘Sweepers, sweepers, man your brooms.’” — Mike Holmes [63:24]

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On the scale of the battleship:

  “You don’t really realize how much is under the water when you see the ship sitting at the pier.”
  [15:27]

• On creative supply solutions:

  “I could get anything I wanted for a ball cap. And same thing. When we were in Beirut, I used to fly into Haifa... cigarette lighters and ball caps.”
  [22:00]

• On living through the Beirut bombing:

  “I still remember it like it happened yesterday… A lot of people did not suffer from PTSD at the time. However, as time went on, finally my PTSD came out in 2011.”
  [28:53, 30:56]

• On culture and tradition:

  “We were special. We were battleship sailors. And it was... Navy tradition, Navy lore.”
  [39:37]

• On mentorship and the next generation:

  “You never know when you’re teaching these young students what they’re going to become.”
  [52:28]

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Section | Timestamp | |-------------------------------|---------------| | Origins & Joining Navy | 01:34–05:12 | | Early Sea Stories | 05:18–11:05 | | New Jersey Assignment/Impressions| 11:22–15:27 | | Reactivation Challenges | 16:07–19:26 | | Creative Procurement | 19:26–22:50 | | Deployments & Flexibility | 22:50–26:52 | | Beirut Barracks Bombing | 28:18–34:06 | | First Authorized Fire Mission | 35:21–39:06 | | Battleship Traditions | 39:06–43:35 | | USO Tours | 43:35–46:45 | | Mentorship & Later Career | 46:45–57:53 | | Museum Era & Legacy | 57:54–61:56 | | Veterans Association | 60:12–61:56 | | Lightning Round | 61:56–62:52 | | Defining WETSU Moment | 62:52–64:03 |

Closing Reflection

This episode offers a moving, technically rich, and often humorous account of the USS New Jersey’s rebirth and its legacy, as lived by a key officer. CDR Holmes’ stories move from the daunting scale and improvisational spirit of reactivation, through the trauma and fellowship of deployment, to the mission of honoring and transmitting this legacy in museum life today. For any listener interested in naval history, leadership, or the living connection between past and present, this episode is invaluable.