← WETSU: a BattleshipNJ Podcast
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- [00:00]
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Foreign quarters. All hands, man your battle stations.
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Welcome to wetsu, a Battleship New Jersey Podcast. I'm your host, Marshall Spivak, CEO of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial. Today's episode is sponsored by our friends at ELEC 825, the Labor Employer Cooperative of Operating Engineers Local 825, whose skilled members helped us prepare the battleship for its move to dry do last year. Today is a very special edition of WETU. It's all about Navy Marine Corps 250, the upcoming celebration of history and heritage right here in Philadelphia and Camden County, New Jersey, from October 9th to the 16th and again in November. Today's guest is George Leone. George is the president and chair of Homecoming 250, Navy Marine Corps, the charity coordinating the Navy Marine Corps 250th celebration. He's also a trustee here at the Battleship New Jersey. George previously served as a judge in the New Jersey Superior Court in Camden and the New Jersey Appellate Division. He was also Assistant United States Attorney in Camden and Chief of Appeals Division, the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey. He's the son of a World War II Navy veteran and a lifetime a lifelong military history student. He grew up here in South Jersey and is a graduate of Harvard College and the University of Chicago Law School. George, welcome to Wetsuit Marshall.
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Thank you for having me.
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B
Now I remember five years ago, you coming to a Battleship Board of Trustees meeting. You said you had this idea for something you wanted to do to celebrate the Navy's 250th birthday. I remember thinking at the time, that sounds like a great idea, but it's five years away. And just like that, we're here. So can you tell us a little bit about where the idea started from and how you really turned that idea into what it is today?
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A
Well, it really had two, two sources. The first was when I retired from the bench. I wanted to volunteer for the Semi Quincense Emulator of the United States. And I reached out and found an organization I was talking to that did not sound like any big events were being banned, including to celebrate the fact that this is not only the birthplace of our country just across the river, but also the birthplace of the armed services. And I was also a battleship trustee and I was trying to think how can the battleship be involved in an event that celebrates things that happened in the 1770s? And the idea came to me that we could do that by making having a Navy and celebration of Navy's 250th year and celebrate all 250 years of Navy history, including the battleship's role and to use the battleship as a big centerpiece of that celebration. So I told my wife that idea and my wife said it was a very good idea, which she does not say very often. And so I brought that idea to the battleship and I the battleship was great, very supportive, lots of volunteers, lots of ideas. And I took that out and just ran with that. And the idea, the original idea proved to be harder to realize than I thought because the original idea was that we this is the only place in the United States where you could see a ship, could ship up every major war. And that's because we have not only the battleship, it's fought in two was the only battleship in Quan Korea was the only battleship in Vietnam, but also cross surface the US So the only ship survived favorite ship in the Spanish American War and one of the two ships left for World War I. So we've refocused and we're celebrating the 250 years of Navy history. We're going to have a great replica. It's really a replica of the boats across the Delaware just north of the battleship, the Durham boat. But we had a great idea for the Greek. It was to recreate the tavern in which the Marines we've partnered with the Nordiskian has already tried to do that and that's in progress. We took those ideas and we started to commit secretaries to the Navy, but actually all 14 Navy secretaries today. And then they took that idea to the then current Secretary of the Navy in the previous administration and he said yes, that they're all one, that maybe in the way we should celebrate their birthdays. In the third place Grant Secretary of the Navy has agreed with us. It's been amazing in those five years how this idea has grown and its advantage has become a support path.
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B
Yes, it is. This is five years in the making. As we've talked about, you've spent countless months, weeks, days of your life dedicated to this effort. What does this Navy Marine Corps birthday celebration mean to you personally?
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A
Well, Michael, as you said, I thought maybe that time I'm up to and it's my chance to honor him. When I got when I couldn't see well enough to follow his career as a Naval aviator law school instead. The judge I clerked for when I got out of school in Camden was a Marine officer in World War II. And it changed both of their lives. So I like to think this honors them. Yeah, I really like to think that we are kicking off the semi Prince and tenement because this really is the grant welcoming the semi princentennial that's good for the country because as I said not very many big events have been planned. And also it's good for this area because it was so important to the founding of this country and the note services. It deserves to have the celebration there. Finally it's really important for the Navy and Marine Corps. Those services have had better a rough few events over the last five or six years. It's good to give them a celebrate for the upcoming of swimming and to give to a great 250 salvation.
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B
So for those who are just hearing about Homecoming 250 for the first time can you give us a little let's say two part preview first of what's coming in October and then secondary what's coming for the Marine Corps in November.
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A
You know I have to emphasize this is the October silicon she is a D national maybe a Marine Corps 250. The Marine Corps. You are surprised as they want. They wanted to do this you know in October with the Navy because they would bring a large amphibious ship and they are because they thought this was just a better timing. There's too many events to tell you all about them but I'll tell you about the big ones and tell you where to go learn about the other one. Well first off many museums offer to put on exhibits at Arpanavian for two or three years including the battleship New Jersey. And those museum exhibits are opening as we speak. About third of them are already open and we'll look at the now and the beginning of the celebration and so that's ongoing. That's a wonderful thing. On October 9th the real show starts. We got nine maiden ships and two coast guard cutters waking up the del and coming to join the three great historical ships that are here. The Olympia, the Jersey and the submarine. That's going to be a sight to see. It's really the Navy coming back to where it was spawned. It's really at depending the big amphib, the destroyer swing LUT combat ships, four naval atomy ships, the two coast guard covers and also the submarine and nuclear powered submarine. And as Marshall knows getting a submarine in Delaware is quite the achievement. And so that's it's going to be a great B2C there's a party starting the Delaware Bridge and all opening ceremonies all the big ships although not the settler who before that will be at the navy yard then and they'll be watch I hope on the battleship and it's ships that are coming all the way up to those ships. And they'll be shift more U.S. billings would be more off board than New Jersey. And so you can two for one. You can tour the billings and you can tour the battleship. And so that's the big event on the 9th. But there's a couple of other big ones. One that's just next to the battleship. Actually two. Both of them are right next to the battleship. One of them is that. And this was an effort I made long ago which wasn't going anywhere. Which was the battleship's the most decorated Navy ship afloat. The most decaded Navy ship in history was the carrier USS Enterprise. Served at World War II from the very beginning to the very end, was in every carrier battle except the one it looked while it was off bombing Japan, Hornet and unfortunately Mulhouse, whose favorite flagship this is, tried to save the Enterprise from being scrapped, but he was unsuccessful and she was scrapped. Very smart person whooped the scrapyard, saved n stern plate, the thing that says Enterprise, and took that to his hometown in North Jersey where it sat on a little league field and that sat on a little memorial park at City Hall. Until now I was just asking to borrow that for the celebration. And in the end, very wisely, the leaders of Rivervale, Jersey decided that stern plate should be seen by more people than it could be seen by there. So the stern plate's going to come down here and getting unveiled on October 9 and be at the New Jersey for the next several years until the new National Museum of the US Navy is ready to receive it in Washington. So it's a great event to have it here. The New Jersey escorted the Enterprise many talks. Yes, it does. And so it's going to be a real great opportunity for people to see what has been referred to as the holy grail of naval artifacts be brought to the place where the public can see it.
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B
October 9th, 3:00pm 3:00pm The Parade of.
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A
Ships is between essentially 9 and 12:30 in the morning. And then the third event that's happening right next to New Jersey is the preview the American Revolution, a new document series being released in November by Ken Burns.
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B
Very excited for that.
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When he heard that we were doing this, he said, I have to prove you series during your festivities. So that'll be happening right next to the battle quickly and starting at 7. Hopefully you can wander by earlier and go to the BAU should try to be open.
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B
So that's October and I want to make sure we're letting people know. So the Navy ships. Can you tell can you sort of just restate what ships are coming and where they're going to be moored.
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A
Happy to. So let me start from this down on the river. The submarine at its location I can't disclose and I can't disclose the name of the class of the submarine. Then then you have the USS Arlington which is llpd, which is an amphibious a large amphibious ship which will come almost all the way to the Walton infringement. But we will go back to Peter Fort where it will be joined by another two Naval Academy ships at the Navy Yard.
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B
Right.
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And those Naval Academy ships are either yps which motorized ships they train the midshipmen on or sailboats and then at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in Gloucester City, New Jersey. That's where the United missiles poorer last and we'll get done. Okay. Combat ships on the other side of Delaware. The buildings here, the Cooper stand on the other side with the two post guard cutters and the two other.
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B
And just to note that all those ships that George just mentioned are completely free of charge to tour from October 10th to the 15th.
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A
They are. They're available for walk up tours from 10 to 4 with a few minor exceptions. So I think it's a great time for people to come see the great historical ships and see the great Navy ships.
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B
Yeah. What makes this week long celebration different than say your average Navy fleet week?
- [11:27]
A
Well, one of it is more ships than an average Navy fleet has to get. A submarine in particular was a big achievement. Secondly, it is there's so many more events that are that we are doing. Homecoming250 is doing conjunction with what the Navy and the Marines are doing. As you tell, I can talk at length about these events but I keep going through the schedule of the big events. But there's so many more events and it's going to be much more of a celebration than fleet beats on the fleet beasts are sort of the call. This is really a celebration of the Colegio Marine Corps. It's all 250 years in Viscoop. So just giving you examples of some of those events on October 10th, besides the ship spring being in full swing, both the historical and the active duty ships, you're going to have the Navy, the Army Navy Soccer Club happening at Sweet park in Chester, Pennsylvania just downriver. And for the first time that's going to feature both the Nate the men's and women's teams of Annapolis at West Point. And that event's going to be a huge attack that are of all the wonderful assets that we've gotten to sip yet so for example, that's going to feature at least one parachute and flyover. And there'll be also silent drill platoons from the services. It's going to be in a lot of midship. It's going to be very special. And then the next day on October 11, we got the schedule of the Navy Temple football game here. And so that's going to be at the Lincoln Financial Field. And that too is going to be full of hatching and political shipment and vans and flyovers. And in fact, I should mention there's going to be tons of flyovers. So there's be flyovers for many of these big events, including the parade of ships. But there's also going to be ongoing flyovers over that long weekend there that the flyover up Aston, New Jersey three times a day with F18, FA18s and F35s and F9s. I had a couple. I'm the 13th. That's the baby's actual birthday. And happily it's also a federal holiday because it's Columbus Day. And on that day either going to have a whole string of events. We have a base to be an oral service that starts at Nocturnia at Christ Church. If you look the commission, you have a first chip the basement, the first American slave flag by a young lieutenant named John Paul Jones Price trips to steeple is in the background. So that's going to be a very meaningful historical event. That's going to be followed by a huge parade that's going to go from west of Sydney hall of Philadelphia to Independence Mall that has over 7,000 people marching in parade. It's going to have great bands from Navy and the Marine Corps. It's also going to have a lot of civilian bands, a lot of civilians in it. And we're focusing the parade on honoring young people in the process of joining military. So we're going to have a lot of midshipmen and ROTC students, ARTC students, and it's going to be floats, balloons. It'll be a great parade to see. After that parade that ends at Independence Mall, we're going to have the Navy 250th commemoration, which will be at least the Chief of Naval Operations uniform head of the Navy and perhaps higher up than that, thinking about the sounding of the Navy admiral in Independence, the Angels Flyover, Independence Hall. That's going to be a special event.
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B
That'S going to be a sight to see.
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A
It's very exciting to see. So we're really grateful for all the support. We're getting read here and in between those events between October 10th which we talked about and the 13th, some great events that I want to bring to your attention. We have our NA250 gala at the Constitution center. Almost. Tom. Sold out. It's only not sold out.
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B
Good problem to have.
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A
Yes, it is a good problem to have. And then on, you know, October 12th, there's the two biggest events of this besides the ship tour which happened in multiple locations. But this is all an independent small. We have an all veterans picnic which like the parade is designed on. Our parade honors young people joining all the services and the all Veterans reunion picnic honors own veterans of all services. They'll be tents for the Air Force and Space Force and the Coast Guard and the army as well as. And so that's going to go on. We have celebrity ships and cooking competitions. There's food available for everybody open to fill Independence Ball with veterans which hold veterans. It's a great party. Once you're there. You can stay for the other big event of October 12, that Sunday, which is the Victory at Sea concert which is the honor both the NAP and the E Corps and is going to feature the United States from Washington, the best band in the Navy and the commandant's own Marine drum and people who are also from Washington who are spectacular. Both are spectacular performers. He's going to join Bob Rigel is for that, who's a Marine and famous comedian. And that's fireworks on small. I don't want to forget to mention we are going to have fireworks in the Delaware. So that's going to be our big events. You could see them from the Camden side. You could see them from the Philadelphia side. Five, six ships from the Navy and the Coast Guard. We could have great historic ships there. The fireworks bursting over them. It's a great climax to the navies.
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B
Yeah. And those fireworks are going to be right here on the folks of the battleship New Jersey just like we do anytime there are fireworks on the river which we're always excited about operating.
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C
Engineers are the men and women that move mountains. And the engineers labor employer cooperative ELEC puts them to work. They create opportunities for the men, women and union signatory contractors of Local 825 repaving our roads, keeping our homes bright and warm and even building our favorite team stadium. We understand and infrastructure. That's why ELAC and Local 825 are ready to get to work.
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B
I know there's also a lot of planned activities with various schools and community groups around around this time. You tell us a Little bit about what might be happening at some local schools on both sides of the river.
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A
Sure. We really wanted this to be a bed for young people. We've put together a STEM competition between schools so the students would make little sailboats or submersibles. And we're going to have a competition that judge on October the 12th. We are going to also have school outreach where veterans and members of the military are going to go out to schools. One nice thing about the flyovers, they're going to fly over many of these schools and also maybe a mink war going to be landing helicopters at many flyovers at high school football games. So that's going to be spectacular and it's a great way to involve young. That's one of the reasons why we got into this is closure of the Navy base. The connection between this military has lessened. A lot of people don't know much about the military and so we want to revive that. This was a Navy town for well over 200 years. They built some the shipyards in the Delaware built some of the most important ships in Navy history from 1775 on. And so we really want to remind people this is the birthplace of the Navy link tremendous history here. So we want to make sure we have educational things. And one of the things educational things we are also doing is we're having an academic symposium. It's called Navigating the Past. And it's being hosted by the University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University on both sides of the river. The second day, the first day in Penn will focus on the early May 8th or at the Civil War. The second day will be on the battleship New Jersey. That's where record postfit. It'd be a great occasion to keep it always on its battleship. But to learn more about Navy.
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B
Is there a particular event that you are most looking forward to?
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A
I love all events but I have despite my father, I have an aviation vet, despite being a trustee of the battleship Jersey. So I'm delighted with the aviation all the AP displays that I'm really grateful for the concert, the 4th of July concert around here at least that's that's something that lost connection to the fourth of July. And so this is really. This is a patriotic concert. We've got local force participating. It's going to be a great combination. It's a great chance for to do what this, this whole celebration is designed to do. Which is to remind us what reminds us.
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B
Absolutely. I'd like to ask you I call a few lightning round questions so I'M going to ask you some things. I just want you to to give me the answer is the first thing that pops in your head. If you could invite any historical Navy or Marine Corps figure to Homecoming250 who would it be?
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A
It's a tie between John Adams really went out of his way to found the Navy as well as this country back in 1775. I think you'd be thrilled to see what had happened from his efforts. And then the two great fighting admirals of war, both of them called the New Jersey their flagship. So I think they would be delighted to see that the people are celebrating.
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B
And I'm sure Admiral Halsey would be delighted to see the stern plate here at the battleship his favorite flagship. Yes, it was. What's one piece of Navy and Marine Corps history that you wish people knew more?
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A
I wish people realized how the one reason why we're celebrating this anniversary is these civilians, John Adams among them raided in the Navy. Almost none of them ever been in military service. And so they had to John as went and read books about how to let it Navy. He wrote the articles of war in Tun which we're going to talk about. And she and all the other people Robert Boris other people on both sides of the river really came together and said well, we need to chow. It's the world's greatest baby somehow because they're just ravaging our shores. And it's amazing those folks were able to come up the Navy I love history and Marshall notes. If you want to start just ask about New Jersey for Lady Gulf. We will not do that. But that could be another month. But we need the tremendous 200 years of history, courage and ingenuity and just really deserves to be celebrated. And we need this hassle on our current this few people how much they appreciate what they're doing. There's young people getting shot at the Red Sea as we speak. There's Marines who spend months of their lives in Okinawa about as far from their homes as they could possibly. Yeah, the sacrifice these people.
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B
Absolutely. What's one tradition you hope will still be alive and well at the Navy Marine Corps 500, hopefully there's sort of.
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A
A Starfleet of that but the.
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B
Well, there is a USS Enterprise on the Starfleet.
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A
I think 250 years from now I polited them to hope that there will be a United States, that there will be a peaceful world. But if you haven't maybe in Marine Corps. And I think the tradition I'd most like to implicit is snowflakes and service that's what the military teaches everyone who goes into it. And it is a value that sometimes gets lost in the civilian.
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B
And lastly, if you could have had the opportunity to serve on any ship in the 250 year history of the Navy, which ship would that be? I'll say excluding the battleship, we'll give you. We'll give you the out on that one.
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A
It might be the Enterprise. She was everywhere, doing everything. There were periods where she was the only American carrier operational in the Pacific, the only thing that stood between Japan and further conquest. So although if you served on the Enterprise, I suppose your mortality rate might be a little higher than other ships. But I'd say that she. That World War II was one of the two great moments for the American United States State. The other, the second most is the Civil War, which without the Navy they would not have won the Civil War. But I think the Enterprise would be excluding the New Jersey. The Enterprise would be a ship where I would have been honored to watch the entirety of World War II in the Pacific Transponder.
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B
Wanted to just fast forward a little bit and talk about what's happening in November as well. 150th anniversary of the United States Marine Corps. Can you tell us a little bit about what Homecoming 250 has planned for the celebration of the Corps in November?
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A
Sure. As I mentioned earlier, when we went to the Monique, the base surprised us. We were going to do a celebration that was mostly in October, partly equal in October, November. They said, no, we want to do it in October. But we've learned that Marines are by far the most traditional members of the armed services in the United States. They know their history very well but care more for their traditions than anybody else does and know precisely when their birthday is, which is November 10th. So Homecoming 2 third plans 2 several big events on November 10th. One of them is a ceremony that's going to happen at the grave of the first commandant is a Philadelphia plate for Samuel Nicholas who took up arms for his country and got kicked out as a church as a result. But he is now buried and he was among the first Marine officer. He organized the 40s. Unofficially, we're going to have a ceremony of his grave and therefore on November 10th, and I could mention there's ceremonies for him in October as well because Marines are very enthusiastic, especially about their birthday, about their birthday and about Sandy and liquis. And the second event we're going to do on November 10th, it's Marine Corps 250 commemoration, which will be similar to the Navy 200 commemoration I described here at least in Utah in general they'll be speaking in front of Independence hall where the continent next to Congress hall. They're the U.S. marines where Marine Corps was founded. Hopefully we'll have a marine clear fly under that. Following that very serious occasion that had a wonderful celebration. There's this huge block party down site. The marines are found in a small place much preferred to think they without it in the bar. So all marines are trained at boot camp to know that they were found in 1775 in Philadelphia Tunnel Tavern that you know what it looks like but nobody tells that they come up here to find it but nobody told them that it was destroyed before the revolution was over it was already a 90 year old bar. So we are parting with an organization to do recreate on tavern. That's taking a while. They've gotten the land. It's a great location but the land and the money the raising the money for building the tavern. So it may not be started and certainly not completed but told Supreme Court's your 50th birthday. Someone is finally rebuilding Baton and there's beer. The greens will come in large numbers to celebrants flock party. Here's the original site of Tun Tavern and we are the future side of the ton. That's going to be a great all afternoon party. When we went out to people and we said we want to have a major nuclear sovereign. We leverage every part of Philadelphia's history with those services could including the battleship Jersey here and such a great ship with great connections to the marine floor. Now one of the things we also said is look, you know the first ball was here because in the 1920s we formulated all the Marine Corps traditions and decided that they should start celebrating a birthday with the ball. And the first ball had to be in Philadelphia. So we're going to have the 100th birthday ball and swinging the ball. The Commonal Machine General Snebby Buck and the great kilos of the Maripoa had the first week of what they call 1925. So that's November 12th starting at 6pm Queens love that history. And so those are our big four events. But there's lots of new events planned. I know the battleship New Jersey is going to be open. It's. It's. It's Mar dead Marine detachment birthing area. New Jersey has a great history. Not only did it have a very large reef attachment for its entire career but it also had supported every marine landing in the Pacific in the beginning of 44R including bombarding at jeeper yet Vietnam. It was the only battleship that supported the Marines over the ship and then it supported the wings Beirut when their barracks was blown up for the New Jersey was lost. So it really has a tremendous history with the Marine Corps. The great texture of President Reagan, the first president battleship with the entire.
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B
Yes, one of my favorite pictures. Just to touch on that a little bit as George noted that the battleship. The morning of the 11th of November we will be hosting our Marine Corps Veterans Day theme ceremony with Colonel retired Harvey Barnum Jr. Who is a Medal of Honor recipient from Vietnam and is also the namesake of the next and Navy's newest Arleigh burke class destroyer DDG124. And then as George noted, following that we will be having a ribbon cutting for our mardet birthing space which we are finally reopening back to the public. And we are, we think that we are going to have quite a handful of Battleship Mardet veterans here on that day as well, which is going to be great. And so it's going to be a fun filled Marine Corps themed celebration of of our the U.S. marine Corps on November 11th here at the Battleship.
- [28:46]
A
We're working with our friends at the time. Legacy foundation is building the tavern to have events on November 7th, 8th, 9th and 11th. So this is a great occasion. Come twice. If you're a Marine you should come twice. You should come in October, see your amips, your F35s, see your harriers, see all the Marine assets that are coming here and that only should come back in November to really celebrate the birth and have a great time.
- [29:15]
B
So brought very quickly after the after the Marine Corps Ball and come to the Battleship on the morning of the 11th, right.
- [29:21]
A
That ball sold out in the grand ballroom of the Delvi Hotel. The original ball was held 45 minutes like a wack concert and then we opened another space in the same hotel. So we have the same hotel that sold out in days. And now there's another ball which our friends from the ton Legacy foundation are doing at the, at the Museum of the American Revolution which is a lovely site. So there's, there's tons of partying, there's tons of chances to tour important sites in the Marine Corps. You should definitely, if you're a Marine, you owe it to yourself and conservants October have a great time back in because I think Marines like a good partner.
- [29:56]
B
Yes, they do. George, can you tell us just a little bit about where people can go to stay updated on events, get information, get tickets to things and generally just learn more about everything that's happening during Homecoming. Navy Marine Corps 250 yes, best place.
- [30:12]
A
To get that information is at the Homecoming 250 website that is www.homecoming250.org. That's become all the events, including the events of the battleship and events that are sponsored by the Legacy foundation in November.
- [30:28]
B
George leon, President of Homecoming250 thank you very much for joining us on this special edition of wetsu. We appreciate and have a lot of gratitude for your five years of effort putting this historic celebration together right here on the Delaware river. As George noted. For more information in October's celebration of the U.S. navy Marine Corps, you can visit homecoming250.org, battleshipnewjersey.org or navy mil. Navy250 thank you very much for joining us on this episode of wetsu. If you like this podcast, please rate, share and subscribe and we'll see you next time.
- [31:05]
A
Marshall thank you very much.
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C
Operating engineers are the men and women that move mountains and the engineers Labor Employer Cooperative ELEC puts them to work. They create opportunities for the men, women and union signatory contractors of Local 825 repaving our roads, keeping our homes bright and warm, and even building our favorite team stadium. We understand infrastructure. That's why ELAC and Local 825 are ready to get to work.