The Last Hurrah: In Memory of the S.S. United States

Alexandria, VA – Americans have been in love with their history (often in the form of legends) ever since the first settlers to the New World arrived in Jamestown on May 13, 1607. This love affair with history has often included ships like the USS Constitution (AKA “Old Ironsides” – Boston), the aircraft carrier USS Intrepid (New York), The USS Missouri (Honolulu), and three of the most famous were the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery which set sail from London on December 20, 1606.
Nestled in the footnotes of U.S. Maritime history, however, is the S.S. United States, nicknamed the “Big U.” Never heard of her? Well, you aren’t alone. America has much to be proud of but sometimes doesn’t rise to the challenge of putting its money where its mouth is (read ‘bragging rights).
This December marked the demise of the S.S. United States. After over 50 years, she retired in 1969 and the Big U is moving to Florida. Okaloosa County bought her for $1 million. But it will take upwards of $10 million to sink her as an artificial reef off the coast of Destin-Fort Walton Beach. A truly sad burial at sea for a ship with such a storied history.
In 1946 the U.S. Navy planned to build a new generation, Cold War, ‘super’ aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, the carrier contract was canceled after her keel was laid and Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co. went looking for a new contract. The Navy agreed to help by jointly supporting the construction of an ocean liner that could double as a troop transport in case of national emergency. At the end of World War II, no new contracts for troop transports were funded so a partnership between the Navy and a commercial liner was deemed the best option. So the Navy reached out to United States Lines president John Franklin, who hired naval architect William Francis Gibbs. They agreed to use the keel of the aircraft carrier and build the “Greatest ship in the world.”
The S.S. United States was christened and launched on June 23, 1951. The cost was split between the US government and the commercial US Lines. The price of the ship itself was $44 million, but due to the national defense features, the entire price tag came to $71 million.
Gibbs focused on speed and safety. He used aluminum in the superstructure to lighten the displacement and installed four high-pressure turbines, eight boilers, and four propeller shafts that provided a staggering 240,000 horsepower and moved the 53,000-ton ship at speeds of 44 mph – a speed which at the time was a Department of Defense secret.
He designed the ship to be completely watertight with little or no threat from a Titanic-like sinking. All the furnishings and bulkheads were made of metal, glass, and fire-retardant materials to protect the ship from fire with the exception of essential items like cutting boards in the galley. Her crew of 1,044 were capable of serving 2,000.
On her maiden voyage between New York and Bishop’s Rock UK in July 1952, the ship set a new transatlantic speed record: three days 10 hours, and 40 minutes It is still the fastest transit on record.
Her passengers included Marlon Brando, Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, and Bob Hope. The Department of Defense often booked passage for its troops and their families overseas to Europe during the Cold War and many of my contemporaries traveled to England and Germany on the Big U or its sister ship the S.S. America.
But by the end of the 1960s, air travel started eating into the ocean line industry, and the United States lost passengers and revenue.
In September of 1969, her last passengers disembarked, and she departed for Newport News and permanent layup.
Over the years, she had eight owners. The most recent was the S.S. United States Conservancy, a dedicated group of enthusiastic volunteers who under the leadership of Susan Gibbs, the designer’s granddaughter, had attempted to raise funds to preserve the ship as an attraction.
However, last October, the final paperwork was signed after a legal settlement. Ownership passed to Okaloosa County. It is a sad and unfortunate end to a ship with a glorious past. One wonders why this majestic lady of the sea, and a tribute to America’s maritime industry, could not have been restored to its formal glory for the public to enjoy.
And so, a sailor’s tribute to the S.S. United States. “Fair winds and following seas” to a grand lady.
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