The Glory Days - USS Sullivans

This is an image of the USS Sullivans Naval Battleship taken at sunset. The ship was basking in the golden sunset and reminded me of the Glory Days... more

by Darleen Stry

Title

The Glory Days - USS Sullivans

Artist

Darleen Stry

Medium

Photograph - High Resoloution Photography

Description

This is an image of the USS Sullivans Naval Battleship taken at sunset. The ship was basking in the golden sunset and reminded me of the Glory Days of long ago. So as a tribute to all the servicemen and women I decided to title this piece Glory Days. The flagpole in the background with the flag hanging symbolizes a time of peace.
This ship is actually retired and is on display at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval Park in Buffalo, New York. Here's some more information on the ship and the park itself:

USS The Sullivans
DD-537

Length: 376 feet Beam: 39 feet
Draft: 19 feet Displacement: 2,100 tons
Armament: four 5-inch/38 caliber guns; one 3-inch/50 caliber gun; two twin-40 mm guns; depth charges
Complement: 290 enlisted; 20 officers



Fletcher Class Destroyer launched April 4, 1943 at Bethlehem Steel Corporation, San Francisco CA.
Commissioned on September 30, 1943. Decommissioned in 1965.

USS The Sullivans, named for five brothers who lost their lives in the Battle of the Solomon Islands when their ship sunk, is an excellent example of the Fletcher class, the largest and most important class of U.S. destroyers in World War II. The Sullivans served with distinction in WWII, took part in intense combat in the Marshalls, Carolines, Mariannas, and Philippines, rescued many survivors from downed planes and damaged or sinking ships, and earned nine battle stars for her service.
The Sullivans also served in the Korean War, the Cuban Blockade and assisted in the rescue efforts for the nuclear submarine USS Thresher.
The naval park:
The Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park, formerly known as The Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park, is a museum on the shore of Lake Erie in Buffalo, New York. It is home to several decommissioned US Naval vessels, including the Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans, and the submarine USS Croaker. All three are open to the public for tours.

History[edit]

The construction of the Buffalo Naval and Servicemen's Park (later named the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park) started in 1977. The park was opened to the public on July 4, 1979. The Cleveland-class cruiser USS Little Rock, the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans were part of the original display. In 1988 the Gato-class submarine USS Croaker was added. In 1989 the Croaker underwent a refit.

The Park has gone through a few major changes in recent years. In 2003 the ships were moved slightly to the foot of Pearl and Main streets. A new synergy has come to Buffalo's Waterfront, known as Canalside, and the Naval Park abuts the historic Commercial Slip. New structures were added including a new museum, and the new Liberty Hound restaurant opened in the summer of 2012.

Displays[edit]

Along with the ships, there are a variety of smaller vehicles, vessels, and aircraft are also on display at the park. These include a tiny X-Ron 1 Rotorcycle one-man helicopter used by the US Marine Corps in the late fifties and early sixties, an Army M41 Walker Bulldog tank used in the Korean War, a Marine M-84 Armored personnel carrier, a UH-1 Huey flown in Vietnam, an Air Force F-101 Voodoo flown by the New York Air National Guard's 136th Fighter-Interceptor Squadron at Niagara Falls ARS, a Trumpy-class Fast Patrol Craft, used in Vietnam, a Navy FJ Fury (FJ-4) jet (equivalent to the Air Force's F-86 Sabre), and a USAAF P-39 Airacobra manufactured at Bell Aircraft in Buffalo which saw service in World War II. The sail and rudder of the submarine USS Boston are also on display here.

Uploaded

July 14th, 2013