This cache was placed to commerate the the end of the 12 week visit of the Battleship New Jersey to dry dock #3 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard during the summer of 2024 and it's return to the Camden waterfront. The cache's name is due to the fact the Philadelphia Navy Yard is also the display location for one of the 16 inch guns from the Battleship New Jersey.
The Battleship New Jersey firing a double broadside with it's big 16 inch guns.
About the Battleship New Jersey:
USS New Jersey (BB-62) is an Iowa-class battleship. With 19 Battle Stars, the New Jersey is the most decorated battleship in the 248-year history of the United States Navy.and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named after the U.S. state of New Jersey. She was often referred to fondly as "Big J" and was the only US battleship used to provide gunfire support during the Vietnam War.
During World War II, New Jersey shelled targets on Guam and Okinawa, and screened aircraft carriers conducting raids in the Marshall Islands. During the Korean War, she was involved in raids along the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned into the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet". She was briefly reactivated in 1968 and sent to Vietnam to support US troops before returning to the mothball fleet in 1969. Reactivated once more in the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy program, New Jersey was modernized to carry missiles and recommissioned for service. In 1983, she participated in US operations during the Lebanese Civil War.
New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991 after having served a total of 21 years in the active fleet. During her career she earned a Navy Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam, and 19 battle and campaign stars for combat operations during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese Civil War, and service in the Persian Gulf. After a brief retention in the mothball fleet, she was donated to the Home Port Alliance in Camden, New Jersey, and has served as a museum ship there since 15 October 2001.
FTF: The geocacher who is lucky enough to be first to find this cahche will win this unactivated Signal the Frog First to Find geocoin.
Congratulations to SmilinBob for claiming this geocoin and the First to Find on this cache.