Academy Field Trip to the USS Iowa

On Wednesday, September 28th, the Academy Seniors took a field trip to the USS Iowa, a retired battleship. This battleship is the only converted battleship museum in California and was an impressive sight to see. Not only was the experience extremely enlightening, but it gave students a sense of pride and a greater understanding of some of the lives lost by those fighting for our country.

Students could see the battle marks that the ship received during its years fighting in World War II. The tour included the living quarters of the men aboard the ship, including the rooms of the Captain, the Admiral, and the President when he was aboard. While taking a tour of the deck and outer levels, students were able to see the various weapons and machinery posted there and were able to learn about their uses.

When asked about the field trip, student Kyle Fields, who is planning on going into the Navy after he graduates, commented, “It was definitely more informative than most of our field trips. As someone going into the Navy, it was interesting to see how they lived and the working conditions they were under. My favorite part was going into the President’s quarters where they planned the D-Day invasion, as well as seeing the bathtub they installed for FDR.”

This was not all the students experienced however. The tour guide gave them in-depth descriptions of life on the sea and the ship. Students got to explore both the inside and the outside of the ship, strolling the corridors and climbing the narrow metal ladders just like the men who had worked the ship. At some areas, the corridors gave one the feeling of looking in a mirror because they seemed to stretch on forever, with round doorways set in at even intervals (Fun Fact: the doors have rounded corners instead of being rectangle shaped because the rounded corners won’t crack and break).

The tour ended at the kitchen and cafeteria, which led into a gift shop that the students were able to explore for a few minutes. Afterwards, the students descended the gangway back to the parking lot, with a new point of view on what it meant to be in the Navy during World War II, and the lives of the fighting men and women out there today.

#academy #fieldtrip