JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The city of Jacksonville and local Navy and military Veterans have something to be thankful for this holiday season.
The Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA), parent owner of the future Jacksonville Naval Museum, has started the towing of the USS Orleck Naval Museum to drydock.
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According to a release, the USS Orleck departed Lake Charles, Louisiana on Wednesday, Dec. 15. The Orleck will be inspected and then is expected to arrive in Jacksonville in late January. The tow to Jacksonville is expected to take approximately 10 to 12 days.
Since January of 2020, JHNSA has spent approximately $164,000 on the Orleck for inspections, ship insurance, towing down payment, and other needs.
In Jacksonville, the ship will be moored stern in, starboard side to the 600′ long “Pier 1″. This is adjacent to the Berkman Marina along East Bay Street in the old Shipyards area of the Sports and Entertainment District in downtown, Jacksonville.
The Jacksonville Naval Museum will feature the “US Navy Cold War Experience,” which is represented by the ex-USS Orleck.
The Orleck, a WWII era Gearing Class destroyer, was heavily modified under the Fleet Rehabilitation and Maintenance (FRAM II) program in the early 1960′s. The Orleck embodies the Korean War, Vietnam War, and Cold War periods in US Navy history having served in all three.
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