Work-In-Process on the USS Wasp Memorial Compartment aboard the USS Hornet Museum
Bill Metcalf took a few photos to show us the progress made on the Wasp compartment. He sent along a new diagram to show where each photo was taken in the compartment and which way he was facing when he snapped them. Bill also sent a note explaining the photos.
Bill's note:
Nineteen in-compartment photographs taken today Saturday 28 October, conveniently numbered 1-19.
One photo (#20) showing the entrance from Hanger Bay 3 - port side, (as a shipmate wanted) and another (#21) showing the detail on the "coming soon" sign.
As before, the WASP Diagram shows the layout, with circles to correspond to the photo number (and where I stood), and arrows showing the direction I pointed the camera (a Pentax 90MC shooting Kodak MAX 400ASA - somebody wanted to know).
Photos 8 and 16 show that we are in the process of tricing (if that's the word) the canvas bottoms of the racks (it's a real pain in the - um - neck if you've never done it before) in the B section of the compartment - the section that shows how we lived - and slept.
The vertically-mounted rackframes will have 16 gauge steel sheets inside them - fastened with clips - and "fitted" to the (standard) rack sizes. If you remember how the canvases looked - think bigger - to conform to the rack frame shape (rounded corners). These will be our "walls" to which we attach photographs, banners, maps, whatever you have - or will - send us.
As before, section A will be the 1940s - C will be the 1950s - and D will be the 1960/70s - with the aforementioned B being the "sleeping section" of the memorial compartment. In the center will be a display case with ships models - with another off to the side (between the A&C section).
Perhaps what you cannot see in the photographs is the detail work done on the little things - every brass plate and sprinkler head is polished - every battle lantern is in place (I'm going to have to weld them in place - they keep disappearing). And the paint job is flawless. Thanks to Dave and Richard - and others...
Yet undone is the deck. We're working from the top down. And again, we have the sheetmetal work to do on the rackframes. When we get time with the duty buffer - the deck will shine. (I never thought that valuable buffer training I received at Great Lakes "A" School in 1963 would still be of use in the year 2000. I also never thought I'd still be swabbing decks at age 55;-)
Then we can secure the memorabilia to the "walls" and "bulkheads" - in a standard I just invented, I'm calling the ship's bulkheads - "bulkheads" - and the metal-inserted rackframes - "walls" to facilitate further communications.
Photographs/etc. will likely be pop-riveted to the steel sheets on the "walls", although I've heard strong opinions concerning the use of double-sided foam tape. I'll have to use foam tape on the outside bulkheads (because of the accursed asbestos that lies beneath). It's a wonder we can breathe at all(!)
Many thanks to the donors who have contributed artifacts thus far:
Robert Reckard
Don Harribine
Harry Woodruff
Godfrey Misus
David Polewka
-and others wishing to remain anonymous...
-and to those whose contributions are in process...
-and to the shipmates on the USS WASP LHD-1
for their letters and support
-and for the kind letters/emails/calls from you...
Please consider donating WASP artifacts. The statute of limitations for anything you may have - ahem - "liberated" from the WASP has long past. Above all, do not send money!! - consider sending that to the USS COLE survivors or their families, or to Navy Relief, or even to the WASP Association, please.
Respectfully submitted,
Bill Metcalf
metcalf@home.com
Fox Division
USS WASP CVS-18
1964-1967
Dave applies sea foam green to the starboard bulkhead of the USS Wasp Memorial Compartment aboard the USS Hornet Museum.
Here's Dave again, grinding away in the USS Wasp Memorial Compartment aboard the USS Hornet Museum.
Here's a couple of shots showing how the compartment looked when restoration work was just getting underway.
You may contact the museum through Bill Metcalf at: metcalf@home.com
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