USS New Jersey battleship scandal

The USS New Jersey was the only battleship that served off Viet-Nam and it was one of the great scandals of the conflict. The U.S. Navy during 1966 in response to requests by U.S. Marine commanders in the I Corps section of southern Viet-Nam, proposed removing a battleship from the proverbial "mothball" fleet for renovation and deployment to Viet-Nam.

However, after receiving a cost estimate from the Commander-in-Chief Pacific Fleet (CINCPACFLT), the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon officially announced that "activation is not financially justified." The overhaul and renovation with new electronics and weapons systems was estimated at $17.5 to $20 million, not including ammunition or training personnel. It may seem like a minor matter but there were not any active duty battleships so an entire crew had to be trained. Also, the annual operating budget without ammunition was estimated at $12.8 million. After the announcement, it appeared that the idea was dead in the water.

However, suddenly during August 1967, Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara decided to recommission a battleship instead of a much less expensive heavy cruiser. He approved a budget of $27 million, which was $7 million more than the high-end of the previous estimate. Why? We don't really know but there appears to have been political pressure from the Democratic Party to the President. Also, behind the scenes there were many Senators and Congressmen lobbying for reactivation of ships at various shipyards in various states. The reason was simple: money into local economies.

The New Jersey was berthed with the battleships Iowa and Wisconsin in the Delaware River near the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. It was the best maintained battleship in the mothball fleet. Originally, the New Jersey had been commissioned during May 23, 1943 and decommissioned during June 30, 1948. Then during the Korean War it was recommissioned during November 21, 1950 and decommissioned a second time during August, 21, 1957. It was recommissioned for the third time during April 6, 1968 at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard and departed during May 16th for Long Beach, California where it arrived during June 11th.

The next leg of the voyage was to Subic Bay, Republic of the Philippines. It departed Subic Bay during September 25, 1968 and five days later off Viet-Nam fired it's 16-inch guns for the first time in sixteen years.

The first and only tour to Viet-Nam lasted approximately six months and during April 1, 1969 the New Jersey departed the coast of Viet-Nam near the Demilitarized Zone for Subic Bay, Philippines. The battleship anchored at Long Beach, California during May 5, 1969.

The big questions remain unanswered. Why was $21 million plus the cost of training a crew spent on a ship that was only used for six months? Why was the New Jersey renovated considering the incredible cost for special ammunition on a rush basis? Why did Secretary of Defense McNamara switch from renovating a less expensive heavy cruiser to a battleship? And, most importantly, why was it even sent to Viet-Nam when President Johnson was actively pursuing a peace treaty with North Viet-Nam?

You may still believe the propaganda or war stories about it serving a need or purpose, etcetera. But, Secretary of Defense Melvin Laird, a former conservative Republican Congressman, announced during August 22, 1969, just eleven weeks after the New Jersey returned to Long Beach, California, that it was on the top of his list for ships to be removed from service. It was simply a bottomless money pit in need of another renovation. It was decommissioned during December 17, 1969, just seven months after returning from Viet-Nam.

Secretary of the Navy Richard Danzig during January 2000 announced the ship would be donated to the Home Port Alliance of Camden, New Jersey for use as a museum. It was towed from Bremerton, Washington near Seattle to the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard for a $7.2 million overhaul and opened as a museum during October 21, 2001.

And that is just one example of how tax dollars were squandered by self-serving politicians and military leaders during the Viet-Nam conflict.

Edward Rasen writer/producer Viet-Nam War Secrets documentary film series