The title of course being a reference to the phrase Africa Wins Again.  Anyway, the Olympia was an armored cruiser built in the late 1800's, Olympia played an active role in our seizing the Philippines from the Spanish in the Spanish-American War, and is the last American warship still afloat from that war. 

Olympia was Commodore Dewey's flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay, in which US Naval forces launched a devastating attack on the Spanish fleet in the Pacific, inflicting devastating losses on the Spanish Pacific fleet and a coastal battery, the US Asiatic Fleet only suffered one fatality during the battle, the Chief Engineer of the USS McCulloch's heart gave out during the battle.  Due to Dewey's actions at Manila Bay, he was promoted to the rank of Admiral of the Navy, a rank that only Dewey has held.


After the Spanish-American War, Olympia was an active training ship and was used to bring the Unknown Soldier of WWI back home.  She was decommissioned in 1922.  So, they're looking for a benefactor now.  You can't tell me that between the residents of the greater Philly area, Navy history geeks, Navy vets and their families, the state and Feds and wealthy donors, they can't scrounge up the $20 million to do the needed repairs. 

Posted by: doubleplusundead at 10:12 PM | Comments (5) | Add Comment
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