From the Sept. 27, 2015, Wilmington (NC) Star-News "Back Then" by Scott Nunn.
I am sure glad to see they've started up this interesting column looking back on the area history over the years in the Wilmington papers. They were doing this regularly for awhile, but not often the last year or so. The big problem is that this paper only allows a small number of views each month.
SEPTEMBER 12, 1965: The USS North Carolina had been moored in Wilmington for about four years at the time and animals had started hanging out in her slip across from the city. The best-known was an alligator that the people on the ship had named Charley (but who could just as well be Charlene, as no one checked for some reason).
Other fauna hanging around were jumping mullet (probably because of Charley), gar, otters, marsh hens and lots and lots of turtles.
The USS North Carolina battleship superintendent, Retired Rear Admiral Robert B. Ellis, joked that they should open an aquarium because of all their animal and fish residents.
--GreGator
The USS North Carolina (BB-55) My all-time favorite warship. As an elementary school student in North Carolina, I donated nickels and dimes to save this ship back in the early sixties.
No comments:
Post a Comment