The day-to-day operations of the Battleship, however, from the salaries of the twenty-five full-time staffers to IT support, insurance and more is "100% receipts funded," Bragg said. "Everything is paid for by funds made at the battleship" from entry fees, gift shop sales, event rentals and more.
Not long after Bragg started his tenure, the battleship would face a major challenge.
"When I got there, there were many compartments (on the ship) that were flooded," according to Bragg.
Then, the head admiral of the U.S. Navy in charge of ship inspections and repair "sent me a letter saying the Battleship North Carolina either needs to be repaired or scrapped in accordance with the donation contract" with the state of North Carolina.
From that point on, he said, his main goal, along with enhancing both the Battleship's staff and the quality of educational displays and programs, was "to fix the Battleship."
This past June, the $14 million repair project was completed. Featuring a walkway that goes around the entire ship, it involved literally cutting and replacing parts of the Battleship's steel hull that had deteriorated over the years. (In the gift shop, you can buy knives and other steel products made from parts of the Battleship's hull that were replaced.)
--GreGen
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