Community Corner

Last Chance: USS Iowa Leaves Soon for LA

The classic World War II battleship, the USS Iowa, will be open to the public at its temporary birth in Richmond for the last weekend today and tomorrow, May 12 and 13, before sailing to its permanent new home in Los Angeles.

This is the last weekend to see the USS Iowa, an iconic World War II battleship, before it leaves Richmond for its permanent berth as a museum in Los Angeles.

The 72-year-old ship has been docked at Terminal 3 at the Port of Richmond while it's being refurbished. It's scheduled leave May 20.

"USS IOWA will be open on May 12 & 13 with additional areas including interior," says the Web page of the sponsoring Pacific Battleship Center. "This will be the last visit available in Northern California!"

Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

An email notice from the center said a "special visitor" will be on hand Sunday.

Richmond City Councilmember Tom Butt reported on his e-forum that a restored Vietnam-era "Huey" helicopter will land on the Iowa this weekend. The plan calls for the helicopter to take over from the Hayward Executive Airport about 10:50 a.m. and to remain on the ship until about 3 p.m., according to the information relayed by Butt.

Find out what's happening in El Cerritowith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The 887-foot ship with nine 16-inch guns has a storied history, including ferrying President Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1943 to the secret Tehran Conference with Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin and Chiang Kai-shek.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here