Many people were unfamiliar with the name USS Iowa battleship, but military fans would know it very well if they were to translate it in another way: Iowa-class battleship!
The construction of this series of battleships began on July 1, 1939, and entered service on February 22, 1943. Serving the United States for nearly 50 years, it was nicknamed the 'Presidential Battleship.'
The reason for this nickname was that, as the flagship in 1943, it led the escort of President Franklin Roosevelt across the Atlantic to meet the British Prime Minister and the Soviet Union's supreme leader.
"For this, this battleship specially installed a bathtub for President Roosevelt. She also became the only warship in the history of the United States Navy to be equipped with a bathtub for the president."
On the way, Tina smiled and said, "I stayed in a bathtub when I was a child. It was very interesting. The Navy respected President Roosevelt very much. The bathtub they installed for him was definitely of the comfort class."
The driver said, "Then miss, you must be from a wealthy family. This battleship would not easily show the presidential bathtub to anyone, let alone let people use it."
Tina was slightly stunned and quickly responded, "Oh, is that so? We were visiting the school as a whole. Maybe there was some special honor. "
The battleship USS Iowa was maintained and operated by the Pacific Battleship Center. The United States Navy had invested a lot of money in this, so this retired battleship was in good condition.
Li Du saw the battleship from far away along the coastline.
It was like a savage beast standing on the surface of the sea. The battleship was made of steel, and its strong and burly body gave people a great impact. When Mr. Li saw it, he could not help but exclaim, "God, what a big fella!"
The battleship USS Iowa was, of course, a big fella. It had a displacement of about 45,000 tons, a length of 270 meters, and a width of 32 meters.
One had to know that the longest length of a standard football field was only 120 meters, and the shortest was only 90 meters. This battleship was the length of three football fields. How amazing was that?
Tickets were needed to visit the battleship. As it was not a holiday season, there were not many visitors, and only a few people who looked like tourists were on the ship.
Li Du went to buy two tickets, and Tina bought two drinks. The two of them boarded the ship.
When they stepped on the gangway, he felt that the size of the battleship was even more terrifying. Someone was cleaning the hull, like a spider man working on it.
Looking at the hull of the ship, he could not help but say, "According to the price of the ticket, it's very difficult to maintain this ship with just the commercial income, right?"
There were too few tourists. He bought two tickets and spent less than 20 yuan in total. This was because there were usually few tourists and the scenic spot had offered discounts.
Tina shrugged and said, "The existence of this ship is not to make money, but to pay tribute to the world's best and last operational battleship and the people who have served on it. At the same time, it's also to provide an educational platform for the visiting audience."
The two of them boarded the boat. Li Du took pictures while Tina explained to him.
Standing in the artillery area, the three main cannons pointed diagonally at the sky. The 50-caliber cannons were like the long spears in the legends that could destroy the heavens and the earth.
Tina said, "Look at turret number 2. On April 19, 1989, this ship was conducting a shooting exercise when the turret exploded. 47 Marines were killed as a result. This was the largest loss of life in the history of the US Navy after World War II."
Li Du lamented, "We Chinese think that weapons are ominous. This thing is a double-edged sword. Not only can it hurt others, but it can also hurt oneself."
Tina smiled and said, "But we always need weapons to provide protection. So, it's not the weapon that can hurt people, but the person who holds the weapon."
This was the general attitude of the American people toward weapons. It was also for this reason that the ban on guns could not be implemented everywhere in the United States.
The people believed that the government should find ways to teach people how to use guns properly to avoid hurting people, instead of banning the use of guns. Only an incompetent government would use a one-size-fits-all policy.
The two of them toured the battleship for a long time. After disembarking with a pile of photos, Tina took Li Du to the Queen Mary next door.
The ticket price of the Queen Mary was 14 dollars. It was a luxury ocean liner that was bigger, more dreamy, and safer than the famous Titanic.
The ship had been in service since 1936 and had crossed the Atlantic Ocean a total of 1,001 times. During these voyages, no one knew how many politicians, rich people, members of the royal family, and even transported troops.
However, the most famous thing about the ship was the rumor that it was haunted. It was said that many people had seen female ghosts in white dancing there, and some people had seen ghosts in the form of children shuttling between the pillars.
Compared to the battleship Iowa, the ship was more popular because it was not only an old ship museum, but also part of it had been converted into a hotel.
Tina asked, "How brave are you?"
Li Du said, "There's no problem staying here tonight."
Tina gave him a thumbs up and said, "You're very good. I'm not afraid of many things, but I'm afraid of ghosts. They, well, they're a little scary."
There were many people who were afraid of ghosts, but there were even more people who were curious.
In order to attract tourists, the Queen Mary had also launched a ghost hunting service.
Li Du was not that bored. However, he would rather believe in ghosts and deities than not. Eastern and Western cultures, as well as the entire world, all had an introduction to ghosts and deities. It would not make sense to say that there was no such thing.
He did not know if it was to suppress these ghosts or something else, but there was a cathedral on the ship. Coincidentally, someone was getting married there today.
Some family members dressed in festive clothes saw the two of them and invited them into the church.
Both Li Du and Tina's appearances were top-notch. Perhaps Li Du was not a handsome guy, but Americans valued body shape more than appearance. He exercised every day, so he had a good figure.
Therefore, the two of them were chosen to sit in the front row of the church. The family members hoped that they could bless the couple on behalf of the tourists.
Li Du readily agreed. When the priest announced that the couple was legally married, he and Tina went up to hug the couple, wishing them a long and lasting relationship.
The groom smiled and gave a bouquet of flowers to the couple. He said, "May the lovers be together. Both of you, I hope you can step into the church soon to receive God's blessings."
Li Du and Tina laughed awkwardly. Obviously, they had been mistaken as a couple.
However, it was not surprising. A young man and woman visiting a church together and attending a wedding. Other than being a couple, what else could it be?
Since they did not know each other, Li Du did not explain. Like Tina said, he enjoyed the surprises that life brought.
The two of them stayed on the two ships for the whole morning. During lunch, Hans called to ask where they were and said that they wanted to have a meal together.
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