“Don’t give up the ship.”
That was the final verbal command given by U.S. Navy Capt. James Lawrence on June 1, 1813 near the conclusion of an unsuccessful 15-minute attack on a British warship in the waters off Boston Harbor.
Lawrence died in the battle and his last words were later immortalized on Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry’s battle flag at the Battle of Lake Erie.
The phrase also has been the motto for the past five years of the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association, a nonprofit corporation dedicated to bringing the decommissioned guided missile destroyer USS Charles F. Adams to Jacksonville.
The association has set a new course with Joe Snowberger, longtime volunteer and board member, being named the corporation’s first CEO.
“It is time to start building a staff infrastructure and we plan to add more positions,” Snowberger said. “We’ve been talking about it and talking about it. Now, we’re there.”
The Adams is the last surviving example of a class of warships that revolutionized naval anti-air and anti-submarine warfare. The Adams played a key role in the U.S. Navy’s blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
The vessel was decommissioned in August 1990 after 30 years of service. Its last home port was Mayport Naval Station. It is at the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia awaiting its possible return to Jacksonville.
The association plans to berth the Adams at the Shipyards property along the Northbank, where it will serve as a floating museum, education center and tourist attraction.
Snowberger said Tuesday that lease negotiations with the city are in the final stage and he expects to have an agreement within 30 days.
The association will be producing a video next week to complement a capital campaign scheduled to launch in May. Snowberger said the promotional video for the campaign will feature endorsements from U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown and Ander Crenshaw, Mayor Alvin Brown and Sheriff John Rutherford.
The goal for the campaign will be to raise $1.75 million, about half of the balance needed to bring the Adams to Jacksonville and establish it as a museum, Snowberger said.
The association plans to send a delegation to Philadelphia this summer to inspect other decommissioned vessels in order to further restore the Adams before it’s towed to Jacksonville.
The outfitting and modifications to allow public access will be completed in Jacksonville. Snowberger said before the Navy releases the ship for the journey to its new and final home port, the rust that has accumulated on the hull will be removed and a fresh coat of paint will be applied.
“We want her to look great when she’s towed into the St. Johns River,” he said.
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