Battleship celebrates 75th anniversary of commissioning

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The battleship is all decked out in celebration of its 75th anniversary.

The ship was commissioned in Brooklyn, NY on April 9, 1941.

Today, the ship celebrated with cake, historians, and active-duty Marines and Sailors from Camp Lejeune. The Queen Azalea, her court and Azalea directors also attended as the Queen assisted in cutting the cake. Captain Terry Bragg said it was a momentous occasion to celebrate with the community.

“It’s the people’s battleship because it really was nickels and dimes from citizens across the state that helped bring the battleship here,” Bragg said.

This year also marks 55 years the ship has been in Wilmington.