Battleship North Carolina to recognize workers who built the ship during Labor Day weekend
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Battleship North Carolina Memorial plans to illuminate the USS North Carolina in red over Labor Day weekend to recognize the thousands of New York shipyard workers who built the vessel before it entered service during World War II.
According to the Battleship North Carolina Memorial, the USS North Carolina was constructed at the Brooklyn Navy Yard and commissioned in New York Harbor in April 1941. Officials said the Labor Day tribute is intended to honor the labor and craftsmanship of the workers who designed and built the battleship before it was deployed during the war.
Known as the “Showboat,” the USS North Carolina was the first new American battleship commissioned in nearly two decades. It was completed four months ahead of schedule before serving in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during World War II.
The battleship participated in every major naval offensive in the Pacific, from Guadalcanal to Okinawa, survived a torpedo strike and earned 15 battle stars, the most of any U.S. battleship during World War II.
Following the war, the ship was scheduled for scrapping before a statewide fundraising campaign led largely by donations from more than 700,000 North Carolina schoolchildren helped preserve it. The vessel was towed from New Jersey to Wilmington in 1961, where it now serves as North Carolina’s World War II memorial.
“The story of USS North Carolina did not begin in her namesake state—it began in Brooklyn,” Executive Director Dr. Jay Martin said in a statement. “Before her crew raced her into combat, thousands of New Yorkers brought her to life. Their craftsmanship and dedication created a resilient ship that served our nation at one of the most critical moments in history.”
The Battleship North Carolina Memorial said the red illumination over Labor Day weekend will recognize the labor, ingenuity and dedication of the Brooklyn shipbuilders whose work made the vessel possible.
As part of the recognition, New York residents can receive discounted admission to the Battleship through Dec. 31 with a valid New York state ID.
