Millions of dollars still needed to save Battleship

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Millions more dollars are needed to finish repairs for the the USS North Carolina.

Battleship leaders say a new project is needed to repair a side of the ship’s hull, or the ship will have a new plan: disposal.

Officials say the project, with a total cost of about $17 million, including work done over the last few years, will repair the side of the ship that was not repaired in the earlier work. They say the project would also build a riverwalk around the ship for visitors to enjoy the sights of the state’s World War II memorial. So far more than $10 million has been raised for the project over the last several years.

“It doesn’t actively flood yet,” Battleship Assistant Director of Operations Chris Vargo said. “But what we’re doing is we’re trying to stay ahead of emergency repairs.”

Tourists say this is an iconic part of the Wilmington riverfront.

“Well we’re from Pennsylvania, and one of the attractions of Wilmington, of course, is the waterfront, and the best attraction is the ship itself,” Jack Romanosky said. “I would be devastated to see it removed from this beautiful waterfront.”

The Battleship was moored in Wilmington in 1961. The Navy told the Battleship in 2009 it needed a plan to dry-dock the ship or work with the Navy to get rid of the ship. Normally ships like this are taken out of the water every few years for inspection, but the Battleship has not been taken out of the water since the 1940s.

More than 10,000 North Carolinians served and died during the war, according to the release. Officials say this ship is to honor the greatest generation and the sacrifices that were made during that time.

When the ship was purchased in the late 1950s, it cost $330,000; that equates to $2.6 million in 2015 money.

To see how to donate to help save the ship, click here.

EDITOR’S NOTE: An earlier version of this story inadvertently excluded that nearly $11 million has been raised over the last few years toward the goal of $17 million. Some of that money has already gone toward other hull repairs that are part of the overall project. We apologize for any confusion.