photos courtesy of Louisville Naval Museum Facebook page
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Hackensack NJ, the USS Ling has been stuck in Hackensack, NJ since 2015 in the Hackensack river ,near the old Bergen Record building . The group USS LING SS 297 plans to move her to Indiana for much needed drydock, and create a new naval museum (Louisville Naval Museum) with Ling as the main attraction.
The group USS LING SS 297 ,started as a small group in the summer of 2019, with the idea of saving the Ling. Since then we have grown larger. We are active duty military, veterans, first responders, and civilians with a passion for history.
The group’s main fundraiser is : https://www.gofundme.com/f/saving-the-ling-damage-assessment
This Saturday the group had an ,” extremely successful workday on Ling today! We added to our MBT blow manifold, started removing silt from the inside of our ballast tanks, Eng played with the workboat, removed the tree that was wedged under the boat on the port side, more welding was accomplished and Dave Prieto brought the ships (not so) potable water back up on line. We’re extremely thankful for all the support from our amazing volunteers and from Northeast Public Safety Divers; we wouldn’t be where we are today with all the help. ”
Updates can be seen on https://www.facebook.com/USSLing
It’s been a rough, difficult year for the USS Ling , Louisville was dropped from Ling`s destination. LNM`s goal is to move the Ling to drydock, repair her and then find a suitable place to set her up for all to continue to enjoy and learn from. A second location was chosen , across the river to Jeffersonville, Indiana and the old Jeffboat facility that was closed. We were welcomed. ACBL, the parent company gave us an offer to set up at a pier and use a building. Unfortunately the company filed for bankruptcy earlier this year, and their CEO would be forced out into retirement. The group lost its footing in the door with them as they restructured and they decided the Jeffboat facility was better served as being harvested for scrap by a leasing company. So we lost that facility.
https://theridgewoodblog.net/louisville-naval-museum-bails-out-the-uss-ling-in-the-hackensack-river/
https://theridgewoodblog.net/uss-ling-stuck-in-the-muck-in-hackensack/
https://theridgewoodblog.net/veterans-day-november-11-aboard-the-uss-ling/
Sometimes you just need to admit defeat.
Sell it for scrap.
you might have to claim defeat but it still hurts
With all the money we have in this state in Bergen county that’s a shame. Why can’t they put that in the Hudson river somewhere. You can make a real nice pork out of it.
SHE BELONGS ON THE HUDSON, BEHINED THE STATUE OF LIBERTY. With the Governor, Navy, and Friends ” Big Corporate Donations ” for the USS LING its Possible. CRANE AND TUG DONATIONS, A LITTLE HELP Coordination goes a long way.
It’s no different than a house that rots away for 50 years and when someone buys it and wants to demolish it, then the ‘historic’ zealots come out to ‘preserve’ it. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of restoration. Sell it for $1, and stipulate that the buyer removes it in one year with a performance bond.
its a private group Louisville Naval Museum
It’s a gutted shell. All the comms equipment, etc. and anything of monetary or historical value were removed years ago.
It’s sad, but the Ling is just rusting scrap now. No museum would want it.
Louisville Naval Museum
About three decades ago they held birthday parties there. The kids loved it. They toured the control room and so on and then had cake. It was a lot more interesting, educational, and social than taking a dozen kids to a movie, as many people were doing.
I’ve been there a few times with my family it was fun. Too bad the Navy did not give some money to help out.
This should be scrapped…like the Bergen Record….
I first visited the USS Ling in the 1970’s. It is an amazing piece of history. It is a real shame people no longer care about history. Also amazing that no one has stepped up to save her. How about you Bill Gates and rest of similar worthless billionaires.
I’m a Submarine Veteran and former volunteer on the Ling. It was tours on it in the 70’s that made me want to be a submarine sailor. The best volunteers we had were civilians, the rest of the bubbleheads would stand around telling sea stories all day and not lift a finger to help. They deserve a lot of blame for the dilapidated state. Also to blame is Stephen Borg, who even before his father died lobbied to have the Ling removed, and wasted no time once his father passed to make it happen. Hurricane Sandy didn’t help either, not only damaging the sub, but making the museum uninhabitable due to mold. And those idiots that broke into it and flooded it didn’t help either.
Getting her to float will be the easy (ok tough) part, but the really hard part is will those bridges rotate or lift? I was told the last time they moved was in 1973 when they brought the Ling up.
As for putting her in the Hudson, that will never happen. The museum in NY bitched so loud when the USS New Jersey was proposed for Bayonne (Ling was supposed to join her there) they moved it to Camden. And Camden won’t work because Philly has one right across the river).
August 13, 2021 – a platform/floating dock is being erected at the USS Ling site. From what I understand, it will soon start its journey to Kentucky!!!!
My brother was a crew member on the Ling. In 1945 I was stationed in Portland Maine and visited him over the weekend and berthed in the compartment that contained the slot machine.
It’s a wreck, Cut it up, save the bridge for restoration, and strip any valuable parts for other museum subs in better condition, her sacrifice could help sister subs in much better condition, IMO
I would have thought she’d be welcomed alongside the New Jersey. That would seem like a fine addition.
An update about the USS Ling and Louisville Naval Museum
https://www.annapoliscreative.com/historic-military-boat-seized/