All posts by : Jack Willard

Ksids can get their photo taken with Santa as part of the Battleship’s Breakfast with Santa, Saturday, Dec. 17 at 9am. Tickets are $24 for kids under 12 & $28 for adults. Active military families just $15 per person. Battleship members get a 20% off.

http://tiny.cc/BreakfastwSanta

When:         Friday, December 9, 2022 at 1:30pm

Where:        Battleship New Jersey Memorial & Museum

Pier

100 Clinton Street

Camden Waterfront

What:          The Cadets of the United States Military Academy will take on the Midshipmen of the Naval

Academy in a Tug-of-War battle on the Patricia Egan Jones Pier of the Battleship New Jersey on Friday,

Dec. 9 at 1:30pm. The competition, which is part of the Patriot Games prior to the Army-Navy football

game on Saturday, Dec. 10 at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, is free to attend.

The Tug-of-War event also features the marching bands and spirit squads from both academies.

The Battleship has also teamed up with Rutgers Military Department on a Army-Navy Game

Watch Party on Saturday, Dec. 10, beginning at 2pm.  Guests can watch the game on the two

80-inch TV monitors on the fantail, the heated tented rear deck of the Battleship.  Snacks and a

cash bar will be available. Just a $10 donation gets guest into the Fantail.  For a $20 donation,

guests can add on a tour of the Battleship.  Tickets can be purchased online at

https://tinyurl.com/nepj8hd4 or at the Battleship’s Ticket Office.

On Saturday, December 10, the Army-Navy Game will return to Philadelphia for the 90th time in

the rivalry’s 123-year history. The game kicks off at Lincoln Financial Field as Army and Navy

face-off in America’s Game.  The city anticipates a large influx of more than 50,000 visitors, who

will consume more than 31,000 hotel room nights.

The weekend also serves as a platform for promoting Philadelphia to millions on national television

and the sellout crowd of nearly 70,000 fans that attend the game.

“Army-Navy weekend is all about celebrating America’s armed forces and their service to our country,”

said Gregg Caren, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau. “We are

honored to welcome military families to Philadelphia for the game weekend and to recognize the sacrifices

they have made for our nation.”

“The entire city will be electric all weekend as we welcome fans from around the country,” said Larry Needle,

executive director of PHL Sports. “This is the 90th year we have had the privilege to host the Academies, and

we’re incredibly proud of the legacy we’ve created together.”

In addition to the Academies, the weekend is produced by a number of local partners, including PHL Sports, a

business development division of the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau (PHLCVB), the City of

Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Eagles.

While the Army-Navy Game is the weekend’s focal point, there are events and activities throughout the city

leading up to kickoff:

Friday, December 9:

Patriot Games: A two-day, five-event competition between teams of Cadets and Midshipmen – with a series of

events at various Philadelphia-area landmarks. The Patriot Games are comprised of:

• The Rocky Relay (December 9, 8:30 a.m., Steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)
• Leadership Reaction Course (December 9, 10:00 a.m., Independence Visitor Center)
• Pull-Up Challenge (December 9, 12:00 p.m., The Shops at Liberty Place)
• Tug of War (December 9, 1:30 p.m., USS New Jersey Battleship)

Army-Navy Pep Rally: Serving as the official kickoff, The Shops at Liberty Place will play host to the Army-Navy

Pep Rally at 12 p.m. on Friday, December 9, where spectators will get fired up with performances by the Academies’

cheerleader squads and pep bands.

Assembly Day with Operation Gratitude: At the Pennsylvania Convention Center on Friday, December 9 from 1:30 pm

– 3:30 p.m., volunteers will assemble 2,000 care packages to be sent to U.S. troops. The public can sign up to volunteer

in Assembly Day here.

Gala: At the Pennsylvania Convention Center Grand Hall from 6:30 – 10 p.m., Philadelphia welcomes the Academies,

and all of the game partners to celebrate ahead of game day with a sit-down dinner and gala. Mayor Jim Kenney and the

Academy Superintendents will offer remarks. This event is closed to the public, but open to media.

Saturday, December 10 *Denotes game day ticket required

Red, White & You: The PHLCVB Foundation’s Red, White & You Community Outreach Program supports legacy projects

surrounding the Army-Navy Game, impacting young people and the men and women of our military. The program will

welcome 350 JROTC members from the Philadelphia and Camden School Districts to the Army-Navy Game, as well as

partner with the Travis Manion Foundation in hosting Wounded Warriors and Gold Star families.

Exclusive Fan Tailgate: On game day, Saturday, December 10, from 11 a.m. – 1 p.m., fans can beat the cold by getting fired

up at the Army-Navy Tailgate, located inside Citizens Bank Park’s Hall of Fame Club, across the street from Lincoln Financial

Field.

Army-Navy Fan Fest*: Ahead of kickoff on Saturday, November 10, Fan Fest will take place inside of the stadium at Lincoln

Financial Field’s HeadHouse Plaza (gates open at 11 a.m.), with live music, games, face painting and giveaways.

March-On*: Time-honored tradition in which the entire Corps of Cadets and Brigade of Midshipmen “march-on” to the field

ahead of kickoff to honor their respective teams, starting at 12:15 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.

Stadium Obstacle Relay*: The final leg of the Patriot Games takes place at 1:15 p.m. on the field.

123rd Army-Navy Game*: America’s Game kicks off at 3:10 p.m. at Lincoln Financial Field.

For more information on all Army-Navy Weekend activities, visit DiscoverPHL.com.

                     The Battleship New Jersey Memorial and Museum is open every day for tours from 10:00 a.m.  to 4:00 p.m.  Scouts,

youth organizations and families: Spend a night aboard the Battleship!  Our award-winning overnight program

includes dinner and breakfast served from the chowline, a guided tour of the Battleship, the chance to fire a salute

from the saluting gun, and the opportunity to sleep in the bunks that the crew of the USS New Jersey  once slept.

$75 per person. To reserve your bunks, call 866-877-6262 x203.  For more information on programs and events at

the Battleship, visit www.battleshipnewjersey.org.

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The Battleship New Jersey was honored to host the Fall Reception of the US Naval Academy Parents Club of New Jersey on the ship’s fantail on Saturday, Sept. 24.  The Club enjoyed lunch on the fantail deck, held their fall meeting and heard from an author.  The event concluded with a group photo on the forecastle (forward deck) under the 16-inch guns!

WASHINGTON NAVY YARD – Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) presented the 2022 Museum Excellence Awards during the Historic Naval Ships Association (HNSA) Conference, Sept. 13-16, at the Battleship Missouri Memorial in Honolulu.

The annual awards acknowledge the work done by private, nongovernment museums to share with the public the heritage and history of the Navy through exhibits, publications, historical documents, and curation, management and interpretation of artifacts at their facilities. This is the award program’s second year.

The 2022 NHHC Museum Excellence Awards winners include:

Curatorial Excellence Award

• Battleship New Jersey (Large Category)
• Destroyer Escort Historical Museum USS Slater (DE 766) (Small Category)

Maintenance Excellence Award

• USS COD Submarine Memorial (Small Category)
• The Friends of the USS Cassin Young (DD 793) (Small Category)

“These museum award winners were selected because of their excellence in telling the Navy’s story through various means,” said NHHC Director Samuel J. Cox, a retired U.S. Navy rear admiral. “It is with great appreciation that we recognize these museums for their ability to communicate the rich history of the Navy with the public.”

Applicants were judged on their ability to encourage and publicize scholarly, well-researched historical stories that depict the Navy’s history and heritage and on their ability to preserve and maintain artifacts on loan from the Navy.

“As supporters of the Navy, its mission, and our shared history, HNSA is proud of the recognition NHHC is giving our member museums for their hard work in telling the story of the Navy and the American People,” said HNSA Executive Director Ryan Szymanski.

The Curatorial Excellence Award recognizes organizations that achieve excellence in the curation of the collections in their care, including maintaining and interpreting Navy artifacts on loan from NHHC central and local collections.

Battleship New Jersey demonstrated excellence in telling compelling and accurate stories of service at sea, specifically through the creation of a new, multilingual exhibit on the Korean War. The new exhibit used a former berthing space to interpret life on the ship for Sailors during the Korean conflict, helping to communicate a significant chapter in the heritage of the U.S. Navy to a broader audience.

Destroyer Escort Historical Museum USS Slater DE 766 expanded the museum’s educational outreach across various media, which included adding new compartments to the tour route, creating a “Special Collections” tour, expanding the virtual tours, updating their website, and initiating a podcast program. The enhancements to the ship’s curatorial program allowed outreach efforts to continue throughout the COVID pandemic and a dry-dock maintenance period, which closed the ship to public visitation beginning in July 2020.

The Maintenance Excellence Award is presented to organizations that demonstrate the greatest improvement in material condition over the past year of a macro artifact such as a historic ship or aircraft.

The World War II-era submarine USS Cod (SS 224) demonstrated great improvement in material condition when it dry docked for the first time in 58 years to preserve the underwater portion of its hull. Because of the work done during the maintenance period, Cod will be able to convey its history to the public through at least 2041.

The Friends of the USS Cassin Young (DD 793) was recognized for excellence in preservation of the ship, specifically for major restorations of the forward berthing areas. The work completed resulted in the complete restoration of the berthing compartment to near-original condition, allowing the public to gain a better understanding of the living condition of Sailors manning the ship.

For a detailed list of eligibility requirements and other information on the awards program, please visit https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/get-involved/nhhc-awards-program.html

NHHC, located at the Washington Navy Yard, is responsible for preserving, analyzing, and disseminating U.S. naval history and heritage. It provides the knowledge foundation for the Navy by maintaining historically relevant resources and products that reflect the Navy’s unique and enduring contributions through our nation’s history and supports the fleet by assisting with and delivering professional research, analysis, and interpretive services. NHHC comprises many activities, including the Navy Department Library, the Navy Operational Archives, the Navy art and artifact collections, underwater archeology, Navy histories, ten museums, USS Constitution repair facility, and the historic ship Nautilus.

For more news from NHHC, visit www.history.navy.mil.