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The Groton Submarine Museum just outside the Sub Base is very nice as shown in the Youtube video below. But the video did not show the "Store" or the Library. In addition they can only show less than 10% of their holdings due to size limitations. The Library is the largest in the U.S. with its' submarine collection.
Next is St. Mary's Museum in St. Mary's, GA. It was fairly full before they accumulated the files and many items from the Ben Bastura Museum in Connecticut after he passed.
Another is the U.S. Naval Submarine Museum in Keyport, Washington. They have about 2000 books but the library is closed now. They also have other memorabilia.
Probably the 3-4th largest Submarine Library is in No. Little Rock, AR at the Ark. Inland Maritime Museum. They have about 3000 books and some 2500 of them belong to USSVI. Also they have other submarine related items. They do not solicit more.
A few others are the Silversides Museum in Muskegon, MI and the Wisconsin Maritime Museum at Manitowoc, WI, Albacore in Portsmouth, and the Bowfin Museum in Honolulu. I have even heard of a complete conning tower of a WWII boat in a back yard in Groton/New London area. But I have lost the picture or the location. 40 School Street in Groton (the home of USSVI) has a good collection of plaques, etc. I am not sure what all the Pampanito in San Francisco, the Batfish in Muskogee, OK, Cobia in WI, or any other boats/museums have. But they must not be interested in adding to thier collections or they would have contacted the largest Submarine Veterans group in the World to their cause.
Going back to St. Mary's; it is packed with little room for more. I heard a rumor that the Navy has donated land at the nearby Kings Bay Submarine Support Base for a future museum. But that has stalled probably due to funding issues.
So here is the conundrum:
...The Library at Little Rock has been neglected for 5+ years. That facility is also where the USSVI National Archives are located. There is going to be a move of the National USSVI Office back to Groton from Silverdale, WA and perhaps the Archives will also move there (space permitting.) But they don't have room for books and they don't want to duplicate what is at the Groton Submarine Museum/Library.
...St. Mary's cannot take any more at this time.
...Groton does not need more. ...I even tried to move books to the Museum of the Pacific War/Nimitz Museum in Fredricksberg, TX
...I do not know what is available in Norfolk, Charleston, Portsmough or anything in Florida.
WHAT are we to do with all the stuff we have accumulated over the years? Our ages require some fast action least our children sell it for pennies on the dollar or just toss it. There are hand wheels, gauges, klaxons, valves, name plates, etc and tons of books still out there languishing in our basements or our man caves. The Library at Little Rock needs moved also.
What can we do? Norfolk, Charleston, San Diego, Mare Island?
If I were 10-15 years younger I would start a museum/library but who is going to drive to northern Wyoming to see submarine stuff?
There was for 4-5 years a school building donated after a hurricane down in Florida that the Base there made into a very nice meeting hall. It was on property owned by the VFW. But sadly that building is gone for whatever reason.
We need some ideas gentlemen. What about a monster on-line picture archive of submarine parts, equipment giving the owners name/location. It would have to include pictures of all the museum boats/museums, each states memorials, Sub School class pictures, someone willing to take pictures at Groton, Pearl, Horse/Cow, a bibliography of submarine books and on and on. If we can't do a physical presence, then this is the next best thing.
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My heroes wear dog tags, not shoulder pads
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