Update 8-13-2008

Russ,

As you may know, the effort to save the Gage hit a dead-end late last year. Last week I discovered the following document:

http://www.achp.gov/docs/CaseDigestSummer08.pdf

 

I have exchanged a few emails with MARAD and have learned that a full documentation (including photos of all decks) is now complete and the Gage will be “removed from the fleet” soon. They have offered to arrange for me and any interested APA sailors to view (at very close proximity) the Gage as she is moved. They don’t know the date yet but I will let you know as soon as I find out. 

 

Somewhere, I have contact information for many of the APA associations and I was going to inform them of this. Given the age of the WWII guys, there may not be many that can make this but there could be a few.

 We have the Lowndes reunion in San Francisco in about 7 weeks. A few of these guys may be willing to go. As you know, this is in the James River at Norfolk, VA.

 

David Brinkman (Webmaster for the APA 154 USS Lowndes website)

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Update: 9-16-06:

Terrible news for the Gage. It looks like the Navy will tow her back out to sea in October and sink her. Peter just went to D.C. to discuss National Registry eligibility issues for the Gage. He was expecting to meet with two MARAD people but instead they were placed in a large conference room with all the MARAD heads and an “attack dog” attorney. 

 

They demanded a full business plan with detailed funding already lined up, a site already established, and a Coast Guard approved mooring plan for the site. Basically, they made it impossible. The only hope now is an act of Congress. Peter did a great job saving the Gage until now but we just didn’t have the time and never really got any significant interest behind the project. 

I’ll let you know if there are any last minute developments or opportunities.

 

David Brinkman (Webmaster for the APA 154 USS Lowndes website)

 

Picture below from 2004:

 

The Campaign to Save the USS Gage APA-168
The Sole Surviving Originally Configured World War II Attack Transport

Like many issues, if you talk to three people, you will get 4 opinions.  One thing is certain, over the next few years, most the James River Fleet needs to be disposed of one way or another.  At the left are a collection of articles and websites related to the situation.  

One ship the Gage APA 168 is slated to be sunk in target practice in 2004. There is a group that has formed to look into the possibility of restoring her. This is an endeavor that is worthy of consideration.  This group is NOT saying it is definite, they are currently asking for the time to determine if it is feasible.

I have a number of pictures of the Gage sent to me taken during a salvage trip in April 2000.  I have posted about 50 of them here: USS Gage in 2000

Russ- July 16, 2004

STATUS REPORT:

April 2004 update:

Ladies and gentlemen;

As the representative and co-founder of the new "PACIFIC NORTHWEST SHIPS FOR VICTORY PROJECT" and northwest representative for the national "APA HISTORICAL PRESERVATION PROJECT", both organizations subsidiaries of the international "SHIPS FOR VICTORY FOUNDATION", I am pleased to announce that, as of 23 April, 2004, the USS GAGE APA-168 is no longer a target vessel of the Naval SINKX 2004.

In a public notice on that date, MARAD(Martime Administration,((the ship disposition agency of the Naval Department))) released the USS GAGE to the APA
Historical Preservation Project organization and had the ship returned to the James River, Virginia NDRF(National Defense Reserve Fleet).

Those of us in the "FOUNDATION" and "PROJECT's" have decided that, due to the extreme logistics involved in bringing the GAGE back to the Portland, OR, area
where she was built, we would have her preserved by a yard and preservation organizations in the Norfolk, VA, area. This will be a possible 5 year project, taking an estimated ten million dollars.


After restoration and preservation, the ship would be located in a suitable venue on the east coast. Suggestions have been Washington D.C., Norfolk, VA, or the Navy Amphibious Fleet base. Wherever she goes, she will be a fine museum, dedicated to those who sailed aboard her during WW2.

PACIFIC NW SHIPS FOR VICTORY  PROJECT
                      c/o  Michael Skillern
                      POB 820744
                      Vancouver, WA
                      98682-0017    m.skillern@comcast.net

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09-06-03 update: from Bill Carney:

Many of you know of the effort to save the USS Gage, the last of original Attack Transport.

This class of the famed Liberty ships was involved in WW II, Korea, and Viet Nam as well as many rescue efforts over the years.

This ship is an extremely important piece of history and the government intends to sink it for target practice next year.

Please, if you haven't already, take a moment and go to the following site and sign the online petition to save this vital historical ship. It doesn't cost anything, and gives our children the opportunity to see and feel what our fathers felt and fought for.

Thank you for your time Bill Carney