Kerry Kalahar, Volunteer Caretaker, Is On Top Of The World!
Up Close And Personal On The USS Edson
An Educational Sleepover
September 15, 2013
4 Comments
By: Diane Szczepanski
Friday the 13th, 2013 could have been a little spooky, sleeping over on the historic USS EDSON naval ship, but turned out to be one of the most peaceful experiences I have had to date.
Thanks to Kerry Kalahar, one of the ships volunteer caretakers who takes her turn at staying onboard, I was able to get a private tour and an opportunity to roll out my sleeping bag and listen for creaks and groans and things that go bump in the night.
What I got was a night filled with education, a chance to eat and sleep and basically camp out on an impressive hulk of a ship and a LOT of laughs. (Keep in mind, a pail was our "lavatory").
Kerry's love of the ship came from her father, William Patterson, who was an engineer at Defoe ship building. She remembers running the Defoe Credit Union that was on site and operated out of a little mobile home and the hustle and bustle of the ship building yard.
She also remembers her fathers job involving all the intricate attention to detail that it takes to build a working navy ship and after our tour, I was awestruck at the amount of mechanics it took to build a ship of this size.
Kerry's friend Sandy Schaffer and Sandy' grand-daughter Annah Nesbitt, also had the chance to see the inner workings of the Edson and we all learned so much about not only this ship, but Navy ships in general.
As night fell and the power was shut down by Kerry and we hunkered down for the night, it was easy to imagine the loneliness these 270 men must have felt being so far away from home in such stressful situations.
The occasional flock of geese outside and creak of steel expanding from the evening's cold temps, were the only sounds and I found myself giving thanks to our military for the brave jobs they do.
Please do yourself a favor and take a tour of USS Edson DD-946. The link provides hours of operation and a map to its location:
http://ussedson.org/
USS EDSON 3 Guns No Waiting
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A wedding ceremony was scheduled for the following day
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Voice tubes are used all over the ship to communicate. Think high tech soups cans and string!
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Photos of one of the Navy men who served on the ship
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Sandy Schaffer helps Annah Nesbitt in background of one of the large guns on ship
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A plaque on board showing the names of ships that were named in honor of the fallen
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A view from the side of the ship
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Jack Pennell, Site Maintenace and Kerry Kalahar, explain to Annah Nesbitt the protocol
for taking down a US flag at the end of the day
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
The walk down the side of the Edson seems endless
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
One of the boats sailors used to take in to shore
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
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Everywhere you look there is equipment!
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Corridors are narrow and endless inside the Edson
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Stickers from another era
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
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Kerry shows Annah what some of the call letters mean
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
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A view from the inside looking out
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
There are literally piles and piles of rope onboard, coiled and waiting for use
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Old Time Poster
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A watchman's chair on the side of the ship
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Kerry and Annah in the control room
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
The view at dusk is beautiful
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Another dusk view
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
An amazing amount of engineering went into this vessel
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A gunners station
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A piece of history in the glow of twilight
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
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Staring down a torpedo
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
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It is peaceful and calm onboard in the evening
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Another equipment room deep inside the Edson
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Some of the places the men had to work was VERY narrow and way down below
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
A game table which was near the sailors berths
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
Annah Nesbitt gets her own moment to be "On top of the world!!"
Photo by Diane Szczepanski
© MyBayCity.com
"The BUZZ" - Read Feedback From Readers!
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fwiggles Says:
On September 16, 2013
at 11:38 AM
I am glad that you liked my OLD GIRLFRIEND! It was my home for four years from the Spting of 1969 - Dec of 1973!My wife got to meet her at the reunion in August! I plaied TOUR GUIDE FOR THREE DAYS!
FTG2 Wiggles Uss edson DD 946 1969-1973
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johnshaffer Says:
On September 16, 2013
at 12:46 PM
As a Edson Plank Owner (a sailor assigned onboard at the time the ship was commissioned) yours was a wonderful article. Thanks for your interest and great writing
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gls33 Says:
On September 17, 2013
at 08:32 AM
having served onboard Edson from 1965-1968 i want to thank you for the very nice artical.
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52DEEREHUNTER Says:
On January 23, 2015
at 12:38 PM
THE EDSON'S AFT FIREROOM WAS MY HOME FROM MAY 1972- NOVEMBER 1975
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Diane Szczepanski
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Business-woman by day, confessed boot addict by night and 'wanna-be' writer, music lover and proud Mom of an awesome guitar playing, teen son.
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