Local Veteran Seeks To Memorialize Lesser-Known USS Tuscaloosa

TUSCALOOSA, AL — Many who have enjoyed Tuscaloosa's Veterans Memorial Park are no doubt familiar with the mast and the 5-inch, 25-caliber artillery gun from the original USS Tuscaloosa.

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The legendary ship once transported President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, while also contributing to naval efforts in the Pacific theater of World War II at Iwo Jima and Okinawa.

But very few, including Tuscaloosa County officials, knew the story of a lesser-known USS Tuscaloosa that served in Vietnam and currently sits at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii.

This is the history that U.S. Navy veteran Gregory Humphrey is hoping to preserve and see memorialized in the park — a notion that was well-received by the Tuscaloosa County Commission during Wednesday's meeting.

According to military records, the original USS Tuscaloosa was decommissioned in 1946 following the end of the war and eventually scrapped in 1959. It would go on to see its mast installed at the Tuscaloosa park, which is adjacent to University Mall and features numerous military relics with connections to the area.

Still, Humphrey pointed out on Wednesday that there is no mention of the second USS Tuscaloosa, which was named for the county as opposed to the city.

The ship's insignia, much like the Tuscaloosa County seal, prominently features the likeness of Chief Tuskaloosa, along with the Alabama state flag and the words "Extra Three Percent" — a nod to the ship's reputation for meeting commitments.

The insignia also pays homage to the original USS Tuscaloosa by displaying a pair of tusks, which is a reference to the ship's nickname "Tusky."

During Wednesday's County Commission meeting, Humphrey also provided a brief history of the second USS Tuscaloosa, which earned four battle stars in Vietnam.

Indeed, the USS Tuscaloosa was a Newport-class tank landing ship constructed by the National Steel and Shipbuilding Company in San Diego. It was first launched on Sept. 6, 1969.

The ship went on to serve a 10-month deployment in the Pacific during the Vietnam conflict, serving to transport Marine Corps equipment and Navy construction battalion tools.

After the deployment, the USS Tuscaloosa returned stateside and served in a variety of roles, including a response to the coup attempt in the Philippines in 1989.

The USS Tuscaloosa was ultimately decommissioned in February 1994 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in December 2008.

As its final act of service for the U.S. Navy, the ship was intentionally sunk while being used as a target ship during a naval exercise on July 2014.

Humphrey estimated that approximately 5,000 sailors and marines served on the ship during its lifetime.

"I think this community and county has an excellent veterans park," he said. "I just wanted to bring this to your attention. I plan on addressing [Tuscaloosa County Park & Recreation Authority] at some time. I just think it deserves some kind of plaque or display to recognize the ship and this county's heritage. It would also be a thank you to the crew members who served on it."

As was previously mentioned, the proposal was well-received by members of the Commission, with Probate Judge Rob Robertson — a U.S. Marine Corps veteran — expressing his support and willingness to find a way to memorialize the USS Tuscaloosa.

"I'd be glad to take this on," he said, mentioning that county officials would begin researching ways to honor the ship. "I think we could definitely do something. I think it's really interesting."

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