By Sam Reed
It’s time for us Washingtonians to step up and save the cruiser USS Olympia from the scrap yard!
Named after our beautiful capital city, it has a remarkable history, one we should be proud of.
The Olympia led a squadron to win the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish American War on May 1, 1898, thereby gaining an empire for the United States. The Philippines, Guam, Wake Island, Samoa and Puerto Rico all came under American control after the battle.
She also played a valorous role in World War I.
After that war, the Olympia was decommissioned, and became a museum ship in 1957. She’s the oldest steel-hulled warship afloat.
The Washington State Friends of the USS Olympia (FOTO) has formed to raise funds to help keep the ship afloat, educate Washingtonians about the ship’s place in United States history and illuminate the artifacts in Washington state connected with the cruiser and her squadron.
Washingtonians have done very little in the last 125 years to recognize and aid the cruiser. It’s time we rallied around our namesake ship. Several state leaders, including former governors Dan Evans and Chris Gregoire, former Secretary of State Ralph Munro, former Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Tom Hayward of Seattle, FOTO Executive Secretary Les Eldridge and myself back the effort.
FOTO has begun a crowd-funding effort, to help save the ship on Indiegogo.com at igg.me/at/ussolympia. The Olympia is in Philadelphia as a museum ship, and needs millions to repair her and to keep her afloat. FOTO is helping Independence Seaport Museum of Philadelphia to raise the money.
Join us in saving this historic vessel that means so much to our state and our nation.
Sam Reed was Washington’s secretary of state from 2001 to 2013.
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