Sailors From USS Monitor To Be Buired At Arlington

[tankcommander]

Two Navy sailors slated for heroes’ burials at Arlington National Cemetery have waited a century and a half for the honor.

The men were among the crew members who perished aboard the legendary Union battleship the USS Monitor, which fought an epic Civil War battle with Confederate vessel The Merrimack in the first battle between two ironclad ships in the Battle of Hampton Roads, on March 9, 1862.

Nine months later, the Monitor sank in rough seas off of Cape Hatteras, where it was discovered in 1973. Two skeletons and the tattered remains of their uniforms were discovered in the rusted hulk of the Union ironclad in 2002, when its 150-ton turret was brought to the surface.

www.foxnews.com/us/2013/03/04/150-years-later-union-sailors-from-uss-monitor-to-be-buried-at-arlington/?test=latestnews

[Sailor]

May these sailors and shipmates Rest in Peace.

****

Now to pick the article apart.

It's obvious that the writer of the article knows nothing about the Navy. Even in the Navy's official rolls USS Monitor is listed as an Ironclad warship, not as a battleship. In those days the term Battleship was a derivative of the official term "Ship of the Line" (example - HMS Victory) or "Line of Battle Ship." Yes, the USN had Ships of the Line, Google USS Ohio, USS Connecticut or USS Pennsylvania.

"The Merrimack" was USS Merrimack, a steam powered frigate burned along with USS Pennsylvania and several other ships here in Norfolk as Union forces evacuated the Gosport Navy Yard (later the Norfolk Naval Shipyard.) Merrimack burned to the waterline and sank, was later raised to be rebuilt into CSS Virginia, a casemate type ironclad.

One more point from the article, it speaks of Monitor's crew as being "soldiers."

Nope, wrongo. Sailors just like DD and me. Calling a bluejacket a "soldier" is just asking for a punch in the nose.

Back to work, I'll pick more nits later.

[tankcommander]

Mar 5, 2013 8:37:55 GMT -8 Sailor said:

One more point from the article, it speaks of Monitor's crew as being "soldiers."

Nope, wrongo. Sailors just like DD and me. Calling a bluejacket a "soldier" is just asking for a punch in the nose.

Kind of like telling a Marine that he is actually part of the Department Of The Navy? ;D

Now let me pick your nit..... and your brain.

I can think of at least one Army "soldier" who commanded a famous warship in a historic battle.

Wanna take a shot at who it was?

No cheating, and trying to google it up!

[Sailor]

That officer would probably be LT Dixon, CSA (can't think of his first name off hand) commanding the submersible H L Hunley when she attacked and sank the USS Housatonic off Charleston harbor.

Is that the one you're thinking of?

I've been loosely following the salvage and examination of Hunley since she was found and raised several years ago. LT Dixon and his crew were found still at their stations after the hull was opened in the lab and the mud inside excavated.

I don't think the experts have determined yet why the boat sank though it appears one of Dixon's view ports was shot out. There is no corresponding wound apparent in Dixon's head however.

Oh, and I wouldn't suggest calling a Marine a soldier either.

[tankcommander]

That's the guy, Lt. George Dixon.

I'm impressed, Sailor....... You're not just another pretty face!

[Sailor]

LOL!

I'm something of an amateur naval historian TC, loved it since I was a rug rat.

A friend of mine is one as well as being a professional model builder. That Alpha class submarine in "Hunt for Red October" is one of his. He built a model of Hunley for radio control and then got pissed off when the real Hunley was found and learned that the diagrams, pictures and period drawings he used to pattern the model after were wrong.

BTW, I've "driven" that movie star Alpha, his Hunley and a couple other subs he built.