DATE: Tuesday, November 11, 1997            TAG: 9711110010

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B12  EDITION: FINAL 

TYPE: Editorial

                                            LENGTH:   58 lines

THE BATTLESHIP WISCONSIN OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Today is Veterans Day, a time to recall and honor the millions of Americans who have served their nation at great personal risk and sacrifice - sometimes the ultimate sacrifice.

If the right steps are taken, Veterans Day 1998 could arrive with the massive battleship Wisconsin berthed alongside Nauticus. Imagine the impressive ceremony that could be staged on its teak deck, nearly three football fields in length, in the shadows of its 16-inch guns.

One of the four most formidable battleships ever, the 53-year-old Wisconsin is docked at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, off-limits to the public.

To free that space for other purposes, the Navy has said it would pay to move the Wisconsin to Nauticus and to maintain it there.

There could be no greater attraction to Navy buffs, in this the Navy capital of the East Coast. It would be a classic case of beating swords into tourist dollars.

And a tremendous opportunity would arise to transform money-losing Nauticus into the finest naval museum in the world. No one can say today exactly what Nauticus is, certainly not in 25 words or less. A world-class museum of naval history, with the mighty battleship alongside, would draw hundreds of thousands of veterans and other tourists. It would be a perfect fit for the city's history.

Furthermore, the Wisconsin would have a berth worthy of its distinguished past. The move would honor the city and the ship.

``Battleships have long been sailing from Hampton Roads since the birth of our Navy,'' said Rear Adm. R. Timothy Ziemer, commander of the Norfolk Naval Station, informally known as the Navy's ``mayor'' in the region. ``Given that rich tradition and the strong ties we've always enjoyed with the city of Norfolk, it is most appropriate for the Navy to moor a battleship at a location where everyone can experience a part of our heritage.''

Obstacles remain. The Navy has to find $3.5 million to $5 million to dredge and prepare the berthing site. At times like this, it is nice to have a former secretary of the Navy serving the region in the Senate. Full speed ahead, John Warner.

The Navy said preliminary discussions with the Coast Guard indicate that permission to dredge is obtainable and that the ship would not interfere with Elizabeth River traffic.

Other cities might clamor to serve as the ship's host, but Norfolk lies just across the river from the ship's present berth. Moving the ship elsewhere would cost far more.

Unquestionably, no city has a better claim than Norfolk, home to the world's largest naval base and to the Wisconsin for much of its active life.

Seldom has opportunity knocked so loudly. But the disappointing history of Nauticus will guarantee skepticism. To overcome it, Norfolk will have to devise a flawless plan to take advantage of the Wisconsin and turn around Nauticus. The city will have to persuade taxpayers that any public money involved will be well-spent.

The Wisconsin is a rare instance of opportunity knocking twice, a second chance for Norfolk to redeem the waterfront as a tourist destination. But counting on a third knock would be a mistake.

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