Memories of the America's Flagship Abound

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FORMER PASSENGER SHARES CHERISHED CHILDHOOD MEMORIES

Family Traveled Aboard America's Flagship For Father's Posting In Germany

SS United States enthusiasts can be found all over the world. Recently, Lisa Hunt, pictured here in a stylish black and white checkered dress, reminisced about her trip aboard the Big U in August 1967 with the Conservancy.

Lisa shared, "My family and I traveled on the SS United States from New York on Voyage 351, leaving on August 9, 1967. My Dad, Howard Gutin, was a major in the U.S. Army and we were being transferred to Heidelberg, Germany."

"A good part of our family lived in New Jersey, so they came to see us off in New York. I remember that day and the trip like it was yesterday. My Dad found out at the last minute that we could make the trip by ship instead of flying. Because of the late booking, we ended up in a very dark cabin with bunk beds. I remember being afraid that I would fall out of the top bunk so my Dad, being the great guy he was, slept up there for the entire trip," Lisa said.

"My brother and I spent a lot of time exploring the ship and watched movies over and over. I spent a lot of time in the Teen Club on B Deck. It was an amazing experience for all of us," she added.

Lisa's story will now become part of the Conservancy's "Legacy Project," which compiles an archive of visual and narrative materials related to passengers and crew who traveled on, helped build, and/or served aboard our nation’s flagship, the SS United States.

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE LEGACY PROJECT AND HOW TO SHARE YOUR OWN BIG U STORY.

HAMPTON ROADS CHAPTER PRESENTS THE HISTORY OF THE SS UNITED STATES TO THE DAUGHTERS OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION

Local Connections Shared Between the SS United States, DAR Members

Conservancy Hampton Roads Chapter co-chair Stanton Daywalt recently gave a special presentation on the history of the SS United States to the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR).

Founded in October 1890 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., DAR is a non-profit women's service organization dedicated to promoting patriotism, preserving American history, and securing America's future through better education for children.

Gathered at the Hampton Library, an enthusiastic group of 20 DAR members listened intently as Stanton shared a Power Point presentation detailing the ship’s construction in the Newport News, highlights of her service career, and the important work being done by the Conservancy and its chapters today. The presentation also featured a number of stunning images of the SS United States from throughout her service career and retirement, some of which will be featured in his the forthcoming book SS United States: An Operational Guide to America's Flagship, co-authored by James K. Rindfleisch, Stanton Daywalt and F. Samuel Bauer.

Several attendees had made transatlantic crossings on the SS United States and were inspired to share their stories during the event. One woman spoke about a storm that they encountered on their voyage, and how she avoided getting seasick by not eating, while the rest of her family were not so lucky. Another talked about how small their cabin was on board, but she remembered how clean and tidy everything aboard looked. Afterwards, the women in attendance commented that the presentation was fascinating and several planned on joining the Conservancy.

If your library, service organization, or community is interested in having a member of Conservancy leadership or a local chapter conduct a presentation on the SS United States at an upcoming meeting, please email info@ssusc.org.

CLICK HERE TO DONATE TODAY

MORE FROM THE SS UNITED STATES CONSERVANCY

FORMER PASSENGERS AND CREW MEMBERS EXCITED TO STEP BACK ON BOARD AMERICA'S FLAGSHIP

After announcing a special opportunity for former passengers and crew members to tour the SS United States next month, dozens of people expressed interest. Due to strict limitations on the number of guests we can have aboard the ship at one time and the overwhelming response, we have paused registrations at this time. We will soon be announcing additional tour opportunities and look forward to welcoming more guests aboard the beautiful Big U.

MEET THE CONSERVANCY: LATISHA COLLINS

The Conservancy is excited to introduce our global community to our newest team member, Latisha Collins! As our Administrative & Program Associate, Latisha plays an important role in supporting the Conservancy’s mission by engaging with supporters and managing the Conservancy’s Philadelphia office.

Latisha comes to the Conservancy with 20 years of experience in administrative services. Please join us in giving Latisha a warm welcome.

CLICK HERE TO GET TO KNOW LATISHA!

In the first e-update of the month we unfortunately misspelled the name of the SS United States' Executive Chef Otto Bismarck. We regret the error and apologize for this mistake.

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THE BIG U CONTINUES TO INSPIRE...

"With my sincere admiration to SS United States, the fastest ocean liner to cross the Atlantic. I hope and do believe that this beautiful ship will soon reach its new purpose, to serve as a museum for the ones adoring the history of Blue Riband liners." - Tamás Péterfi, Conservancy Donor from Hungary