Report: USN Armed Guard Convention
Alexandria, Virginia
by Capt. Brian Hope
5 May 1997

he original plan was a bit different than the way this very enjoyable cruise turned out. We were going to take the BROWN to Alexandria, Virginia, where the Armed Guard National Reunion was taking place, and then do a cruise on the Potomac River. It would have been a real "no frills" cruise, since the cost of getting the ship down the Bay and up the Potomac all the way to Alexandria (and back) was $15,000!

What changed our plans was the requirement by the owners of the only available berth that we pay $13,500 for the use of the berth. Suddenly we were forced to rethink the entire voyage. Without the use of much brain power we came to the conclusion that in order to hold a cruise, we would have to bring the passengers to the ship, rather than the other way around as the original plan specified.

So Neal Vermillion, coordinator of the reunion, chartered some busses and three hundred passengers climbed aboard them bright and early on Monday, May 5th for the ride to Baltimore. They arrived at the Dundalk Marine Terminal to find the crew of the BROWN ready to welcome them aboard for the ship's first cruise of the 1997 season. The weather was cool but crystal clear and as the day progressed it warmed up nicely and overall turned into one of the best days of any cruise in recent years.

This was a special voyage, because it was the first time that the ship had hosted the Armed Guard on an actual cruise. Twice before, conventions had come to town to focus on the ship, but at that time she was still a static display, with lots of work yet to do before she could steam on her own power. This time we could show her off to her full potential! While Mr. Vermillion decided that the cost of a band was more than he could afford, we provided one anyway, and a great one it was, the "Last Chance Jazz Band," an eight piece ensemble with a vocalist that did an absolutely fabulous job. We (they) got loads of compliments on their music and not a complaint was heard from our crew, who by now are getting rather particular about the sounds they hear during our cruises! We provided this band because music is a really vital part of the success of a Bay Cruise. Without the appropriate music it is far more difficult to "evoke the era" of the 40's and a good band is just a whole lot of fun.

Air shows have become an integral part of our Bay cruises and we try to add new twists, or is it spins, to our aerial extravaganzas each year. Despite the limited budget of the Armed Guard cruise, we were able to organize a terrific show, which featured an attack on the BROWN by two WW II Japanese carrier aircraft, a "Kate" torpedo bomber and a "Val" dive bomber. While these planes are not the the real thing, they are absolutely authentic replicas that are impossible to distinguish from the real thing and our shipload of old gunners saw something they had not seen for over fifty years, enemy aircraft diving on their ship, firing machine guns and making torpedo and dive bombing runs that were authentic enough to raise the hairs on the back of many veterans' necks. Our gunners, in the form of the BROWN's Historic Interpretive Detachment, fired back with our "gas guns", authentic sounding weapons discharging a blast of propane gas. In the end the ship was "saved" by the appearance of an Army Airforce AT-6. The intruders were chased away, each of them trailing smoke. Our gunners claimed two "probables."

In the food department, our cruise lived up to its usual standards, with Bear Brothers Catering providing welcoming coffee and donuts and a sumptuous "all you can eat" buffet lunch. No one went away hungry!

We were also treated to the debut of "Brownie the Riveter", aka Patty Gallagher, whose Brownie costume was a real eye-catcher. "Get Your Picture Taken With Brownie" will certainly become a popular addition to future cruises and Patty not only posed happily with many of our passengers, she sold a bunch of rivets as well.

Brownie the Riveter

It was a great cruise and the crew of the BROWN and their 300 passengers were delighted that everything went well. This was our nineteenth day cruise since the ship was reactivated in 1991 and they only seem to get better.

Of course it was a special treat to honor the Armed Guard. Just as they were an integral part of the merchant ships' crews during the War, the Armed Guard, with its financial support and the hard work of its volunteers, has played a vital role in the success of Project Liberty Ship. Without them we would not be where we are today and we salute each and every one of these veterans, genuine American heroes!