When the World War II battleship USS Alabama went into retirement, it was with an eye to a long future. But to keep the old 鈥淗eroine of the Pacific鈥� healthy enough for the public to enjoy, some restoration was needed.
Refurbishing a historic ship requires some hyper-specialized contractors and subcontractors. Similar to other retrofit and restoration contracts, there were financing hurdles (think donation-based fundraising), and the USS Battleship Alabama Commission hoped to keep parts of the ship open as a museum during renovation.