SS United States - A Quiet Month

By Charles Dragonette

Chatting with people online and off, the appearance that activity swirls everywhere is hard to ignore. However, since 16 June when Okaloosa County approved the final Memorandum of Agreement with the Florida State Historic Preservation Officer and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that enables wrapping up the Army’s Section 106 review of Permit SAJ-1996-03565, there has not been a single thing reported affecting the ship or the reefing program. It’s business as usual in Mobile and Okaloosa. Most seem to understand we’re near the end game where remediation transitions to the deployment countdown. The process is working without “Breaking News” alerts and nothing is stalled. But, in a world of constant stimulation, periods of silence are hard to absorb and just let happen.

The SS United States at MARS in Mobile, Alabama in June. Photo by Robert Stebbins.