The Good Ship Spokane Ceremony To Recall 50th Anniversary Of Goodwill Cruiser

For nearly four years, land-locked Spokane had a lofty presence on the high seas that was described by some crew members as “the best ship in the Navy.”

The city’s namesake, the USS Spokane, was launched a few weeks after World War II ended. It never fired a shot in wartime.

Instead, the 6,000-ton ship and its crew became floating ambassadors for the United States.

“We were spreading good will throughout Europe,” recalls J.C. Turner of Roseburg, Ore., who served as a petty officer on the ship from its shakedown cruise in 1946 until it was put into mothballs in 1949. In each port, local officials would be invited on board for tours and formal dinners.

The ship’s captain would represent the United States at state functions. Crew members were invited into town to parties and receptions where “you had to be on your best behavior,” Turner said.

Memories like Turner’s are almost all that’s left of the ship named for Washington’s second-largest city.

The Spokane stayed in mothballs - the Atlantic reserve fleet - until 1973, when it was sold for scrap.

“It’s an awful shame to scrap a ship like that,” Turner said.

Bill Aller, historian for the Navy League of Spokane, said the group scoured the country for former crew members and contacted Navy historians. From private scrapbooks and national archives, league members have produced an exhibit at Suite 500 Shadle Center.

The ship’s large union jack - the blue field with white stars in the U.S. flag - is on display, as are the ship’s colors. Navy uniforms - from the period if not from actual ship’s crewmen - also are at the exhibit.

The ship’s compass, barometer and awards plaque are on display. Although the Spokane never participated in a war, its crew won two awards for gun proficiency. Pictures of the ship in port, invitations issued to foreign dignitaries to come aboard the ship and issues of the ship’s newspaper, The Spoke, also are exhibited.

The weeklong exhibit is part of celebrations to mark the 50th anniversary of the Spokane’s launching. It is open from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday.

The league also is holding a dinner party next Friday at Mukogawa Fort Wright Institute to celebrate the anniversary. Among the guests will be Patrice Munsel, an internationally renowned opera singer from Spokane, who christened the ship when it was launched on Sept. 22, 1945.

, DataTimes ILLUSTRATION: 2 Photos (1 Color)