Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Brave tales from the deep blue sea

Spokane Sea Services Museum preserves legacy of seagoing men, women

Spokane has had a lifelong relationship with the military. From the establishment of Fort George Wright in 1899 to the construction of Fairchild Air Force Base in 1942 (originally the Spokane Army Air Depot), the community grew up surrounded by military institutions.

However, with the deep blue sea hundreds of miles away, those who serve or have served in the Navy, Marines, Coast Guard or Merchant Marine might feel forgotten. That’s why retired Lt. Cmdr. Bill Aller, USNR, has made it his mission to preserve the legacy of the seagoing men and women who have served their country.

Ten years ago he founded the Spokane Sea Services Museum. What started as a few display cases in the passageways of the Navy Operational Support Center now occupies a building of its own on the grounds of the Support Center north of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center. But the extensive collection could easily occupy two buildings.

Aller served 26 years in the Naval Reserve. “They retired me,” he said. “I didn’t want to get out.” And no matter where he served he collected photos. Why? “ ’Cause I knew sometime we were going to need a museum,” he said. “My motto is don’t throw anything away.” The uniform he wore when he enlisted in 1943 is proudly displayed.

The museum’s purpose is stated in a brochure found in the entryway. “We collect memorabilia from yesterday, preserve it today, and display it for tomorrow.”

The items from yesterday include a uniform jacket that belonged to the great-grandson of Robert E. Lee and a 110-year-old diary from the Spanish-American War. Assistant curator Mike Webb said the diary belonged to his wife’s grandfather. Recruiting posters fill the walls, including one that reads, “Join the Navy. The Service for Fighting Men.”

A World War II ship’s wheel stands in one corner and an engine room telegraph rests in another. Uniforms from various sea service branches are represented, including a dress white WAVE uniform. “A sorority sister of my wife’s donated it,” Aller said. He added with a mischievous grin, “You know, the Navy was the only branch of the services that allowed women to wear their own underwear (as opposed to government issue).”

Some of the more unusual items are displayed outdoors. A section of a gun barrel from the USS Wisconsin was donated by Whitworth University. According to museum literature, “at 13,000 pounds it is probably the largest sawed-off weapon in Spokane.”

A submarine periscope stretches along the back of the building. Two Coast Guard landing crafts and a 12-man personnel boat command the attention of visitors. And what’s a military museum without weaponry? A huge torpedo rests just outside the building, and inside glass cases filled with sabers and swords invite curious eyes.

Perhaps the collection the museum is most proud of is in the room dedicated to the USS Spokane, a light cruiser launched in 1945. Everything from photos to a life ring to a model of the ship is carefully displayed. The ship was decommissioned in 1950.

Photos of the Spokane Naval Trophy share a prominent spot in this room. The trophy was commissioned 100 years ago by the Spokane Chamber of Commerce and Spokane’s United Spanish War Veterans. Fashioned by local jeweler Leo M. Domberg and crafted out of 400 ounces of sterling silver lined with gold, the trophy’s estimated worth is $4.4 million. The award is housed at Pacific Fleet Headquarters in San Diego, but it made a brief appearance in Spokane in May in conjunction with the Lilac Festival.

Artifacts from more recent times are also exhibited. A stark black and white poster that reads “POW MIA You are not Forgotten” hangs on a wall near Mike Webb’s Navy uniform.

“I was a Navy medic for four years and served 27 years in the Reserves,” he said. Photos of Webb tending patients in Da Nang and maps of Vietnam are on display.

The museum has been the recipient of all kinds of donations. Model planes and ships abound, representing the sophisticated evolution of technology. One of the more unusual donations is a Korean War era surgical light from a MASH unit. It was recently dropped off at the front gate.

The museum, sponsored by the Navy League and staffed by a cadre of friendly volunteers, is opened to the public each Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Webb and Aller hope more folks will stop by and see the treasures they’ve preserved.

“Our history is disappearing,” said Aller. “If we don’t record it, we’re going to regret it.”

Correspondent Cindy Hval can be reached at dchval@juno.com.