The following three photographs of the USS Missouri were taken on 26 May 1998 (by my friend and fellow model railroader Verle Solinger of Kelso, Washington) as the "Mighty Mo" entered the mouth of the Columbia River approximately 6 miles west of the docks at Astoria, Oregon. In Astoria, she was to dock for a week so the fresh water would eat away the organic growth that had accumulated on the hull. From Astoria, being pulled by the tug Sea Victory out of Seattle, the USS Missouri began her final voyage to Pearl Harbor on 2 June 1998. The journey will take about 22 days. (Note: If you place your mouse on each of the photographs shown on these pages, click the right mouse button to bring up the image menu, then click on 'view image', you will get the full size view of all of the pictures. I mention this now because the view of the jetty in this photograph can be seen much better on the full size view of this picture.)
The small dark images along the water line about 1 1/2 inches directly in front of the USS Missouri, is the west end (beginning) of the jetty at the mouth of the Columbia River on the Oregon side at Ft. Stevens State Park.
The jetty is more visible now. Just above the bow (front of the ship) is a helicopter and probably belonged to one of the Portland television stations that was covering the arrival at the Port of Astoria on 26 May. The other small images in the water are what Verle thought were Coast Guard vessels. Verle took these three pictures from the north jetty at Ft. Canby State Park on the Washington side of the Columbia River. From where he was standing on the north jetty, the USS Missouri was approximately a half mile away. From the north jetty to the south jetty is right at two miles.
Now passed the jetty, the USS Missouri is well on her way to the Port of Astoria. She was two minutes ahead of schedule. At five miles per hour (in land lover's language), the Missouri was still about two and a half hours out from Astoria.
Page 2
Return to Previous Page