a very current challenge. There has been some reporting by news and other publications, but most of it has been fragmented and with little understanding of th e marine environment. Mr. Sekulich's article had depth and accuracy. HUGH W. SCHWARZ Vineyard H ave n, Massachuserrs
Historic Ships As Artificial Reefs On 27 May, an important hisroric vessel was sunk off Key West, Florida, ro form an artificial reef. The loss of this ship is a ve ry damaging mistake, despite the fact that these "reefs" have been shown tO be highly beneficial ro local sea life. Artificial reefs can do a great deal ro reinforce the natu ral environment of an area by providing a home for underwater animal and plant life. At the present time, numerous derel ict and exhausted ships are laid up or wai ting for the scrap yard. Many of them can be used ro create such a reef for these environmental benefirs, as long as they are not classified as "hazardous m aterial." D espite the environmental benefits of artificial reefs, this was not the intended purpose in the case of the Vanderberg. The
SEA HISTORY 128, AUTUMN 2009
goal was ro create an at traction for scuba divers, with the hope of bringing more of them ro the area. Using such an unusual and famous ship, rather than an old, mundane cargo ship, would, of course, create more interest among di vers and entice more of them ro the area. Sadly, some of the ships which have m et this fate have had hisrorical significance and should have been preserved. One such ship was the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany, sunk in 2006 for the same reason off Pensacola, Florida. Oriskany had served with distinction in the Korean and Vietnam Wars. One pilot who fl ew from her deck in 1967 was John S. M cCain, who would be shot down and taken prisoner. The Vandenberg is now another such a case. The creation of this "reef" for divers led ro the loss of an hisroric ship, one that participated in several significant events. If yo u had seen the ship after 1961, yo u would have seen several large dish antennas that were used for tracking missiles and spacecraft. Before 1961, she had already served an interesting career of hisrorical consequence in her earlier deployments under a different name.
The ship was built as an Army transport ship during WWII as USS General Harry Taylor and carried troops across the Pacific for the war against Japan . Later, the Taylor was transferred ro the Atlantic, where she was used in the post-war relief effort, transporting survivors of the Holocaust from Europe ro the United States. While many relics of the Holocaust have been preserved worldwide, it wo uld seem that most are reminders of the crime itself, rather than the kind reaction of so many, after the fact. In 1961 the ship was acquired by the Air Force and converted ro a Mi ss il e Range Instrumentation Ship, renamed General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, and was used ro track the flights of the American space program. Considering the ship's multiple employm ents and identities, it is a tragedy that it was thrown away ro serve as nothing more than a rourist attraction for scuba divers. We can only hope that this will serve as a lesson ro prevent the wasteful disposal of other such hisrorically significant vessels. EDWARD P. McMoRRow Beverly, Massachusetts
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