t>smP NOTES, SEAPORT & MUSEUM NEWS In April 2015, the French replica frigate Hermione will set sail across the Atlantic for the United States, retracing Gen. Lafayette's voyage to America in 1780 to offer France's help in fighting the British during the American War of Independence. The original Hermione was a 34-gun Fren ch Navy Concorde-class frigare, launched in Rochefort, France, in 1779. She sailed wirh a crew of 300 men; rhe modern replica will sail wirh fewer rhan 7 5. Unlike mosr replica ships of today, Hermione is rigged wirh narural fiber sranding and running rigging and linen sails, to march rhe marerials rhe original wo uld have used. The 2015 voyage is meant ro "re-affirm rhe historic relarionship berween rhe Un ired Srares and France." TI1e voyage will srart from the mourh of rhe River Charente, in Port des Barques, where La-
Greece. In 19 5 1 rhe Cold War was well underway and the Srate Department was seeking ways to better have its VOA program ming reach behind rhe Iron Curtain. Drawing upon the VOP.:s early experience wi th shipboard broadcasting, Operation Vagabond was conceived as an effective way to extend the reach of the VOA. The Courier was to be the first of six VOA seabased rransmitters, but budget constraints ended plans for a fleet of such ships and
USCGC Courier flying the balloon that would carry the communications antenna aloft; local children in Rhodes look on.
the Courier wo uld serve this mission alone. Berween 1952 and 1964 the Courier and its crew of 10 officers, 80 enlisted, and 3 VOA engi neers served on the island of Rhodes. Married crew members could be accompanied by their families, creating a small American communiry on the island, including a K-8 "Co urier School." In 1964, with the permission of the Greek government, the VOA established a landbased transmitter faciliry in the village of Afondou on Rhodes, rendering USCGC Courier 's mission obsolete. (USCG Academy Museum, USCG Academy, 3 1 Moh egan Avenue, New London, CT 063 20; Ph. 860 444-851 1; www.cga.edu/ campus.aspx?id=679) ... There was big news this spring out of Philadelphia regarding the historic cruiser USS Olympia, Admiral Dewey's flagship in the 1898 Battle of Manila Bay. Three years ago , the Independence Seaport Museum in Philadelphia announced it could not affo rd to maintain the ship any longer, and a call was put out for other organizations to take over stewardship of the vessel. Two gro ups came forward with both interest and strong plans for the ship (one was in South Carolina, the other in California); each went through a vigorous application process, bur ulrimarely the rransfer rev iew panel felr nei ther co uld
Sea History and the National Maritime Historical Society are on Facebook!
Fayette boarded on 10 March 1780 . The rransAtlantic crossing is expected to take approximately four weeks before making landfall at Yorktown, Virginia. H ermione will then sail up rhe Eastern seaboard, visiting the same ports and sites of battles where the original ship has history. Ports include: Yorktown, Annapolis, Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York, Newport, Boston, and Lunenburg (Nova Scotia). (www. hermione2015.com) ... On 19 June the US Coast Guard Academy Museum in New London, CT, will unveil a new exhibit about USCGC Courier, highlighting its relationship with the Voice of America and the island of Rhodes,
SEA HISTORY 147, SUMMER 2014
The Sea Hisrory Facebook page features news from the maritime heritage community at large, plus musings from the editor of Sea History magazine. It also posrs additional marerial from pasr and upcoming articles in rhe magazine-extra images, information, and feedback from readers and aurhors. "Like" us ar www.facebook.com/ seahistorymagazine. The NMHS Facebook page highlights news from maririme museums, historic and replica ships, archaeology, marine art, naval history, special events and more. Narurally, we sh are NMHS news and upcoming events as well. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ NationalMaritimeHistoricalSociety. The NMHS and Sea H istory Facebook pages are also a grear place to share original pictures of museums, historic ships, and the many grear maririme events around rhe co untry. We only ask that yo u post yo ur own, original photos for wh ich yo u hold copyright ownership. Join in on the conversation! We'd love to h ear from yo u. 41