USS Colorado BB-45 Memorial Activation Museum Ships on the Air Weekend!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 16, 2018


U.S.S. COLORADO BATTLESHIP BB-45 MEMORIAL CLUB, AB0BX, will be activated for the first time for the NJ2BB Museum Ships on the Air Weekend, June 2nd 00:00z-June 3rd 23:59z. The University of Colorado’s University Memorial Center (UMC), will be used as it houses the Veteran's Lounge that features a room dedicated to the U.S.S. Colorado’s BB-45 ship artifacts including the ship wheel, blow horn, ship bells, uniforms, manuals, the ship’s Stars and Stripes flag, several photos of the U.S.S. Colorado BB-45, and a beautiful glass wall dedicated to listing those lost on the ship in battle. “We selected the University of Colorado’s University Memorial Center (UMC) as the school has been a great supporter of persevering the ship’s history”, said Paul Veal, N0AH, the AB0BX U.S.S. Colorado’s club trustee. The Veterans Memorial Lounge, located on the 2nd floor of the UMC next to the Reception Desk, displays dedication plaques memorializing these Colorado veterans and University of Colorado students who died in WWI, WWII, Vietnam, the conflict in Korea, the Persian/Gulf Wars, the conflict in Iraq and the conflict in Afghanistan.“It is a peaceful place to visit, and and we have the support of several local clubs, including financial and equipment support from the Boulder Amateur Radio Club, W0DK, equipment and logistic support from The Grand Mesa Contester Club, KE0LYN, and The University of Colorado, Boulder campus, W0YQ, Student Amateur Radio Club.. “We will have an emphasis on inviting any veteran to be a guest operator, but the public is also welcomed to visit the operation”, states Madisen Purifoy Frie, KE0KCM, the C.U. student amateur radio operator project manager. The University of Colorado’s University Memorial Center is located on campus at 1669 Euclid Avenue (corner of Broadway and Euclid) Boulder, Colorado, 80309. AB0BX will operate on 70 cm-40 meters. Hours of operation will be from Saturday, June 2nd, 2018 from 10 a.m.-7 p.m., MDST (June 2nd 14:00 UTC-June 3rd 01:00 UTC) and on Sunday, June 3rd, 12:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.MDST (June 3rd 18:30 UTC-23:30 UTC). “This is a community effort to promote the ship’s valiant WW II history and promote the school’s UMC’s Veteran Lounge’s ship exhibits” states Veal. The current U.S.S. Colorado (SSN-788) is a nuclear powered United States Navy Virginia-attack submarine commissioned back in March of 2018. QSL information at www.qrz.com under AB0BX. For additional information, contact Paul Veal, AB0BX Club Trustee, at n0ah@arrl.net

N0AH - Club Trustee QSL manager- VIA N0AH $2.00 to cover the cost of the QSL printing and please, a SASE.

Ship History:

The USS Colorado (BB-45) was undergoing an overhaul at the Puget Sound Navy Yard when Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor opened the Pacific War. She was stationed on the U.S. West

Coast from March – August 1942, then steamed west to Pearl Harbor.

From November 1942 to September 1943, she was one of the older battleships deployed to the South Pacific to guard against possible Japanese offensive actions in that area. In

November 1943, Colorado took part in the Tarawa invasion. She supported the landings at Kwajalein and Eniwetok in January and February 1944 and the Marianas operation in June and July.

On July 24, 1944, while bombarding Tinian, she was hit by enemy shore batteries, suffering serious casualties among exposed personnel topside.

The Colorado’s next combat duty was off Leyte in November 1944, where she was hit by two “Kamikaze” suicide planes late in the month. Remaining in the combat zone, she supported the Mindoro invasion in December and the Lingayen Gulf landings in January. During March, April and May 1945, The Colorado’s 16-inch guns bombarded Okinawa in support of U.S. troops ashore.

In August and September 1945, she covered the occupation of Japan, then departed for the United States. In total, 93 men lost their lives aboard the USS Colorado during WWII.

Following transport service in late 1945, she was inactivated. USS Colorado was decommissioned in January 1947.