JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The USS Orleck Naval Museum is now officially open for business after officials cut the ribbon Saturday morning on a project 18 months and countless hours in the making.
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The museum honors an important piece of naval history, with over a dozen different exhibits displaying historical artifacts from throughout World War Two, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War.
“It really goes back to the end of World War 2,” explained Navy veteran Tim Equels. “And then in Korea, the ship was famous for its gunnery. They would call it the train buster. It would go up off the coast of North Korea and South Korea and shoot trains.”
Equels was a crew member on the USS Orleck over 40 years ago, serving first as a gunnery officer on board all the way back in 1977.
Equels told Action News Jax Saturday that being back on board certainly brings many memories, as well as excitement for the future of the ship ahead in Jacksonville’s shipyards - serving as a much-needed remembrance to all who served aboard.
“There’s a lot of people that spent a lot of time and sacrificed their whole, in some cases their life to defend our country,” Equels explained. “So this is part of that.”
With MOSH set to find its home along Jacksonville’s Northbank in the years to come, as well as the Jacksonville Fire Museum, this vital piece of naval history also serves as just a preview of what’s to come, in the historic revitalization of downtown Jacksonville.
“Once they get the fire museum up, you’ll see Jacksonville history from 1902 to the present, and then MOSH,” explained USS Orleck president Daniel Beam. “MOSH can’t get over here quick enough for us to get the shipyards really going to where it should be for a city of this size.”
More information on the museum’s hours and ticket prices can be found HERE.
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