VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A nearly 70-foot-long barrel from the retired USS Iowa battleship will be transported to JEB Fort Story in Virginia Beach from an annex in Chesapeake Tuesday night.
The move will save the historic barrel from being scrapped and will honor the USS Iowa veterans that served on the ship during World War 2, the Korean War and the Cold War, the Veteran’s Association of USS Iowa and the Coast Defense Study Group wrote in a news release.
The barrel is nearly 70 feet long and weighs about 120 tons. It will be moved from St. Juliens Creek Annex in Chesapeake and placed next to the historic Old Cape Henry Lighthouse.
The transport is scheduled for 9 p.m. and will require the use of a special heavy-duty trailer to carry the barrel through the streets and highways of Portsmouth, Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
"The movement of this barrel across the Hampton Roads area will be a rare event as the route will involve major roads, such as I-264, I-64, and Pacific Avenue," the organizations wrote.
Once the barrel gets to JEB Fort Story, it will be placed on its concrete foundations on Wednesday. The Navy is planning a dedication ceremony for a later time.
