When I got to my first duty station in Norfolk after boot camp, the first ship I ever laid eyes on was the Iowa. What an impressive ship. I am since retired and it always left a bad taste in my mouth how the NAVY immediately looked to blame someone and rushed an "investigation" to come to the conclusion  they did.

Awesome video!  Thanks!  My father served in the Navy in the Pacific Theater in WW2 on two different light cruisers (CL-8 & CL-65).  He told me that he always felt safer when one of the Iowa class battleships was in sight because of their enormous firepower.
As a young boy in the 1960s, the first Revell model I built was the USS Iowa.  A few years ago I had the privilege of touring the Iowa in San Pedro, CA, which was a lifelong dream of mine fulfilled!
Many thanks to all the men who have served on her & the personnel that keep her memory physically alive today for people to visit a piece of history!  Bravo Zulu to all of you!

youtube putting ads on this is diabolical

I visited the ship 3 years ago, it looked in good shape.

Great video.  I've visited six of the eight floating US battleships.  The Iowa is in great shape and the museum staff at top-notch.

For what it's worth, I remember that turret explosion, and the men who served there, and honour their memory.

I had the privilege to attend a cocktail reception during the Kiel Week 1989 as a German Navy Officer on board of the USS Iowa while I was stationed at the Kiel Naval Base, Germany. Three years ago I visited the USS Iowa together with my daughter as a German Navy veteran the Iowa again in Los Angeles. Still impressed and always welcomed. Nice conversations about the „old times“ having served in different Navy’s together. Love to visit this beautiful ship again.😊

My father was drafted following pearl harbor. I miss my father so much !!!

My dream was always to get orders to one of the Iowa class BB's. I served for 20 years and the largest ship that I served on was a Belknap class DLG/CG. After that I became a tin can sailor, couldn't break away from it. My last tour of duty was at Assault Craft Unit two in Norfolk, VA. Turned out to be the best tour of duty of the 20 years. Today, Every ship that I served on has either been part of a SINKEX or scrapped except one, the USS Kauffman FFG 59. She is currently languishing away in Phildelphia as part of the mothball fleet. Even the shore duty stations that I served at are gone or have been moved to another location. All victims of the BRAC program. I can never go back to visit any of them.

My grandfather was one of the electricians who wired up the Iowa when it was built at the Brooklyn Navy Yard.  He would always tell me stories as a kid about working on the Iowa!

I drank a beer or two at Duke's in Waikiki, Honolulu, Hawaii and watched as the USS Missouri arrived to her home at Pearl Harbor. The tugs pulled her in an oval past the most highly populated city in Hawaii, so I got to see her go by three times, albeit not under her own power. I saw her later from ground and air levels once she was moored. The Iowa class ships were truly amazing.

I knew a veteran from Ellwood City, PA named Leo Sicard whose job was to help lift President Roosevelt in and out of his wheelchair while he was on the ship. He claimed that he still had back problems because of that service.

Went on board USS Iowa when she called at Portsmouth, U.K. in the late 80’s.   As I had assembled a kit model of her when I was a kid this was a dream come true. 😊

I have visited two of the fast battleships, the North Carolina and the Alabama.
The late 1930's-1940's technology of these ships is still quite impressive over 80 years later.

THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS, PBS IOWA!!! ❤

I got off Iowa 1 week to the day that the explosion happened. Lost 47 shipmates that day.

I was on a tour of the SS Iowa about 10 years ago. They said the cause of the accident was they had overrahammed the powder into the barrel which would have caused ignition and a terrible explosion. It was an accident that I am surprised didn't happen a lot sooner

I had the Honor to serve on not only the Iowa , but during Desert Storm  I served alongside my brothe Dan on board the Wisconsin.  Awesome ships

My dad served on the USS Iowa during WWII.

I was a QM1(SW) on board when we recommissioned the Statue of Liberty. It was my last trip before moving on to another ship. I was the navigation plot for most of the trip down the Hudson with President Reagan and that night we got to watch the Beach Boys perform on Turret Three. It was a hell of a ship. I also took it through the Panama Canal each way in 1984 or 1985. We took on fuel coming back from the canal and in one day we took on over 3,000,000 gallons of fuel. I loved the ship and the crew. We were pretty tight.