USS Tennessee BB-43 World War II Remembrance Museum

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USS Tennessee BB-43 World War II Remembrance Museum

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Official museum of the Battleship USS Tennessee.

Open Saturdays from 10:00-4:00 in 2026 on:
January 17
February 7 & 21
March 7 & 21
April 11 & 25
May 9 & 23
June 13 & 27
July 11 & 25
Aug. 8 & 22
Sept. 12 & 26
Oct. 10 & 24
Nov. 7 & 21
Dec. 5

07/25/2026

Good evening to all!

Apologies for the recent absence of updates /postings from the museum. That isn’t due to lack of activity / interest!

I want to share a recent initiative that the museum is supporting because of the overall impact that it may have on helping to fill in gaps regarding a very significant part of the Big T’s story.

Several weeks ago, we were contacted by the Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS), through the museum’s former historian Mr. Clifton Simmons, regarding a possible collaboration. TBS wanted assistance to produce a documentary surrounding the Kamikaze attack on the Tennessee during the battle of Okinawa. Their inspiration for the story was a recent interview that they conducted with the sister of the Kamikaze pilot and her wishes to extend her deep heartfelt apologies to the families of the officers, sailors, and marines who were lost in that attack. Her recorded interview was shared with us. It was moving, to say the least, to listen to her and know that she had been carrying the burden of this deep regret for over 80 years.

For those who may not be familiar, the USS Tennessee was hit by a kamikaze on April 12, 1945. That attack resulted in the loss of 24 shipmates with another 106 wounded. While the ship was damaged by the attack, it did not force the ship to retire from her assigned fire support assignments. However, the terror of the attack and its aftermath resonated with survivors long after that fateful day.

Knowing that we had foreign visitors coming to the museum, the volunteer staff mobilized to make this a meaningful visit for both TBS and the museum. A field day was conducted to tidy up the outside areas, paint the outside doors, and replace carpet. Museum archives were reviewed to retrieve photos and other primary source documents. The museum’s prior historian, Mr. Clifton Simmons, assisted with oral accounts of the attack and its aftermath. Related museum displays were updated / remounted, and artifacts from the attack made available. Thanks to Linda Byrge, Anne Swanson, Dacy Williams (of the Museum of Scott County), Ben Arnold, and Clifton Simmons for contributing to this important initiative.
The TBS staff conducted multiple interviews of Myself and Ben Arnold, whose grandfather served on the USS Dorsey and was also damaged by a kamikaze at Okinawa.

The museum also has in its possession an artifact of considerable interest and significance. I reflect on it every time that I am at the museum. It is a Japanese prayer flag that was given to soldiers, sailors, marines, pilots as they went off to war. The inscriptions on it are all in Japanese, a language that I don't speak. It has been a mystery to me since opening the museum. I shared this with the TBS crew and requested their assistance in identifying who the flag was presented to in the hopes of locating his family and returning the flag. We have no idea of who acquired the flag and how it came to be in Huntsville, TN. As chance would have it, it appears that he was a member of an Imperial Japanese Navy Kamikaze unit….WOW! I am intrigued to see where this path will lead.

Anyway, the TBS team came to the museum yesterday and it was a full but meaningful day.

Please enjoy the photos of the material improvements that we made and “action shots” of the interviews.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Jeff Swanson, Director

02/06/2026

Good afternoon.

Given the recent weather and poor road conditions in the area, the museum will not be open tomorrow as planned.

We will be open again on February 21st…weather permitting of course.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

Jeff Swanson, Director

01/17/2026

Good evening.
It has been a busy week for the museum.

Wednesday, I was invited to speak at the Chickamauga Daughters of the American Revolution Chapter's organizational meeting. As with all of the DAR Chapters that I have had the privilege to speak to, the Chickamauga chapter was a wonderful host and a great group to spend some time with. Thank you for letting me speak to you about the USS Tennessee and her Memorial Museum. Thank you also for the kind donation.

Yesterday, the museum hosted the NJROTC unit from Laurel County High School in London, KY. 30 students and staff made the trip down to the museum to learn more about the Tennessee, the Pacific War, and their naval heritage. Thank you to their instructor Sean Lindsey for organizing the trip and bringing these wonderful young people, and hopefully future USN personnel, to the museum. Thank you also to Dan Wesner and Jim Boone, both USN veterans and museum volunteers, for coming and making the trip more meaningful for the students.

Finally, the museum starts the 2026 season tomorrow. We will be open from 1000 - 1600, weather permitting of course. This year I plan on focusing each month on one event that occurred during the month in the life of the Tennessee. This month we will look at the Marshall Islands, and the bombardment and occupation of Kwajalein and Eniwetok during the Pacific Island-Hopping Campaign in WWII.

Have a wonderful Weekend.

Jeff Swanson, Director.

12/30/2025

On this day in 1941 the Tennessee arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard for extensive repairs after surviving the attack at Pearl Harbor. After being patched up enough to be seaworthy, she left Pearl Harbor on December 20th in formation with the Maryland and the Pennsylvania, the other two battleships that had not been sunk during the attack.

For the Tennessee, and the country as a whole, 1941's New Years Eve and the prospect of the new year, 1942 was overshadowed by a world war involving the U.S.

Upon arrival at PSNY yard workers immediately started around the clock work to repair the ship and get her back out on patrol. Since December 7th the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy were on an unchecked rampage in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific. The Tennessee was desperately needed to protect Hawaii and the west coast of the U.S. against possible Japanese attack.

Tennessee would leave the yard and return to service on February 26, 1942. Damaged hull plates from the intense fires were all replaced. Stern deck planking was replaced. The stern cage mast was removed. All her portholes were removed and plated over. Turrets 2 and 3 were repaired, main guns replaced, and more anti-aircraft protection added. The ship changed internally as well. Crew size increased to about 1700 from 1200. With that hammocks and division mess areas were replace with stacked racks and central cafeteria style mess. The Tennessee was being transformed to face the new realities of naval warfare.

After over 20 years of service, the USS Tennessee would enter into the service that she was designed and trained for.

Have a safe and wonderful New year.

Jeff Swanson, Director.

12/25/2025

Merry Christmas from the USS Tennessee BB-43 World War II Remembrance Museum!

I thought that I would share the ship's 1921 Christmas program. As a tradition, if the ship was in port, the crew would host a dinner and celebration for area children in the hope of filling them with the Joy and happiness of the season.

Various division areas in the ship would be decorated for the celebration and guests would be entertained by the crew in these festive areas. Not only would this make the day special for guests but it would also raise the spirits of the young crew most of who may never have been away from home on the holidays and some who may never have had been privileged enough to have a Christmas.

On this most blessed of days let us remember those who have served and are serving so that we may celebrate the day with our loved ones and without fear.

Merry Christmas and Happy New year!

12/09/2025

"Yesterday, December 7th, a date which will live in infamy..."

Yesterday merited remembrance and reflection regarding the events that occurred in 1941.

December was also significant in Tennessee's history for other reasons.

During December of 1919, 7 months after she was christened, the Navy commenced a recruiting campaign that was unique in the Navy's history. The national experience of WWI made it difficult to enlist the number of young sailors needed to man the nation's newest and most formidable battleship. So the Navy appealed to the pride and spirit of Tennesseans to crew the ship with men from the proud state. A statewide campaign was launched to recruit enough men from TN to man the mighty ship. The campaign was extremely successful and 6 months later the ship's muster list would be made up of 2/3ds young Tennesseans - fresh out of boot camp. The remainder of the ship's force would be comprised of chiefs and senior enlisted personnel to train the new crew.

December 7th was notable in Tennessee's history for another reason. On December 7th, 1945, four years to the day that she entered WWII, and became the most decorated of all the prewar BBs, she completed her final voyage and entered the yard at Philadelphia ending a distinguished career that spanned more that 25 years. She would enter the "mothball fleet," be decommissioned in 1947 on Valentines day. I am not sure if that was intentional but it is clear that the men who served on her certainly had a deep affection for the old girl. Ultimately Tennessee was scrapped in 1959.

The museum serves as a living memorial to the great ship and her crew.

Have a great evening.

Jeff

12/07/2025

On Sunday morning, December 7, 1941, the U.S.S. Tennessee was moored quietly at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian Territory with other battleships of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

It was a beautiful sunny Hawaiian morning as the sun rose over the harbor. Most officers on the Tennessee were ashore on liberty with family and friends. Enlisted personnel were getting ready to go on liberty, were cleaning up after morning mess, sleeping in their racks, or preparing for morning colors at 0800. For those who remained on board, church service would be held at 1000 in the “A” Division compartment.

Members of the ship’s band were up and preparing for morning colors. Last night they had participated in the “Battle of Music” and competed against bands from the U.S.S. Pennsylvania, Argonne, and Detroit. Pennsylvania would come out on top.

With the Tennessee was the West Virginia (tied up to & outboard of TN’s port side), the Arizona (moored 75 ft astern), the Nevada (astern of the AZ), the Maryland (moored 75 ft forward of TN), the Oklahoma (tied up to MD’s port side), the California (moored near the seaplane base on the same side of Ford Island as the rest of the ships), and finally the Pennsylvania (in the navy yard drydock). On the opposite side of Ford Island was the aging U.S.S. Utah which, no longer assigned to the battle fleet, was being utilized as a training and target ship.

It looked like the beginning of another quiet Hawaiian Sunday morning … but at 0755 life for men on the Tennessee, as well as the rest of America, would change forever.

By the end of that “Infamous” day, Tennessee would lose 6 of her sailors. Another 24 would be wounded. The Arizona would lose 1,177, about 80% of her crew. Utah would be on the bottom of the harbor with 58 of her crew and like the Arizona remains there as a memorial. America would lose 2,403, including 68 civilians.

Tennessee would survive the Pearl Harbor attack. The next day, America would enter WWII and eventually turn the tide of world events…but at a terrible cost.

Let us never forget Pearl Harbor.

11/23/2025

Good morning.

82 years ago the Tennessee was supporting the assault on Tarawa.

On November 20, 1943 at 0515 the Big “T” sounded battle stations and at 0626 hours commenced bombardment of the tiny island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll that would last for 2 ½ hours. At 0645 the landing waves of the 2nd Marine Division headed toward their line of departure and their designated landing areas. Barely 2 miles long and 1/3 mile wide at its widest point, the island was extremely well prepared for an attack and defended by a determined force that numbered more than 4,500. No part of the island was more than 300 yards from the beach and because of its small size, all Japanese defenses could be brought to bear on any landing force. With orders to defend the island to the last man, taking Tarawa would prove to be a sobering reality of the war to come in the Pacific.

Part of the Gilbert Islands, Tarawa had been under British rule until December 9th, 1941, when the Japanese seized the island and started building fortifications and an airstrip. Tarawa and the Gilberts became the first offensive in the U.S. push through the central pacific and the first time that the U.S. faced significant Japanese resistance during landing operations. Tennessee would fire 584 - 14” rounds and 1,631 - 5” rounds over the course of the next 4 days in support of the initial landings and to provide fire support for the Marines on the island as they assaulted fortified enemy positions. Tarawa was secured by November 24, and Tennessee would stay in the vicinity of the atoll until December 3.

Taking Tarawa would be costly and over 1000 marines, sailors and officers would lose their lives and another 2100 would be wounded. Experience from Tarawa showed that the naval bombardment was too short, not heavy enough and not accurate enough. Further, there was too long a break between the break in beach fire and the landings and air support for the marines was badly executed. However, as LG Robert Richardson stated to MG Julian Smith, commander of the 2nd Marine Div., “The lessons learned form our battle on Betio Island will be of greatest value to our future operations.”

He was right.

Let us not forget.

Jeff Swanson, Director.

11/22/2025

With Thanksgiving rapidly approaching, I thought that I would recognize and celebrate the day by reflecting on how the men aboard the ship did and review some of the museum’s related artifacts.

The first is a page from the November 22, 1924, Tennessee Tar. The Tar was the ship’s weekly newspaper. This edition recognized Thanksgiving and discussed the plan of the day for that day. This edition was typical of Tars over the years and included an article about sportsmanship, in preparation for her first smoker (boxing match) against the Colorado. It also shared info about church services, extended congrats to the West Virginia for the number 3 turret earning an “E” during short range battle practice, educated sailors regarding the U.S. Constitution, and ended the page by recommending that crew members “Send the Tar Home: Let the Folks Know the News.”

The next is the 1922 Thanksgiving Day Program and Menu. This was the second Thanksgiving after her commissioning and she would celebrate it in port at San Pedro. The day’s program started with a religious service, followed by Thanksgiving Dinner, and Multiple “Motion Pictures” the rest of the day. The Dinner menu makes me hungry just reading it! On the back is a handwritten note from “Al” (probably sent to someone at home). Note the very faint sketch at the bottom of the back of the program. It is a sketch (by Al?) of the ship’s monogram.

For young men far away from home, some for the very first time in their lives, having a wonderful meal and entertainment would lessen the emptiness that they might be feeling during the holiday season. The ship’s officers made it a priority to remember their crew and keep their spirit and morale high.

Let’s always remember those who have served, and are serving, so that we can give thanks with our families and friends on Thanksgiving Day.

Have a safe and wonderful holiday!
Jeff Swanson, Director

Address

400 Scott High Drive
Huntsville, TN
37756

Telephone

+18656600601

Website

https://www.scottcountymuseum.com/18-sackett-way

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