Authored by: C/2LT Elizabeth Rodriguez-Lopez
Photos by: C/2LT Elizabeth Rodriguez-Lopez
On April 3, 2024, the 85th Army JROTC Battalion took a field trip to visit the U.S.S. North Carolina Battleship Memorial and Moore’s Creek National Battlefield. This field trip allowed Cadets to learn new things about the history of the ship while it was in use and what occurred on the battlefield. The U.S.S. North Carolina is a decommissioned World War II battleship, permanently moored as a memorial and historic site in Wilmington, NC on the Cape Fear River. The retired battleship serves as a commemoration of the heroism of U.S. Sailors and Soldiers from North Carolina in World War II. The U.S.S. North Carolina now serves as a floating museum. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1986, under President Ronald Reagan’s Administration.
Cadets were able to tour around the battleship and get to see different parts of it and learn what certain things were used for. Some of the parts toured were the Engine Room, Turret II Barrette, Main Deck, 2nd and 3rd Deck, and more. Also, the battalion was able to eat their lunch in the Wardroom which was a Navy term used back in World War II. Many of these areas had different information that allowed us to learn different things. Something that I took away from this was that the USS North Carolina was considered the “greatest sea weapon in the world” and it had a crew of 2,300 men, with only 10 dead and 67 wounded.
While visiting Moores Creek National Battlefield Cadets walked the trails which lead through the battlefield and across Moore’s Creek. Throughout our walk Cadets gave a short briefing on each monument that we came across to give others a better understanding of what occurred during the battle and why it’s important. Moore’s Creek National Battlefield is a battlefield managed by the U.S. National Park Service. The park commemorates the 1776 victory of a thousand patriots over about eight hundred loyalists at Moore’s Creek. The National Military Park was established on June 2, 1926. The battle of Moore’s Creek marked the first decisive patriot victory of the American Revolution and allowed the Second Continental Congress to move toward independence. Overall, this truly was a captivating trip and it allowed all Cadets to learn something new about the battleship and the battlefield’s remarkable history. The 85th JROTC Battalion is instructed by Major Alexis McClain (Retired) and Sergeant Major Douglas Koser (Retired).