NORWICH – Members of Boy Scouts of America Troop 63 recently had an opportunity to visit and spend the night at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park, an experience they’ll not soon forget, according to troop leaders.
On November 12, the scouts were able to explore the U.S.S. Little Rock – a WWII guided missile cruiser – including a number of exhibits housed within the ship. In addition, they ate meals on board and bunked down in the same bed racks used by American sailors decades ago, said Troop 63 Scoutmaster Dan Pfeifer.
He added that, “Overall, it was a very educational and enjoyable experience.”
The park is also home to the U.S.S. The Sullivans, a WWII destroyer, and the U.S.S. Croaker, a WWII submarine, both of which the scouts had a chance to tour, said Pfeifer, as well as a separate museum located on park grounds. A number of other Boy Scout troops and youth groups also participated in the expedition, he added.
The U.S.S. Little Rock – originally launched and commissionied in August of 1944 and June of 1945 respectively – was converted into a guided missile cruiser in 1957, according to usslittlerock.org. It was re-commissioned in 1960 and – over the next sixteen years – would “distinguish herself as a peacetime naval vessel,” according to historians. The ship was decommissioned and stricken in 1976 and arrived at the Buffalo Naval and Military Park in 1977.
“I think they got a good appreciation of how life was on the ship ... it has all kinds of displays set up and it’s like a museum, really,” said Pfeifer. “It was pretty cool, sleeping on the ship, and I think we all got a lot out of it. It was a neat trip.”