Dear SS United States Conservancy Members and Supporters:
The
SS United States Conservancy has learned that the SS UNITED STATES will
soon be listed for sale. The SS UNITED STATES was purchased by
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in 2003, and ownership of the vessel was
recently transferred to a holding company controlled by NCL's parent
company, Hong Kong-based Star Cruises. In light of current economic
conditions, the SS UNITED STATES is now in grave danger of being sold
for scrap. The Conservancy's press release related to the impending sale of the ship is available
here.
The American-built SS UNITED STATES shattered all trans-Atlantic
speed records on her maiden voyage in 1952 and remains the fastest
passenger liner ever built. She was listed on the National Register of
Historic Places before attaining 50 years of age because of her
"compelling national significance." The SS UNITED STATES must be saved
for future generations. We believe that a project to restore and
revitalize the SS UNITED STATES could create thousands of jobs and help
stimulate the economy in these challenging times as well as preserve one of the world's finest engineering achievements.
While the SS United States Conservancy has been working
diligently behind the scenes to secure a future home and reuse for the
ship, we have been continually hindered by the fact that the vessel
remains privately owned. If we are
going to succeed in saving the SS UNITED STATES for future generations,
we need all hands on deck. The Conservancy is
launching a major public education and outreach campaign and we need
your help!
- Reach out to Congress! We urge all supporters to
contact their members of Congress by visiting our website's new "Take Action" page at www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org. Congress needs to act to prevent our national flagship
from being sold for scrap. On our website you will find text for a
letter to your Senators and Representatives which can be copied and
pasted into an email or snail mail letter, as well as instructions for
how to obtain contact information for your elected officials.
- Reach
out to the Media! Write a "letter to the editor" of your local
newspaper! Post a blog entry on one of your favorite sites! Pitch a
story to a media outlet! Educate the press on the historical
significance of the SS UNITED STATES! Contact your local PBS affiliate
and suggest that they re-broadcast the documentary film "SS UNITED STATES: Lady in Waiting."
- Reach out to Friends, Neighbors, and
Colleagues! Pass on the word to everyone you know that the SS UNITED
STATES is in danger of being sent to the breakers. We need to
join forces with local maritime unions, port authorities, civic
organizations, and other constituencies to bolster our base of
support for saving the ship. Reach out to everyone you know and enlist
their support!
The Conservancy will continue to recruit
potential public and private sector partners to secure a
dignified and sustainable future for the SS UNITED STATES. During this period of high alert, the Conservancy has launched an SOS "
Blog" on our website where we will post updates about the ship's status as they
become available. Please visit our website at
www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.org and click on "
Blog" to visit. We invite you to share your views.
Time is of the essence. Our nation's flagship
is once again facing the ignoble fate of the breakers' torches. We
must act now, we must act together, and we must save the SS UNITED
STATES.
As always, thank you for your support of the SS UNITED STATES.
Board of Directors
SS United States Conservancy
www.ssunitedstatesconservancy.orgPhone (888) 488-7787