Bill Lee  Lives in Monroe North Carolina USA

Samerifan@aol.com

 

Matsonia in May 1947

Good morning, Carol!   Your very nice website was recommended to me by Steve Mulliss.   While my personal interest is the AMERICA /AUSTRALIS, I did enjoy reviewing your efforts to remember 'your' ship, and I wanted to tell you that - plus pass on some little-known historical information about the MONTEREY/MATSONIA/LURLINE/BRITANIS.
 
I was serving an apprenticeship at Newport News Shipbuilding in the latter half of the 1950's, and was privileged to see (and go aboard) MATSONIA when she was there for major conversion work.   Her old 'straight stem' bow was cut off and replaced with a then-more modern 'clipper bow' - which is the way I suppose you remember her.   When I visited her, the interiors had been completely gutted and most of her machinery had been removed for rework in the shops.   After a year of intensive work, she was completely rebuilt and went back into service.
 
Many people questioned why the ship was towed from San Francisco to Virginia, then sailed back to the Pacific for service.   Well, one reason was that in those post war years, the Newport News yard needed work, so they bid aggressively to help keep their people employed.   Another reason was that the extent of work required exceeded the capability of any west coast shipyard.   And, NNS had (and still has) a reputation for doing some of the finest marine work that money can buy - and many of the craftsmen that worked on her interiors had previously worked on the UNITED STATES.
 
I share your feelings that her demise was more fitting than so many others that are ignobly reduced to scrap.   
 
Regards - Bill Lee    

 

Matsonia 1956

Bill Lee – AMERICA’s Unofficial Historian

 

Born within sight of AMERICA’s shipbuilding cradle, Bill attended her launching ceremonies in August, 1939 at the tender age of three. That inspiration, coupled with a childhood of frequent visual and audible memories of her – both as AMERICA and WEST POINT - created the basis for his life-long affection for this former Queen of the American Merchant Marine.

Bill entered the NNS Apprentice School in 1954, just in time to work briefly on the AMERICA a year later when she came to the shipyard for one of her annual voyage repair sessions. On numerous occasions, he was present on a riverfront bluff as the AMERICA came or went to her birthplace. And he was there in 1964 when she sailed away – forever – to begin a new career as Chandris Line’s AUSTRALIS.

By this time, he was completely engaged in work involving navy nuclear propulsion plants for aircraft carriers. Bill considers his greatest achievement during almost 30 years as a shipbuilder being a part of the team that designed the propulsion system for the NIMITZ-class carriers.

A ‘second’ career in activities associated with commercial nuclear power plants and government facilities followed. Retired since 1998 in the Charlotte, NC area, Bill likes to research and write about ships in general; and the AMERICA in particular.

He also communicates with a growing number of people – worldwide - of similar interests and adds periodically to a growing collection of AMERICA memorabilia.

His collection includes many pictures obtained from original sources for Bill by his father, once managing editor of the newspaper in Newport News.

A number of fellow enthusiasts (or amerifans, as Bill likes to call them) consider him to be the unofficial historian of this once-proud and beautiful vessel. He does not disagree.

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