Save the Olympia

Olympia

What shall be done with such a mass of floating steel?

Should she be sunk to become another ocean meal?

For though she belongs to us, we belong to her.

And if they say she should be scrapped, I cannot concur

For across the seas and in the enemy's grasp, she sailed to them and let loose her mighty blast.

And when this cruiser at last avenged the Maine, she sailed herself and America onto better fame.

And when she brought our last soldier home in the fall of '21, this great deed, we all know, did not go unsung

And when our children ask, where is this brave ship now, will we tell them where and will we tell them how?

Even though she survived her wars, the enemy sinking her not.

Is it our American duty just to let her rot?

And though you may sink her, or tear her up for scrap, you will not destroy her legacy or find it in that trap.

And posterity will read of her and think of her with pride. Will they see her at the wharf, as Philadelphia pride?

- Anthony P. Blasi, 2011

"A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the surest guaranty of peace."

                                                  - President Theodore Roosevelt, 2 December 1902, second annual message to Congress.

AUBURN, Maine - Anthony's passion for ships and boats began when he cast his oversized plastic vessels into the sea and watched them being tossed about by large waves at various beaches across New England.

He would study the toy ocean-going vessels being pummeled by breaking waves at Popham and Revere beaches. This 4 year old found it fascinating as the ocean's force capsized his fleet over and over again. He would marvel at how some of his boats would slowly sink to the bottom of the raging waters. 

Although he was still fascinated with cars, planes and trains, Anthony was eventually consumed by his passion for ships and the sea itself.

The years would pass, but his fascination of ships, particularly naval vessels, grew as well as his love of the ocean and all its sweet mysteries.

He began reading book after book about sailing ships and then set his sights on the world's navies and their amazing and destructive warships. The introduction of ironclads and the construction dreadnoughts between 1870 and 1920 fueled his passion to learn more about these behemoths and their deadly force.

Anthony also embarked on building his own fleet of Lego and plastic model warships, organizing battles between these toy fleets on our parlor floor. He would bring his Lego ships to the ocean and navigate the vessels on the tranquil seas as parents gathered to watch this young man let his fleet loose upon the world's oceans.

During our visits to the waterfront in Portland, we visited the U.S. Coast Guard's training ship, "Eagle," which was a Nazi vessel that America received for war reparations. We have seen huge cruise ships and toured the U.S.S. Cassin Young and the U.S. Constitution in Boston.

But his particular interest in dreadnoughts steered him to great warships like the Cruiser Olympia, which was Admiral Dewey's flagship during the Battle of Manila Bay in the Spanish American War and also saw action during World War I. He created the Olympia out of Legos and sailed his toy masterpiece in pools and on the high seas.

He was astounded to learn that this great ship with a storied history was in danger of being scrapped because of a poor economy and lack of funds to preserve the Olympia.

His disgust prompted him to write a poem entitle "Olympia" about her uncertain fate for a classroom project. 

I am forwarding this article to the Independence Seacoast Museum in Philadelphia to demonstrate our support for this great ship.

The Olympia is a wonderful piece of American history, and it would be a travesty to see this great ship drift into obscurity without a fight to save her from the scrap heap.

Model behavior

Anthony looks over his creations, including a wooden plane I built for him when he as six.

Anthony displays his latest model, the U.S. Navy's Avenger

AUBURN, Maine - It is that hands-on-experience that makes this hobby more appealing and educational than any video game on the market.

For this family, the WEE is not for us, and video games are as enjoyable as watching me weed the garden or sweeping the driveway. Spending hours in front of a computer screen knocking off bad guys or shooting a basketball with the push of button really isn't entertaining for a family who would rather walk the beach or hike a small mountain.

Putting together the Titanic, the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Enterprise or adding the finishing touches to the turret of a Sherman tank is an incredible learning experience for a child who wants to know how things work and how these magnificent machines have changed the entire planet and interact with mankind.

This unique hobby allows anyone to build a ship, plane or muscle car on a kitchen table in the privacy of their own home. And when these projects come to fruition, the proud and industrious creators of these plastic or wooden wonders end up learning about history as well as how each part of an automobile or plane functions.

Building plastic or wooden models require brains, patience, engineuity and resourcefulness, and all four prerequisites can be taught to your child for the cost of glue and a model. 

The only educational toys that come close to building a model of the Hindenburg are Legos or Erector sets, and my son is a master builder of ships using Legos. 

A WORK IN PROGRESS: The Nantucket takes shape.

For us, video games are a straight waste of our time, but building a model with my precious son is a rewarding experience that enlightens us and gives a father and son an opportunity to work together on a project that involves a great deal of creativity and teamwork.

All work and all play

While the winter winds howl outside and we are forced to spend most of time indoors taking cover from the elements, my son is working on three models,  which include the Avenger, the U.S. Navy's World War II vintage torpedo bomber, the lightship "Nantucket" and the U.S.S. Oliver Hazard Perry, a guided missile frigate.

We have just finished spray painting parts to the Avenger and the Nantucket. The Avenger, in all its deadly splendor, was completed today.

But models are not cheap, and the purchase of large-scale and intricate behemoths that are sometimes motorized can run well over a $100, and if painting and batteries are required, then it really puts the hurt in your wallet. The U.S.S. Melvin has a complicated motor and is about three feet long and cost nearly $100, but we purchased it for far less at a discount store.

Building the wooden planes and ships that I have done in the past for my son certainly put my woodworking skills to the test, but the love that went into those projects were for a son who enjoys learning and is an outstanding student, and that is why there is no comparison when it comes to model-making or video games.

Anthony's boat clock he built in tech lab.

Anthony and I started making models (our first was a 1930s pick-up truck) when he was just five years old, and about four years later, he completed a model of the Titanic,which is difficult for an adult, never a mind a 9 year old.

He was hooked after completing his first model, and video games never became a priority in life. Thanks to his making of model ships, he has become an authority on naval crafts dating as far back as the 1500s. 

A majority of Anthony's knowledge about navy ships and warplanes was ascertained from building models, books and the Internet.

So much for video games.