DOOR COUNTY (NBC 26) — Back in July, NBC 26 covered the USS Silversides receiving much needed dry dock repairs at Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding in Sturgeon Bay. Now, the vessel is headed back to its home in Muskegon, Mich.
"It's time to bring her home," USS Silversides Museum executive director Veronica Campbell said.
For three months, Fincantieri gave this historic warship some tender loving care.
The Silversides is a Gato-class submarine, just like the USS Cobia. Like the Cobia, the Silversides has a distinguished war record, having sunk 23 Japanese ships during World War II.
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"It's now in excellent condition thanks to the dry dock preservation project," Campbell said.
This included bringing the vessel on land, where maintenance was done in the lower parts and underneath the ship. It was the vessel's first dry dock repairs since 1954.
Campbell says that she is ready for the ship to return home to Michigan.
"It will be nice, being able to to share her history again, and share the actual immersive experience that she offers with our guests," Campbell said on having the Silversides back home. "Just being able to show her off now that we've completed this major project."
As Campbell readies for the USS Silversides' return, some Sturgeon Bay neighbors reflect on the vessel's time in the city.
This includes Laura Wodzinski, who watched the ship leave from Graham Park.
"It's amazing what they can do here in Sturgeon Bay at the shipyards," she said on Fincantieri's work preserving the vessel. "Those guys are great workers and great employees. It's been wonderful."
For Door County Maritime Museum curator and exhibits manager Kay Dragan, the World War II's time in Sturgeon Bay added to the city's maritime heritage.
"Maritime history around here is extremely important," Dragan said. "So, (when) we see another World War II coming in, we see it like an old man coming home."
Campbell says that the Silversides should arrive back home by Saturday morning. She also says that the museum is about $200,000 away from reaching their fundraising total in the Silversides Dry Dock Preservation Project, which helps cover the repairs' expenses. You can donate on the museum's website.
