My Nonprofit Reviews

I'm a history buff and a big fan of WWII museums. I've visited many and in my estimation there is nothing that compares with a visit to The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum, one of the Bay Area's hidden treasures! The legacy of USS Hornet - CVS12 is impressive: The most decorated aircraft carrier in the history of the US Navy, she served faithfully between 1943-1970, ending her career with the recovery of the Apollo 11 and 12 crews. After decommissioning, USS Hornet was saved from the scrap yard by a loyal group of veterans and civic leaders, eventually coming to rest in Alameda, CA as a National and State Historic Landmark. The Museum connects the past with the present, integrating history and science to preserve the past, educate the present, and inspire the future.

Although the ship is now old and the exterior a bit rusty, she shines on the inside thanks to an incredible group of volunteers and talented staff. Dedicated Docents, many of whom proudly still wear their beloved Flight jackets, provide personal tours and share fascinating stories about some of the sailors and pilots who served aboard the Hornet. A talented group of retired engineers work around the clock on the Restoration Crew, refurbishing the inside from top to bottom and from bow to stern (6 decks above, 11 decks below, 872 feet). Retired pilots and air buffs man the Air Group and have meticulously restored numerous WWII planes, jets, and helicopters. Unique interactive exhibits have been created by a professional staff, including numerous artifacts from the Apollo exhibit and a flight simulator, which the kids all love. One of my personal favorites is the exhibit featuring the 442nd Infantry Regiment, displaying the fascinating story of the "Go For Broke" fighting unit composed almost entirely of second-generation American soldiers of Japanese ancestry (Nisei) who fought valiantly in WWII.

For over 15 years, the Museum has offered field trips, overnight live-aboards, and other educational experiences, serving over 73,000 students since 2012 (when STEM programming was launched). The STEM-to-Stern programs combine history, aesthetic and functional design, and STEM to give context to these classroom concepts. Guided by STEM-trained Docents, students explore several areas of the ship that illustrate a wide variety of STEM concepts, participate in exciting demonstrations, and engage in hands-on activities – all while immersed in history. Program formats include day field trips, overnight live-aboards, and soon, a virtual online classroom. In Ship Shape!, the Museum’s daytime STEM program and Night Ops!, the overnight live-aboard experience, students may visit the following stations and learn about the following concepts:
* Boiler and Engine Rooms (energy, thermodynamics, power generation)
* Catapult Room (kinetic/potential energy, hydraulics/pneumatics, mechanics)
* Flight Deck (kinetic/potential energy, aeronautics, optics)
* Bridge (waves, communication, navigation)
* Fo’c’sle (weather, engineering design (“hurricane bow”), simple machines)

One of the major international science and technology themes of 2019 will be the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first humans to land on the moon. The epic Apollo 11 mission, and the daring astronauts who carried it out, will be featured in movies, special TV programs, countless magazine and newspaper articles and will be a mega-trending topic on a wide variety of social media. NASA and the Smithsonian Institution, as well as the US Navy and other major national organizations will all be involved with celebrations. As the largest surviving artifact directly involved with this historic mission, the USS Hornet Museum will be in the national, if not international, spotlight.

Plans are in the works to commemorate the Hornet's recovery of the moon walkers, and their lunar rocks, with a special series of events starting in October 2018 and culminating in July 2019 called Splashdown 50. These include viewing the lunar eclipse from the Flight Deck; an educational evening with the "Women in Space" panel featuring accomplished female astronauts, pilots, and scientists; a "Space Concert" featuring popular movie scores and a laser light show on the Flight Deck; and an alumni reunion of former sailors who served on the Hornet; and much more. It promises to be an exciting time aboard the Hornet, so I encourage you to log on to the Hornet Museum website, save the dates, and book your reservations now for a memorable and enjoyable experience!