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Sunday Morning News

Effort Under Way to Save Heroic WWII Ship from Scrap Heap

Aired May 21, 2000 - 9:33 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

MILES O'BRIEN, CNN ANCHOR: Across America time. December 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy, the incredible events of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor have been told and retold countless times since.

KYRA PHILLIPS, CNN ANCHOR: But one story you may not have heard of is that of the humble little tugboat, the U.S.S. Hoga.

CNN's Larry Woods takes us Across America to the West Coast, where the Hoga is facing an uncertain future.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

LARRY WOODS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): In Suisun Bay, 75 miles north of Oakland, California, an aging armada, once part of the Navy's arsenal in World War II, lies quietly off shore, tied side by side like giant toys in a shallow pond. Nestled among the hulks of steel is the 60-year-old tugboat, the USS Hoga, the only naval vessel still afloat that survived the attack on Pearl Harbor.

On that infamous morning of December 7, 1941, the 100-foot long Hoga and her crew of 10 raced to the aid of badly damaged and burning ships clogging Battleship Row. In addition to saving numerous lives, historians credit the Hoga with helping to save the remaining fleet by pushing the sinking USS Nevada out of the main channel, thus allowing many ships to escape the Japanese attack.

After the war, the Hoga was leased to the Port of Oakland, where she served as a fireboat until forced into retirement in 1993.

Now, with rust threatening her hull and exterior and time an unfriendly factor, there is growing sentiment to save the tiny tug as a national relic.

(on camera): Like a lot of vessels anchored here in this bay, many with badges of historical honor, the Hoga can make a strong case for restoration. But it's going to take a lot of money and a lot of work.

DON DUNN, FORMER NAVY OFFICER: It's not in that bad of condition. I mean, I'd be willing to bet that the majority of this equipment operates.

WOODS (voice-over): Navy veteran Don Dunn, who's assigned to the mothballed fleet, gave us a tour of the old tug, often using only a flashlight to find our way below deck and in the steering room.

I was curious if he had any attachment to the old ghost ships like the Hoga.

(on camera): Is something like this worth restoring?

DUNN: Well, it's history, you know. I think history's important to keep in mind and have out in front of you, so it doesn't happen again, you know. Wouldn't take much to get the engine room fired up and everything, because when they lay them up, in most cases everything's ready to go.

WOODS: In nearby Sausalito, Bob Yates, who served six years in the Pacific aboard the tug USS Molala, uses his office as president of the National Association of Fleet Tugboat Sailors to advocate saving the Hoga.

BOB YATES, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FLEET TUGBOAT SAILORS: Two or three months ago, I was talking to a child, a teenager, and he didn't know what December 7th was, never heard of it. And I don't blame him. I blame his teacher and I blame his parents for not telling him, you know, teaching him what it was, where it was.

WOODS: Yates, spry and salty at 82, lives with his wife Pat aboard a small craft docked in Sausalito Bay. Together, they publish monthly "The Towline," a small booklet dealing with past and present naval interests. He said preserving the Hoga would also acknowledge a vital role tugboat sailors fulfilled in World War II.

(on camera): Why is it important that we should try to save this ship?

YATES: For posterity, for our grandchildren.

WOODS (voice-over): He said preserving the Hoga would also acknowledge the vital role tugboat sailors fulfilled in World War II.

YATES: We have a saying that -- I don't know if I can say it on the air or not -- but we saved their ass when they got in trouble. And we did.

RON GRAHAM, RETIRED FIREMAN: Nineteen years on the fireboat, 13 years as a pilot of the fireboat.

WOODS (on camera): On the fireboat.

GRAHAM: Thirteen years as pilot of the fireboat.

WOODS (voice-over): For sentimental reasons and for the love of the little boat that could, retired Oakland fireman Ron Graham wants the Hoga restored, too. Graham has 19 years of memories invested in the tug, and 13 as pilot of the boat when it was attached to the Oakland Fire Department.

It wasn't all smoke and fire. When the queen of England visited the Bay Area and was greeted by President Reagan, Graham and crew sprayed their voice of approval.

At big regattas, the tug would stand by in case of accidents. When Joe McManus, original skipper of the Hoga, came aboard a few years ago, Graham played host and admirer.

The ex-fireman said Oakland authorities have occasionally discussed restoring the tug, but the estimated $2 million needed for the project has never materialized. So where should the tug be located if it is restored?

GRAHAM: My belief as well as my fellow firefighters that worked on it, we all feel it should be over in Pearl Harbor near the Arizona.

WOODS: And what better place than the hallowed waters of Hawaii for the Hoga to stand vigil over the mighty warships and the men it tried so valiantly to save 58 years ago.

Larry Woods, CNN, "Across America."

(END VIDEOTAPE)

PHILLIPS: And Larry joins us now to talk about the story. Wow.

WOODS: Hoga is something else, (UNINTELLIGIBLE). We -- it's a great mark in naval history, in World War II history, and historians and old Navy guys will tell you, had that little old -- By the way, it's called -- they called it a yard dog, (UNINTELLIGIBLE), it just had -- it had...

O'BRIEN: Affectionately, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

WOODS: ... no prestige at all, you know, the little yard dog would move around. But it -- had it not moved the Nevada out of the channel, the channel right there in Pearl Harbor would have been blocked. And, of course, that's what the enemy wanted at that time, to block that channel. All the ships that were trying to get out of there, get into open sea and scatter, they couldn't have got out of there -- gotten away.

That was a very critical little moment. And, you know, it's one of those things in history we tend to forget. That's its fame to claim. (UNINTELLIGIBLE)...

O'BRIEN: You know -- we know what you mean. But as far as a tugboat, tugboats, let's face it, have image problems. When it comes time to, you know, send in the checks, and you've got a choice of helping preserve the Missouri or the Hoga, you know, what are you going to do?

WOODS: Well, it was exactly what happened last year in Hawaii. They were raising money to bring the Missouri there, to dock it and keep it there, and there was a group of businessmen and citizens, they were competing against the Missouri, and they only raised $5,000.

But, I mean, when you go up against something like that, you know, it's going to get lost in the shuffle. And that's one of their problems. You know, the -- you know, tugs -- tugs are the working class, they're blue-collar workhorses of the Navy, you know, and there's not a lot of pizzazz to them, except in this case. This -- these guys that were on the "Hoga," and its role, you know, deserves a lot of attention, close attention, closer attention, I should say.

PHILLIPS: Well, couldn't the Navy do anything more?

WOODS: Well, I think the Navy's doing everything they can, by the way there (ph). They -- they're saying, Here, we'll give it to you, you know. They have given away, since World War II, I think, something like 50 ships, you know, around the country. So they're doing their part, but they can't give it to somebody like Fort Lauderdale or New York City or Seattle and say, We'll also restore it. It's going to have to -- it's going to have to be handled in a private manner.

And there, I think, is the key to the future of the "Hoga." It's going to have to take someone that knows how to raise money, that will give it a year-long effort, that maybe has a little political clout at the Pentagon or with the Navy, say, Look, fellows, we've got to save this one. This is the last one, you know.

And when you start making it a nationwide effort, you can raise $2 million pretty fast, I would think.

O'BRIEN: Well, maybe it's started right here, Larry Woods.

PHILLIPS: A millionaire is going to call and say...

O'BRIEN: He or she could be listening.

PHILLIPS: ... I'm stepping in.

WOODS: Well, that'd be nice. I'm sure the family of the Hoga would like that, you know.

O'BRIEN: All right.

PHILLIPS: Thanks, Larry.

O'BRIEN: Good to see you, as always.

WOODS: All right.

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