SS Independence Day - June 2010

I believe I sailed on the SS Independence more times than I did on the Constitution her sister ship. So it is fitting that I now report to you the sad details of the final end of the Independence in June of 2010. She didn't slip beneath the waves as her sister ship the Constitution did in a dignified manner. The SS Independence broke apart on a sandbar in Indian waters where she was languishing waiting to be used as scrap metal. In the picture above you will see the Independence in her pristine prime but below you will see some disturbing images of her undignified, ugly end so don't look if you cannot bear it. Maybe just sneak a peek through clenched eyes if that will help.

One of my strongest memories of the ship was when I was little more than eight or nine years old.  I had gotten separated from my two brothers and father who accompanied me on the sea voyage back to Morocco and I found myself lost on the big ship. I somehow ended up near the bridge.  I tearfully asked a man standing with his back to me for his help. He was a kind man with Captains stripes on his sleeves who asked me what my name was and he told me not to cry.  But I couldn't help but cry so he asked me if I would feel better if he let me drive the ship. Instantly I brightened up and said YES sir I would like that very much.

 He led me onto the bridge which was a large open room with big windows covering the entire front. There were no seats in the big room which I thought was strange. There were at least five other men spread out around the room just standing stiffly in one place.  The captain led me by the hand over to the ship’s wheel known as the helm.  He ordered the helmsman out of the way and he placed my small hands on the brass wheel which was much larger than a car’s steering wheel. The big wheel felt cold and I could feel a slight vibration running through it.  The captain said to me “you can turn it if you want to” so I turned it to the right slightly but nothing happened. “Turn it some more!” I was excited so I quickly spun it one whole revolution to the right and this time I felt movement. I felt the room sway slightly and the floor tilted towards the left, and simultaneously a bell rang twice. The captain burst out laughing making a sound like a braying donkey that frightened me. He grasped me by my shoulders to pull me away from the wheel but my hands were frozen to the wheel. He tugged harder and said “let it go you little ship wrecker," and laughed his terrible laugh again.  It was too much for me, I suddenly bolted for the door to run away.  One of the men reached for me but the captain said “let him go, he’ll not soon forget this little adventure if I dare say so.” 

He was wrong. I did forget about the incident, but on purpose. I suppressed this memory and it was only after seeing the photographs below 40 or more years after that experience that the memory resurfaced.  When I saw the ship of my dreams sinking beneath the waves my frightening experience on the bridge of the Independence rose from out of the depths of my psyche. How appropriate, the ship sank and my memories surfaced.

If anyone has any sea stories to share with me and with each other about either the Independence or the Constitution please feel free to do so, I’d love to hear about it. 

Very truly yours,

Joseph R. Hammond