Official Twitter of the SS United States Alliance Facebook group. In partnership with the SS United States Preservation Foundation to save the SS United States.
Last week an Okaloosa County official commented about the value for scrapping the SS United States and her removed items during its regular public meeting.
Response from the SS United States Alliance: with this commentary during the Okaloosa County meeting many questions should be asked.
Why would they do this publicly?
Several reasons could be the cause of this, however this is an ongoing theme with Okaloosa County officials where they use sink or scrap as the only alternatives despite other vessels successfully being turned into hotels and museums across the world.
This has led us to conclude several possibilities.
Cost overruns: Alex Fogg requested additional funding for the project despite a timeline of under a year being stated at the beginning of the project. Continued delays only shows the lack of understanding of a vessel this size and the complexity of her remediation. This is unlikely to deter them for the moment as they have announced several partnerships and businesses are organizing dive clubs.
Cost overruns seem the least likely reason to arbitrarily bring this up during a public meeting as the county seems to be determined to dispose of the SS United States for their reefing project.
YOUR fear of scrapping: Okaloosa county and its supporters are attempting to use your passion and love of history against you. They know that you will become unsettled, disgusted and emotional. They are betting on your emotional response to support the reefing project rather than see her scrapped.
Disposal of the vessel would for the average person be no different than scrapping as you would not be able to access her and she will be consumed over decades and collapse during storms.
Why use this tactic?
Because that is their corporate nature. “Support us or we will destroy the foundation of this project.” Okaloosa county is run by wealthy businessmen who are utilizing the classic psychology Corporate America powersuit and other strategies.
Do not fall for it.
Unfortunately trolling private organizations and individuals from elected officials in government seems to be becoming a regular part of American politics so we may be seeing the beginning of that toxic element creeping into Okaloosa County politics.
At least one of the commissioners has personal recreational interests in the diving industry so this could also be a factor.
Okaloosa County is not actively seeking to scrap SS United States at this time however it was mentioned in the meeting that they could scrap “items of historical value.”
Charming.
Is scrapping likely to happen?
There are a number of logical reasons scrapping will most likely not happen.
Should a scrap order be issued it is likely another section 106 review would have to be conducted due to the national registered historic place being destroyed. This would take months which would possibly have to be conducted possibly prior to the bill of sale to a scrap business and the county would have to pay mooring costs further increasing their already revised costs.
Okaloosa county would lose the vast majority of the money they have already spent, lose all their partnerships and would look like fools to their constituents, supporters and would-be tourists.
There is discussion online about the funnels and other items of significance being included in the possible value in scrap. The contract with the Conservancy has the county salvaging the funnels for the Conservancy museum. To the best of our knowledge the Conservancy already owns the funnels and Okaloosa county would not be able to scrap them so including the funnels in a scrap bid makes no sense and would likely lead to a legal challenge from the Conservancy over their contractual obligations in the event the Conservancy does not own the funnels regardless.
So the funnels being included in any scrap bid by the county is extremely unlikely if not impossible.
Okaloosa county continues to state sink or scrap due to preservation being impossibly costly. However the irony in these statements is impossible to ignore.
Okaloosa county is ironically the best owner in recent years to actually preserve SS United States in both funding and connections. They are clearly capable of partnership agreements to reduce costs and utilize organizations to help get to their goal with financial or other means of assistance. The same methods could easily be applied by the county in any alternative preservation effort. They simply choose not to go the preservation route because it is too much work for them to bother with and they are unimaginative beyond artificial reef deployments and the financial incentives associated with them.
Okaloosa county and its employees have made one thing very clear: They do not care about history, they do not care about the environment (Zinc Chromate, lead paint and lion fish), they do not care about you and they barely even flinch at the thought of destruction of historical properties.
So now is the time. Contact your congressional representative by phone or email.
If you do not know your representative you can find them using this linked resource.
https://t.co/RPFXqtQJXl
All of these questions and topics have only one entity that needs to answer them: The Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners.
Demand answers. Demand accountability for destruction for profit. Demand a better solution.
Okaloosa County Board of Commissioners have a choice to make:
Save the SS United States or become the poster child of corporate America in government.
Call Okaloosa County @ 850-689-5050 or use this link to the contact information and send them an email.
https://t.co/CM0ShgkB4x
#rethink the sink
#say NO to Okaloosa County
#OTD 21 April 1942 the unescorted Pipestone County was hit by one torpedo from U-576 about 475 miles east of Cape Henry, VA. They were questioned by the U-boat, which also gave provisions to the men in one of the boats. No Casualties. https://t.co/ZNz2DVo2Qm
Please remember, official announcements regarding the status of the SS United States preservation or disposal will come from the New York Coalition to Preserve the SS United States @Save_SS_US the SS United States Preservation Foundation @SSUSPF488 or Okaloosa County Florida Board of Commissioners.
Random social media groups including the SS United States Alliance are not officials involved in the decision making processes and therefore have no influence beyond advocating for whichever party they support.
@SSUSPF488@Save_SS_US@SSUSAlliance Sinking the United States, a National Register listed vessel isn’t how we honour America’s 250th anniversary
It isn’t preservation, it’s destruction.
It raises serious questions about our nation’s priorities
#RethinkTheSink
So according to random people online the SS United States Preservation Foundation Inc @SSUSPF488 and the SS New York Coalition to Save the SS United States @Save_SS_US would be responsible for scrapping the SS United States which, they do not own and have no ability to authorize? How very logical.
That would be the Okaloosa Board of County Commissioners decision alone.
They can simply choose to save instead of scrap.
Choose to do the right thing and choose to save the SS United States.
We continue to move in a positive direction and look forward to a future of SS United States as a restored, repurposed, publicly accessible and visible, above water attraction in the years to come.
There is less than an hour left, please submit your comments about the SS United States to the US Army Corps of Engineers if you have not done so already. The link is here: https://t.co/TcuoPJ2FNc
Please navigate to the state of Florida section and find public notice # SAJ-1996-03565 titled OKALOOSA CO., BOCC - LAARS - Artificial Reef and submit your comments.
YOU could help save the SS United States!
Stand the SS United States Alliance!
Stand with the SS New York Coalition to Save the SS United States @Save_SS_US
Stand with the SS United States Preservation Foundation Inc @SSUSPF488
The time is now. The US Army Corps of Engineers wants YOUR opinion! If you are all for saving the SS United States, if you are all for saving HISTORY, if you are all for having YOUR VOICE BE HEARD follow the link to the Federal survey about the SS United States. Tell the Corps she is worth saving.
Now is the time time for action, decisiveness and glory! Go now great people who love the SS United States and become part of the story that will save her from the depths!
Dear Supporters,
Public Comment Period Now Open - SS United States
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has initiated a 15-day public comment period as part of its ongoing federal review of the proposed sinking of the SS United States.
This review is being conducted under Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act, which applies to actions affecting historic properties.
The Corps has determined that the vessel remains historically significant and that the proposed action would result in adverse effects.
The public comment period is limited to 15 days and will close on March 28, 2026.
Public input is now being accepted and will be included in the official record before any final decisions are made.
How to submit a comment:
1. Visit: https://t.co/kEL6OzbKI9
2. Under “State,” select Florida (FL)
3. In the search bar, enter: SAJ-1996-03565
4. Click the comment icon next to the notice
5. Complete and submit the form
Every submission becomes part of the federal record.
The future of the SS United States is now open for public input.
As a federally recognized Consulting Party, the SS United States Preservation Foundation Inc. is providing this information to ensure the public has access to and can participate in this process.
We remain fully committed to pursuing all available paths to protect and secure a future for the SS United States.
Thank you for your continued support to preserve history for future generations.
- SS United States Preservation Foundation Inc.
Today we at the Alliance would like to wish our partners and supporters a #MerryChristmas and a happy holidays. Be safe, enjoy your time with your family and friends and tomorrow let’s get back to work! We look forward to see the SS United States above water next Christmas.