Small Town Memories

A couple of fond memories from ”the good old days.”

Bath is a small Downeast town of about 8,500 hearty and sometimes salty ”Mainahs.” Nestled near the mouth of the Kennebec River, it is known for its long and distinguished shipbuilding tradition. Bath Iron Works, Maine’s largest employer, has been making ships there for the U.S. Navy for over a hundred years.

With such a rich history Bath has had its fair share of notable events. However, for me, two stand above the rest.

The first took place in the early fall of 1976. Bath Iron Works or just BIW to locals, had recently completed the Oliver Hazard Perry, a Navy frigate. When the launch day arrived in late September, a large crowd, as well as the usual naval and shipbuilding dignitaries, gathered for the ceremony. However, when the captain’s wife broke the champagne bottle over the bow, nothing happened. The ship didn’t budge. Not knowing what to do, the officials put a call out to the crowd to see if there were any strong men who could help. For a moment, everyone just looked at each other. Then one tall, rugged man stood up. He walked over to the boat and pushed with all his might. With that, the ship quickly slid down the slipway into the water. And that’s how John Wayne saved the day!