George Bancroft Sail

USS GEORGE BANCROFT SSBN-643
SAIL EXHIBIT DEDICATION APRIL 2000

(click on picture to see full size)

USS GEORGE BANCROFT SAIL EXHIBIT was dedicated with a very outstanding ceremony on 7 April 2002. Kings Bay Subase conducted a very emotional ceremony for the George Bancroft Dedication & Submarine Force Centennial Ceremony. If you missed it, you missed a very wonderful service. Over 1,500 attended the event. I believe we had over 100 crew members attending the dedication, social room & crew reunion, plus many of their families. Cumberland Island Inn & Suites provided the center of operations for the crew. Many stayed at this hotel, some starting Wednesday till Sunday. We had a very good time meeting the crew for the first time, and believe they had a very good time attending the weekend events. I can assure no one went home Saturday night hungry.

USS GEORGE BANCROFT SSBN 643 ASSOCIATION

Ahoy Shipmate!! The first newsletter of the USS GEORGE BANCROFT SSBN 643 ASSOCIATION is now out. Check out the association's official web page at http://www.ssbn643.org/. Log onto that site and you can read the latest info about the next ship's reunion. They have collected over 1,500 names of former crewmembers and are looking for the rest. In later issues you will also find a list of those veterans magazines that are listing info about our reunion. The next reunion will be in April 2007 in Cocoa Beach, Florida. Registration form is now on the web page. Expect a few, if not all, of them will come visit their sail exhibit. Enjoy!

Bill Badalucca
Secretary, USS GEORGE BANCROFT ASSOCIATION
email: ncbill@earthlink.net

KINGS BAY SUBASE has started the next addition to the George Bancroft Sail Exhibit. For those who remember there is a security building at the Franklin Gate. It will be still be security and in the lobby area there will be an indoor display area. The Museum will be responsible for installing the displays, which means we get to pay for the displays. We still have some money left over in the exhibit restricted fund. We have discovered four foundations that may want to help support us.

HOW TO GET TO THE ST. MARYS SUBMARINE MUSEUM. From the George Bancroft Sail Exhibit parking lot. Turn left onto Spur 40, Charlie Smith Sr. Highway. Go the red light at the Shopping Center, Route 40. Turn left on to Route 40 and go to the end of Osborne St. in Historic St. Marys. The road ends at the St. Marys River. Turn right & park the car. We are the second building on the right & the only building with a submarine periscope sticking out the roof. Though we don't have a submarine on public display we are one of the largest submarine museums in the country. The official submarine museum in the U.S. Navy is located in New London, CT. The closest submarines, WWII, on general public display are located in Charleston, SC & Mobile, AL. For those traveling I-95 there are several submarines, memorials & museums along the Atlantic Seaboard. In addition to the museum, we have a Gift Shop in the museum.

HOW TO GET TO FRANKLIN GATE, KINGS BAY SUBASE. For those flying into the area we recommend you land at Jacksonville International Airport. You are about a 35 minute ride from the SUBASE. Recommend you arrange for ground transportation from the airport, as there is no bus service to St. Marys and only a couple of Taxis in town. Take I-95 North from the airport. When entering Georgia take Exit 1, St. Marys Road, which ends directly at the Franklin Gate. Look for the submarine surfacing. Those traveling south on I-95 take Exit 3, Kingsland & Route 40, is the main road into St. Marys. There are several hotels at Exit 3. Take Route 40 East to St. Marys. As you pass Harveys Shopping Center, the next stop light you see is Spur 40, Charlie Smith SR Highway, intersects Route 40 at the Shopping center, about 7 miles from Exit 3. Cumberland Island Inn & Suites is located 100' just before the intersection on the left. Turn left at the red light at Spur 40. This road passes along the front of the SUBASE and intersects St. Marys Road at the Franklin Gate. Cumberland Kings Bay Lodges is also on this road between the light & Franklin Gate. You can't miss the corner, as it is the only intersection in George, let alone SE USA, with 180' of submarine surfacing. For you Quarter Masters & Navigators, just call for chart coordinates and additional navigation aids.

Kings Bay Subase Bancroft Web Page

LOCAL TOURISM INFO. Subase also has a Navy Lodge, TVQ and RV Park on the base. RiverView Hotel is the 3rd hotel in St. Marys, located next door to the submarine museum. Old hotel, with restaurant & bar. There are 3 B&B's located in St. Marys, Good Bread House, Spencer House & Bel Tarra. Many hotels, including Holiday Inn, are located in Kingsland, about 8 miles away, along I-95 at exit 3. Other local tourist information may be found in our local links. Many local hotels get fully booked for major subase events. St. Marys is a small town with limited taxi service, so we recommend you plan for your own transportation.

SUB MUSEUM FUND RAISING CO-CHAIRMAN FOR THE SAIL EXHIBIT
For questions about the George Bancroft Sail Project please contact us.
John Crouse (Primary e-mail) submus@tds.net &
Sheila McNeill

St. Marys Submarine Museum
102 St. Marys Street
Saint Marys, Ga. 31558
ATTN: MUSEUM MANAGER

John Crouse, Museum Manager, MMCM (SS), USN-RET, SSN-613, 652 & 713.

Home - Virtual Tour - Upcoming Events - Our History - Museum Board - Sponsors
Membership - Submarine Game - USS James K Polk Display - USS George Bancroft Sail Exhibit
St. Mary Photos - Links - 2002 Subvets WWII Memorial Service