USS Cairo Pilot House as I saw It 1961

Here's a image from some research on it.
upload_2018-5-9_22-37-9.jpeg
 
There's been some great posts about another Confederate ironclad that was under construction at the Yazoo City, Mississippi naval yard.
That being the ironclad known as the " Yazoo Monster" .

Anyway, that thread brought back my memories of the Yazoo River.

Much Civil War history occurred on that river. Perhaps the most famous was
the sinking and raising of the USS Cairo.

Here is some original footage of the salvage operation from the early 1960's.
A very young Ed Bearss can be be seen in the middle of the operation:


But after all, Ed did find the USS Cairo, 100 years later:


His "booming" voice was even prevalent in individual interviews.
 
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I once met a man who worked on salvaging the Cairo in 1956. He recalled that he and several others were in the interior of the hull handing up live shells to others, who carried them up the slanted deck and piled them on the bank of the river. All of a sudden they heard a loud thud. Then, as they held their breaths, "roll-roll-roll-roll-roll-roll-roll-clunk!" I don't remember that he said what they did to the person who dropped that shell.
 
For our newer members that may not be familiar with Mr. Bearss, he was a United States Marine Corps Veteran.

He was also a bad azz !

Bearss was in a USMC Raider Battalion during World War II.
He almost had his arm shot off at Guadalcanal.
His arm was saved, but he never regained full use.

Ed Bearss was a warrior and a hero !

I do miss this man !
He was the same "in person" as he was on film.

RIP Ed.
 
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For our newer members that may not be familiar with Mr. Bearss, he was a United States Marine Corps Veteran.

He was also a bad azz !

Bearss was in a USMC Raider Battalion during World War II.
He almost had his arm shot off at Guadalcanal.
His arm was saved, but he never regained full use.

Ed Bearss was a warrior and a hero !

I do miss this man !
He was the same "in person" as he was on film.

RIP Ed.
Minor point - I think Ed actually suffered his wound in the New Guinea Campaign, although he did serve earlier on the 'Canal. Two years in the hospital after that. He really walked the talk. He served in the 3rd Battalion 7th Marines.
 
I once met a man who worked on salvaging the Cairo in 1956. He recalled that he and several others were in the interior of the hull handing up live shells to others, who carried them up the slanted deck and piled them on the bank of the river. All of a sudden they heard a loud thud. Then, as they held their breaths, "roll-roll-roll-roll-roll-roll-roll-clunk!" I don't remember that he said what they did to the person who dropped that shell.
Something that basically meant "Oh dear what a silly thing to do"?
 
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