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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Moon rises Sunday in rare convergence of supermoon and lunar eclipse ... Police say man involved in carwash crash was getaway driver in recent bathroom gun robbery ... Man jailed after alleged Rogue River shooting incident ... Moon rises Sunday in rare convergence of supermoon and lunar eclipse ... Police say man involved in carwash crash was getaway driver in recent bathroom gun robbery ... Man jailed after alleged Rogue River shooting incident ... NAVAL HISTORY What's left of Oregon battleship stands in Portland Comment By John Killen The Oregonian MailTribune.com By John Killen The Oregonian Posted Apr. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM By John Killen The Oregonian Posted Apr. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Social News As every red-blooded Oregonian knows, Portland will always be safe from naval attacks because it has its own submarine. The USS Blueback makes its home at OMSI along the eastbank of the Willamette River, ready to torpedo any seaborne, er, riverborne assaults at a moment's notice. Well, maybe more than a moment's notice, given that the Blueback is a static display and hasn't been to sea in more than 20 years. It might take awhile to convert it back into a fighting vessel. But while you probably know about the Blueback, what you may not know is that Portland also used have its own battleship. In fact, it was anchored just across the Willamette from where the Blueback now sits. From June 1925 — 90 years ago — to 1942, the USS Oregon, which distinguished itself in the Spanish-American War and then came out of mothballs for awhile during World War I, was on display in the Willamette. first near the east end of the Broadway Bridge and later in the "bowl" area just south of the west end of the Hawthorne Bridge. Where fans of the annual Waterfront Blues Festival now stand to listen to music every Fourth of July, tourists and others used to queue up for tours of the Oregon, which was completed in 1893 and commissioned in 1896. The Oregon first went to war in 1898 and, according to the Oregon Encyclopedia, distinguished itself in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba, where the U.S. defeated Spain. The ship was decommissioned in 1903 but then made a brief comeback as a reserve vessel during World War I. Following WWI, it was decommissioned for good and came to Portland after the state asked the federal government if it could be a memorial in Portland. It served in that role until shortly after the bombing of Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, when the federal government decided it was worth more as scrap metal. It was then partly scrapped but eventually towed to Guam, where it was used for ammunition storage. It was finally scrapped for good in the 1950s. Today, little remains of the USS Oregon, but the ship's mast and bow plate are on display in Tom McCall Waterfront Park between the Morrison and Burnside Bridges. There, according the Oregon Encyclopedia, they "recognize all who fought and died in the Spanish-American War and the contribution the U.S.S. Oregon made in its victory." By John Killen The Oregonian MailTribune.com By John Killen The Oregonian Posted Apr. 26, 2015 at 2:00 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... Business Name address Location, ST | website.com Find Southern Oregon Attractions Bars Restaurants Beauty Salons Entertainment Doctors Medical Specialists Contractors Education Lawn Services Lawyers Shopping Travel Tanning Used Cars Wedding Services ▼ Add your business here + Events Calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501