The Queen Mary

Roger went to Long Beach, CA last week for a meeting with the FAA. The company he works for finally received certification for a project they have been working on for years. There was a presentation ceremony on the Queen Mary today so I got to come back with him to enjoy the celebration. It has been nice to play "catch up" with several of the people from his work.

The Queen Mary was first launched from Scotland in 1936 and was considered the grandest ocean liner ever built. In 1940 it was "drafted" as a troop carrier and hospital ship under the alias "Grey Ghost." Originally designed to carry 2,000 passengers it began carrying as many as 16, 683 GI's to Europe! They were packed in like sardines - the pools were drained and bunks were stacked 18 inches apart! The museum, on the ship, is so interesting - telling the stories of many of these men and women. It went back into the passenger business in 1947 but eventually, was sold to the city of Long Beach as a floating hotel, convention center and tourist attraction in 1967. I have loved it's old elegance and "vintage" atmosphere - like being on the Titanic without the worry of icebergs!