Confidential sources have told us that there has been a concerted effort to block Legion Post #377 from selling (scrapping) USS CABOT, the last baby flattop from World War II left in the world. They have been successful in blocking the sale, it seems.

The ship, known as the IRON LADY, is now on the Register of National Historic Monuments, so that is one road block in the way of selling her.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that there are PCB’s in the engine spaces and has ordered Legion Post #377 to have all this cancer-causing material removed before any sale is approved - and that will cost more than a million dollars.

There are other ‘roadblocks’ and legal actions, some of which are not yet known to Legion Post #377, that will also make it even more impossible for this group to sell her to anyone - but we cannot tip our hand, so these facts will remain confidential.

Well, that’s the good news - it seems that the IRON LADY of the Pacific will be spared the breakers torch and will forever be saved as a piece of American Heritage.....and that is GREAT! But if this is the good news, then there must be some bad news; and there is.

The bad news is - nobody wants the IRON LADY! At least, none of the municipalities in Louisiana. New Orleans has long ago said they didn’t want the carrier on their riverfront. The city of Kenner (a suburb of New Orleans) had long said they wanted the IRON LADY on their riverfront and had taken steps toward making this a reality, but now Kenner has said they want no part of the carrier.

Wherever she goes, the carrier will have to be towed as our source tells us that Legion Post #377 has sold the bronze propellers for the loot; sorry - I guess I should say money.

And we are told that every maritime museum that inquires about bringing USS CABOT to their facility is quickly told by Legion Post #377 that they must pay about a million and a half to the Legion Post for the carrier! Of course, that will turn away any potential acquisition - but here is the real scoop - a museum will NOT have to pay a million and a half to Legion Post #377 or to anyone else, and probably NO MONEY AT ALL! How is this possible? Any established museum may contact us here at HQ for the details on how to bring this American heritage into their facility without paying Legion Post #377 any blood money.

To our Members who wrote to the National Historical group as we published some months ago - THANKS VERY MUCH! You helped to save the IRON LADY from certain destruction.

Now let’s get some maritime museum to take this beautiful ship into their care and save her for posterity.