We were on our way back to the United States. In 1956, Dad had been assigned to Chateauroux Air Force Station, France, where I was born four years later.
Though I have vague memories of the trip, I do have several pieces of memorabilia saved from the crossing of the Atlantic. These include a menu, a post card and several photos snapped by the cruise ship staff to sell to the passengers as souvenirs.
The ship we boarded was the S.S. United States. Built in 1952, it broke the transatlantic speed record on July 4 of that year, held by the Queen Mary for the previous 14 years.
The S.S. United States is now docked at Pier 82 on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. It has been offered up for sale to several scrap yards by current owner Norwegian Cruise Lines; however The SS United States Conservancy is trying to come up with funding to purchase the ship.
An important supporter of the Conservancy is former President Bill Clinton. He has endorsed the rescue efforts to save the ship because he reportedly sailed on the vessel in 1968.
It’s about the only thing the former president and I can agree on.