
USS William D Porter
The news that the battleship USS Iowa has found a new home brings to mind the story of the battleship and the destroyer USS William D Porter, nicknamed the “Willie D.” The USS Iowa served in World War II as the presidential shuttle in the Atlantic Fleet, moving President Roosevelt to and from the Tehran conference. In November 1943, while the president was aboard the USS Iowa, the battleship came under attack by a live tordepo, accidentally launched from the USS William D Porter. The Iowa was able to avoid the torpedo by taking evasive maneuvers. From that day until she was sunk in June 1945, whenever the Willie D entered port or joined other Naval ships, she was often greeted with “Don’t shoot, we’re Republicans!” (President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was, of course, a Democrat.)
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