The Jeremiah O'Brien, homeport San Francisco, is one of only two Liberty ships remaining. The other is the John W. Brown, which is also a museum and located in Baltimore. There has always been a special spot in my heart for the Liberty Ships because dad was captain on one during the war, the George Gershwin. There were 2751 Liberty ships built during the war and the Jeremiah O'brien is a rare survivor of the 6,939-ship armada that stormed Normandy Beach on D-Day, 1944.
Last summer I flew down to San Francisco to visit a friend and the highlight of my trip was having the opportunity to sail out under the Golden Gate Bridge and around San Francisco Bay on her. We were assisted by tugs as we left the dock, they were waiting for us out in open water just past the bridge in case they were needed and they helped us in and out of Richmond, plus back to the dock at the end of the day. In those days they didn't have the luxury of bow or stern thrusters. It was such a thrill to feel the hot, steamy heat of the engine room, the motion of the ship as she steamed along, and to stand at the wheel just as dad did. Something tells me he was sailing right along with me that day.
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