Welcome home, sailor: Battleship returns to Camden berth with special guests

Kaitlyn McCormick, Cherry Hill Courier-Post
·2 min read
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When the Battleship New Jersey left the Camden Waterfront in March, spectators turned out in droves despite blustering cold to send the warship off. Three months later, the Black Dragon arrived home once more to a packed pier in the midst of a heatwave following a $10 million makeover.

Despite sweltering temperatures, hundreds made their way to the battleship's pier in Camden to welcome her home on June 20. The ship had just finished a six-day stint in Paulsboro to release ballast water after 78 days in Philadelphia dry dock.

Young children enjoyed bouncy castles and face painting during the free event, while others took advantage of food and drink sales to stay hydrated in the summer heat.

While the breeze on the pier helped slightly to remedy the afternoon sun, guests carrying umbrellas and sporting USS New Jersey merch (like battleship-themed Hawaiian shirts) also cooled off with a walkthrough sprinkler and air-conditioned tent.

A Bruce Springsteen tribute band performed at noon. The BStreetBand made sure to implement some minor adjustments to stay on theme, like singing the lyrics "spending all my money on a battleship night," during "Pink Cadillac," much to the amusement of the crowd.

By 1 p.m., the pier was packed with people trying to catch a glimpse of the ship, just visible in the distance. Spectators pushed themselves against the barricade toward the river and into any spare places they could find.

Special guests also made an appearance.

The Phillie Phanatic, Swoop, Gritty and Franklin from Philly's sports teams — as well as the Battleship's own Black Dragon mascot — caused chaos at the pier while gesturing to the slow-moving ship to get home faster.

Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen, also came to welcome home the nation's most decorated battleship, which was moved upstream by tugboats.

Thunderous shots were fired from the New Jersey's starboard saluting gun as she made her approach, with crews and passengers waving to the crowd.

At 1:30 p.m., to shouts of "welcome home!" and a flurry of red, white and blue confetti streamers, the USS New Jersey had officially reached her home berth.

Marshall Spevak, the CEO of Battleship New Jersey, waves to the crowd as he stands on board the Battleship New Jersey after the battleship returned to the Camden Waterfront on Thursday, June 20, 2024, after spending nearly 12 weeks at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for a historic dry dock maintenance project.
Marshall Spevak, the CEO of Battleship New Jersey, waves to the crowd as he stands on board the Battleship New Jersey after the battleship returned to the Camden Waterfront on Thursday, June 20, 2024, after spending nearly 12 weeks at the Philadelphia Navy Yard for a historic dry dock maintenance project.

"Marshall, good job!" someone yelled from the crowd to the museum and memorial's CEO, Marshall Spevak, who was among the almost 90 passengers on board. Guests included the captain and seven sailors from the PCU Submarine New Jersey, which will be commissioned in Monmouth County mid-September.

Following the 78-day dry dock and even more time that was spent planning and fundraising for the historic project, Spevak described the homecoming as a "bittersweet moment." After so much work throughout the dry dock and its preparations, he was still happy to bring the ship back home "where she belongs."

The battleship's main deck will be open for fireworks on June 29, but tours won't begin again until early July.

Kaitlyn McCormick writes about trending issues and community news across South Jersey for the Courier-Post, The Daily Journal and the Burlington County Times. If you have a story she should tell, email her at kmccormick@gannett.com. And subscribe to stay up to date on the news you need.

This article originally appeared on Cherry Hill Courier-Post: The Battleship New Jersey returns to her home berth in Camden