Just off the stern of the battleship, crew members of the USS Drum talk to visitors about their craft.

So those are some of the things that we really love to do.” We brought the chain hoist down the ladder and used the rolling chain hoist on the ship, in uniform, just as they would have to rehang these two watertight doors down there on the second deck next to the machine shop.

“We actually used the original roller chain hoist. “There are two watertight hatches that weigh about 250 pounds apiece that curation had done refurbishing,” Walczak said. The re-enactors also work to restore the ship, doing the jobs their counterparts would have been doing almost 80 years ago. Propulsion system, the brigs, there are a lot of things in different, things and to be able to talk about that outside of my own special area, I love to see people, especially young people, the eyes and the faces come alive when they learn things that they don't know or would never suspected about ship's operations.” The engine room, how we put shells on target. “I ask them if there is any area of interest. “I like to tailor things, if I have a few minutes to rub together, to talk to people,” Walczak said. Wearing the uniform of a World War II Navy captain, he explains that part of the job is educating people about the ship. Steven Walczak is commander of the USS Alabama Living History crew.

World of warships uss alabama