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History lovers are outraged after government officials approved the sinking of a historic American flagship that was once hailed as the country's fastest ocean liner.
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that → sign → liner
The SS United States first hit the waters in 1952 and carried American icons like former President John F Kennedy, Walt Disney, Debbie Reynolds and Marlon Brando.
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States → hit → Kennedy
The ship also appears in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Marilyn Monroe, and West Side Story.
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ship → appear → Monroe
In 1969, the ship was retired to the US Navy, where it sat until 1978.
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it → retire → 1978
The ocean liner has passed through multiple hands since, but was never given a second act.
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liner → pass → act
The SS United States will now make its last voyage in November, when officials plan to sink it and convert it into the world's largest artificial reef.
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officials → make → reef
The Board of County Commissioners in Destin, Florida, announced that the ship has been fully remediated and the Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled the SS United States' final deployment.
The vessel will deploy in the Gulf southwest of Destin-Walton Beach on the second week of November and later open for diving tours.
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vessel → announce → tours
Although its fate seems sealed, a coalition has continued to fight to save the ship from sinking.
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coalition → seem → ship
The NY Coalition to save the SS United States called the dismantling of the ship 'a slap in the face to the countless citizens - across all 50 states and around the world.'
The SS United States was the fastest ship to sail the ocean.
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States → save → ocean
It first hit the waters in 1952
SS United States (farthest away) is pictured alongside the SS America in New York in 1963.
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States → hit → 1963
The ships' glory days were immediately before commercial aviation exploded in popularity
A museum near the ship's reef site will be built to honor its history.
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museum → explode → history
A design of the museum is pictured above
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design → picture → museum
'Those who cherish the SS United States and continue to fight for her future as a preserved, floating landmark and symbol of American excellence, innovation, and pride.
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who → cherish → excellence
'
'SHAME on anyone who conspired in silence against the will of We the People,' the coalition said.
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coalition → shame → We
Although the coalition acknowledged that reefing is a common practice with old ships, they argued that the SS United States could contaminate the water with carcinogens because of its size and age.
uncertain
States → acknowledge → size
The coalition also launched an online petition to save the ship, which received over 16,000 signatures.
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which → launch → signatures
The petition argued that the ship should be returned to New York and restored for waterfront redevelopment.
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ship → argue → redevelopment
Turning this engineering marvel into an underwater reef without exhaustive public hearings disregards its cultural and historical significance,' one signatory read.
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signatory → turn → significance
Please don’t lose your history,' wrote a third.
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third → lose → history
The SS United States hosted a slew of celebrities during its heyday, including actress Debbie Reynolds
The ocean liner was soon dubbed 'America's Flagship.'
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liner → host → Reynolds
It is pictured above on June 21, 1962, days before it first set sail
Multiple proposals were floated before the ultimate decision to sink the ship.
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proposals → picture → ship
A proposal in 2020 sought to restore the ship as a hotel and museum complex
The SS United States is a relic of a different time, before air travel was accessible and when luxury liners ruled the seas.
The historic liner first set sail on July 3, 1952, ahead of Independence Day celebrations.
Harry Manning, Amelia Earhart's co-pilot, commanded the ship and set a speed record.
The SS United States was soon dubbed 'America's Flagship' and became a marvel throughout the 1950s.
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States → seek → 1950s
Once air travel became more accessible in the 1960s, the ship struggled fiscally and was retired in 1969.
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ship → become → 1969
In the years that followed, multiple owners took over the flagship.
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owners → follow → flagship
Plans were proposed and denied to convert the vessel into condominiums in the 1980s.
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Plans → propose → 1980s
The Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the SS United States in 2003, but the 2008 financial crisis thwarted the plans, and it was put up for sale again.
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it → purchase → sale
In 2010, the ship came under the ownership of the SS United States Conservancy through a grant and has since been maintained by the nonprofit.
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ship → come → nonprofit
Since then, multiple proposals to revitalize the SS United States have fallen flat.
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proposals → revitalize → States
In 2015, a Brooklyn businessman named John Quadrozzi Jr expressed interest in purchasing the ship and converting it to office spaces, a gym, a swimming pool, restaurants, a theater, a maritime school and a museum, the Brooklyn Paper reported at the time.
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Paper → name → time
After multiple failed proposals, the ship departed Philadelphia in 2025 to prepare for reefing on the Gulf Coast
Tugboats are pictured above transporting the iconic SS United States to the south on March 3, 2025
The once iconic ship has sat empty and decaying for decades.
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ship → fail → decades
The shell of its control room is pictured above in 2024
In 2020, a real estate firm also began approaching multiple city governments to propose a hotel-and-museum complex, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported at the time.
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Inquirer → picture → time
However, in 2024, the Conservancy told Newsweek that after a decade of trying to advance a plan, local leaders 'did not embrace the project.'
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leaders → tell → project
The Conservancy explained that 'with no viable options' for renovation, they were forced to reach an agreement with Florida officials to move the ship south to become an artificial reef.
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they → explain → ship
Despite the Coalition's efforts, the ship was remediated.
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ship → remediate → efforts
In preparation for the sinking, the ship's tanks were emptied, exterior paint was taken off, artifacts were removed and the vessel was coated with a green floor covering.
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vessel → empty → covering
The Daily Mail has reached out to the Coalition and the County Commissioners for comment.
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Mail → reach → comment
The ship made history for its speed.
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ship → make → speed
A souvenir log from the 1950s is pictured above
History and ship lovers pleaded to save the vessel.
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lovers → picture → vessel
It's pictured above arriving after achieving the fastest Atlanta crossing
Americans flocked to board the ship throughout the 1950s.
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Americans → picture → 1950s
Comic Bud Abbott is pictured above with his wife, Betty, and their new puppy in 1953
After the ship's storied history, its story is ending in the Gulf, where it will become an artificial reef
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it → picture → Gulf
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