I have an huge ship trunk from my uncly G van Leeuwen from Holland with transfer "Australis" when he left Holland to immigrate towards Australia and he was on board of this fabulous schip.👌👍👍
When I was 4 years old in 1955 my Dad was stationed in Germany. The family returned to the US on SS America. All I remember was my Mom being seasick, my name being listed as "Master Richard" on the passenger list and the paper pantaloons on the pork chops at dinner. She was a grand old lay.
The SS America brought my Dad to the United States from Ireland in 1953. The ship played a pivotal role in many people's lives in her peak years of service.
Wow! Beautiful. My mom and dad were on this ship coming home from being stationed in Germany. I went through a phase of Ocean Liner fascination and when my mom told me they were on one, I flipped out! The SS American she stated. I asked her how it was awaiting an amazing story! Sadly, she was sea sick the whole trip. Dad on the other hand a GREAT time on board! Of course checking in on her throughout the day.
@@matthewcox6615 Yes . Neglected by her owners resulted her loosing her iconic look. And a lot of other mishaps too. All I can say is she fought till the end.
@@theclockperson1046 Chandris had a part in diminishing her reputation as well. They were trying to make her more appealing to younger passengers by removing her forward funnel, but she was just an outdated ship for that particular market. She would go on to be sold a number of times until the early 90s as the American Star.
In 1970. I was five years old , I traveled on this ship with my Mother ,from New Zealand to England, on the way there it caught on fire, in was repaired ,while we were on broad . then it made it way to England. will never forget the trip.
My father came home to New York from OSS Europe after V-E Day in 1945 on the ‘America’ under her wartime transport name of USS ‘.West Point’. She was a great ship.
Traveled on the SS America 🇺🇸 from New York to (Bremen) Germany in 1959 . Amazing beautiful. First Microwave cooking! The food was warmed in a giant sized microwave. Begging of t go at technology. At night you could actually open the porthole windows and see the moon lite reflection on the open sea. The mist . Half of her now at rest near the shore off the Canary Islands inhabited by ocean life.
I truly believe that the America was one of the greatest ships ever to exist. She transported millions of people all over the world and gained a respectful reputation for being a reliable and safe vessel.
Many thanks to all for these nice words of praise. I will try not to disappoint anyone. In the next video you can look forward to Queen Elizabeth 2! Your OlympicWS
Excellent video... This video has a special place for our family because our dad was Chief Mate on board in 1955. In fact I just found a 25 min video he took onboard during then that I will be adding to you tube in the next few months.
For me, this ship has taught me a valuable lesson; life is a gift that must be cherished until the end. The America went on a long and challenging journey and had many adventures throughout its life; she reminds us of the importance of a good life.
A very well done video that also has a mystery worth exploring. The mystery is why the SS America was removed from paying service and quickly converted into a troop transport West Point while the U.S was officially neutral and at peace six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the U.S. was expanding it's defensive warship fleet, this peacetime conversion was unneeded and an unnecessary cost. Checking Wikipedia, the proof of this are how little the ship was used and not for troop transport the six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, with only one exception. Why did the U.S. do this conversion during peacetime? The second part of this mystery this that one exception. On November 5th 1941, just over one-month before Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered the war, the West Point was finally used as a troop transport. The ship was sent to Halifax NS with a small group of American soldiers to pick up over 5000 British troops for transport to the India. As a neutral country not at war, why was the U.S. Navy transporting British troops? All very curious and these pre-war military actions involving the SS America leads one to question what the Roosevelt administration was up to and knew.
You've done America justice in this video my friend. Everything about it was just perfect. She may not have been the prettiest. She may not have been the fastest. She may not have been the largest. But my God she was always there. It's a shame her life had to end the way it did: she could've still been afloat today living a wonderful second career. Here's to hoping the United States is saved in her memory. And from what I'm seeing, the light is brighter than ever. :)
Still have two different menu’s we kept and a postcard never mailed, a few slides seating atop the rails to my mother’s fear ! 😅 My brother at night would pretend he was going to toss me out the porthole window! We ran a muck until Dad laid down the law while on board. Great memories and a sad ending to a magical beautiful ship of a long gone classic period of travel.
Thank you for the post! Truly your video brought back good memories. If only we could go back in time. The time on her beautiful decks, the food , the class, indelibly rest within my heart and memories. I remember sneaking ( thought I was) the onions from my dads Gibson cocktails! 😆
Rewatching this, I see just how sad of a story that of the SS America is. She served in World War II and as a successful passenger liner for over a decade after that. Even after being sold to Chandris she continued to give good service. What's really sad is to see just how much this ship was neglected in her final years. The worst part? She went through all those years of neglect and was later rescued from the ship graveyard, only to run aground and die a slow, drawn-out death as the waves gradually tore her apart. Sadly, I think that's what most of us remember her for, her slow demise. Nevertheless, I still think it's nice to remember the ship as she was when she was the SS America. Let's do all that we can to ensure that her running mate SS United States has a much better end to her story!
Yo lo ví, recién encallado, en las costas de Fuerteventura. Llevaba allí apenas unos meses... cuanto me arrepiento de no haber entrado cuando tuve la oportunidad...
@@lawnmowermanTX Kind of. The America was built in 1940 and was 723 feet long whereas the United States was built in 1952 and was 990 feet long. They were both designed by the same company, Gibbs and Cox.
@@matthewcox6615 You’re the descendant of the shipbuilding family Cox???!? My respects!! If i were wealthy rich to help rebuild S.S. America class ships, to original specs and improvements, would be a good thing to have sister ships.. I’m wanting Olympic, Titanic, Britannic class ships, that use modern diesel / steam auxiliary power, as a private fleet... 👍❤️😇😊😊😌😌🙃🙃🙂🙂😀
Good video- sad end to her. I believe there is noting visable of her now, all broken up and below sea level. Amazing the power of the sea to disintegrate steel.
I love her so much grandpa started working on her and worked on her till the big u came and transferred to her before retireing from usl he would travel with chandris on her too (:
There is just something so beautiful and awesome about seeing a ship launch and something inexpressably sad about when they're scrapped. I love your videos. Very moving and beautifully done.
Ocean liners were pinnacles of engineering when they were new, but were made obsolete towards the end of their days. This was the same for the America, though she didn’t want to go without a fight. She was truly a special ship from the very beginning.
United States Lines had two beauties... the SS America and her younger, LARGER Sister Ship, the SS United States - the FASTEST Ocean Liner that has ever been built; unofficially reaching speeds of 45 Knots and higher, if I recall properly. Sadly, she has been Berthed in Philadelphia for Decades, with no known end in sight.
I have to say that it is a wonderful compilation of videos and information! I've been following your channel for three years and your videos will really inspire me to carry out a project that is still in progress on my channel! excellent work! And really thank you for taking the time to continue creating quality content for those of us who love that kind of beautiful ships -samuel-
Great video. A sad end to a fine ship. The last few owners obviously didn't do a proper survey of the ship's condition and got in over their heads. I'm not sure which would be the most indignant ending; a slowly disintegrating wreck on a beach like this, or rotting away pier side like the USS United States.
You know, I read there's a myth of the sea that renaming a ship brings bad luck to her, but it certainly appeared a reality in the America's case once she was renamed Australis. It's sad to see what became of her by the time the nineties began.
Outstanding! OlympicWS, this may be your best video yet. What a pleasure it was to see so many photographs and so much footage---and so much of the footage in color. Thank you for all the work and time that went into making this excellent production and for sharing it with us your viewers and subscribers. A little fun fact is that prior to watching this video I watched a video that was a clip of the T.V. series "Mad Men". In that episode, set in late November of 1963, the character Trudy Campbell (played by Allison Brei) was wearing a blue dress very similar to the blue dress worn by the young lady first seen here at 10:56. A British passenger aboard the S.S. America once said she was a ship that had "presence". There was something special about the liner. Thank you for this special video.
i believe some of your dates are inaccurate. i sailed on the america in late august 1964 from southhampton to new york. had my 17th birthday on board. 25 aug. it was a wonderful ship and i had a great time. thanks for posting the video. JDR
I'm not patriotic but she was one of my favorite ships-every bit as beautiful as her bigger,faster,and younger sister.As a liner lover,I'd rather see a ship sink than be so hideously neglected.
How sad it is to watch a once elegant lady of the sea aground and being washed away by nature. Long gone are the days where ships had character and elegance. Today ships are only built to make money without any thought of how they look. Passenger numbers and size are everything. I would rather have sailed on one of the older classy ships than on one of the hotels attached to a keel the way they are constructed now.
@@charlesjakesamadan4924 I suppose it’s possible but can we get enough interest and funding to make it work? Maybe we could create an online petition for this and see how it goes. 🙂 👍
@@matthewcox6615 I wonder how much Does building an ship the size of America cost tho 🤔 Might aswell draw the America based on what she would look like as an modern liner but still keeping her Original look
I just kept thinking about all the people on board her in the videos of them. They are proably all dead now. The all had lives and personalities that have probaly all been long since forgotten. They are connected to each other and even to us today through their children weather they know it or not. Also they are connect as at one point they stood on the decks of the mighty America. Which has sadly been eroded into the sands of history. Also was just imagining the interiors amd deck slowly eroding away as I watched the life of America. Whooshed she had a different more fitting fate.
Countless people have sailed on the America. She brought them to various places at different points in time. They are connected by the fact that they all sailed on her.
Song Number 1: Wings Number 2: Emerald Princess Number 3: We are One Number 4:Beautiful People Number 5:Empathy And the name of the ship is S.S. America
I have an huge ship trunk from my uncly G van Leeuwen from Holland with transfer "Australis" when he left Holland to immigrate towards Australia and he was on board of this fabulous schip.👌👍👍
When I was 4 years old in 1955 my Dad was stationed in Germany. The family returned to the US on SS America. All I remember was my Mom being seasick, my name being listed as "Master Richard" on the passenger list and the paper pantaloons on the pork chops at dinner. She was a grand old lay.
The SS America brought my Dad to the United States from Ireland in 1953. The ship played a pivotal role in many people's lives in her peak years of service.
she is one giant legend
Wow! Beautiful. My mom and dad were on this ship coming home from being stationed in Germany. I went through a phase of Ocean Liner fascination and when my mom told me they were on one, I flipped out! The SS American she stated. I asked her how it was awaiting an amazing story! Sadly, she was sea sick the whole trip. Dad on the other hand a GREAT time on board! Of course checking in on her throughout the day.
You did a terrific job creating this video. She was such a beautiful ship. How sad the way she was neglected in her final years.
I think her later owners weren’t that caring for the ship and this resulted in her being lost in the end.
@@matthewcox6615 I blame venture cruises
@@theclockperson1046 Same! She was physically tired at this stage.
@@matthewcox6615 Yes . Neglected by her owners resulted her loosing her iconic look. And a lot of other mishaps too. All I can say is she fought till the end.
@@theclockperson1046 Chandris had a part in diminishing her reputation as well. They were trying to make her more appealing to younger passengers by removing her forward funnel, but she was just an outdated ship for that particular market. She would go on to be sold a number of times until the early 90s as the American Star.
In 1970. I was five years old , I traveled on this ship with my Mother ,from New Zealand to England, on the way there it caught on fire, in was repaired ,while we were on broad . then it made it way to England. will never forget the trip.
My father came home to New York from OSS Europe after V-E Day in 1945 on the ‘America’ under her wartime transport name of USS ‘.West Point’. She was a great ship.
Traveled on the SS America 🇺🇸 from New York to (Bremen) Germany in 1959 . Amazing beautiful. First Microwave cooking! The food was warmed in a giant sized microwave. Begging of t go at technology. At night you could actually open the porthole windows and see the moon lite reflection on the open sea. The mist . Half of her now at rest near the shore off the Canary Islands inhabited by ocean life.
I truly believe that the America was one of the greatest ships ever to exist. She transported millions of people all over the world and gained a respectful reputation for being a reliable and safe vessel.
Agreed
Very true. I agree. Even now laid up and neglected They said she was remarkably still solid the last time they assessed her.
Many thanks to all for these nice words of praise. I will try not to disappoint anyone. In the next video you can look forward to Queen Elizabeth 2!
Your OlympicWS
Excellent video... This video has a special place for our family because our dad was Chief Mate on board in 1955. In fact I just found a 25 min video he took onboard during then that I will be adding to you tube in the next few months.
For me, this ship has taught me a valuable lesson; life is a gift that must be cherished until the end. The America went on a long and challenging journey and had many adventures throughout its life; she reminds us of the importance of a good life.
A very well done video that also has a mystery worth exploring.
The mystery is why the SS America was removed from paying service and quickly converted into a troop transport West Point while the U.S was officially neutral and at peace six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor. While the U.S. was expanding it's defensive warship fleet, this peacetime conversion was unneeded and an unnecessary cost. Checking Wikipedia, the proof of this are how little the ship was used and not for troop transport the six months before the attack on Pearl Harbor, with only one exception. Why did the U.S. do this conversion during peacetime?
The second part of this mystery this that one exception. On November 5th 1941, just over one-month before Pearl Harbor and the U.S. entered the war, the West Point was finally used as a troop transport. The ship was sent to Halifax NS with a small group of American soldiers to pick up over 5000 British troops for transport to the India. As a neutral country not at war, why was the U.S. Navy transporting British troops?
All very curious and these pre-war military actions involving the SS America leads one to question what the Roosevelt administration was up to and knew.
I believe the US was preparing for war. They were anticipating to join the fight unofficially.
i sailed on this ship 1972 a happy time a beautiful ship
You've done America justice in this video my friend. Everything about it was just perfect. She may not have been the prettiest. She may not have been the fastest. She may not have been the largest. But my God she was always there. It's a shame her life had to end the way it did: she could've still been afloat today living a wonderful second career. Here's to hoping the United States is saved in her memory. And from what I'm seeing, the light is brighter than ever. :)
Such a beautiful ship it's always good to see these ships during their career service.
She certainly was! If only we could go back in time and sail on her.
My beautiful Nan imagrated from England on this ship. ❤ Thank you for sharing.
Still have two different menu’s we kept and a postcard never mailed, a few slides seating atop the rails to my mother’s fear ! 😅 My brother at night would pretend he was going to toss me out the porthole window! We ran a muck until Dad laid down the law while on board. Great memories and a sad ending to a magical beautiful ship of a long gone classic period of travel.
Thank you for the post! Truly your video brought back good memories. If only we could go back in time. The time on her beautiful decks, the food , the class, indelibly rest within my heart and memories. I remember sneaking ( thought I was) the onions from my dads Gibson cocktails! 😆
I Remember goin aboard her on west side of Manhattan as a kid...next to the mammoth United States.....us lines...my dad was in steamship business..
One of your best, ever. Your growth as a video storyteller has grown tremendously. Thank you so much. You are in high regard.
Rewatching this, I see just how sad of a story that of the SS America is. She served in World War II and as a successful passenger liner for over a decade after that. Even after being sold to Chandris she continued to give good service. What's really sad is to see just how much this ship was neglected in her final years. The worst part? She went through all those years of neglect and was later rescued from the ship graveyard, only to run aground and die a slow, drawn-out death as the waves gradually tore her apart. Sadly, I think that's what most of us remember her for, her slow demise. Nevertheless, I still think it's nice to remember the ship as she was when she was the SS America. Let's do all that we can to ensure that her running mate SS United States has a much better end to her story!
Yo lo ví, recién encallado, en las costas de Fuerteventura. Llevaba allí apenas unos meses... cuanto me arrepiento de no haber entrado cuando tuve la oportunidad...
Barbara Stanwyck's favorite ship.
S.S. America remains are there! Sad demise to such a beautiful lady! ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
I guess all good things must come to an end and she was no exception. But for me she will always be a great ship and I dream about her at night.
@@matthewcox6615 If time travel was possible to go back to the year 1988 her 50th Anniversary and salvage her as a private ship...
@@matthewcox6615 Agreed!! Isn’t the S.S. United States her sister ship?
@@lawnmowermanTX Kind of. The America was built in 1940 and was 723 feet long whereas the United States was built in 1952 and was 990 feet long. They were both designed by the same company, Gibbs and Cox.
@@matthewcox6615 You’re the descendant of the shipbuilding family Cox???!? My respects!! If i were wealthy rich to help rebuild S.S. America class ships, to original specs and improvements, would be a good thing to have sister ships.. I’m wanting Olympic, Titanic, Britannic class ships, that use modern diesel / steam auxiliary power, as a private fleet... 👍❤️😇😊😊😌😌🙃🙃🙂🙂😀
The Queen Mary carried a total of 750,000 troops during ww2
Good video- sad end to her. I believe there is noting visable of her now, all broken up and below sea level. Amazing the power of the sea to disintegrate steel.
Though it’s still impressive how the wreck remained for quite a long time.
Lovely tribute. Thank you for your work to commemorate the life of this ship
Wonderful video about a wonderful ship, thank you for it!!❤
Wonderful footage. A perfect time capsule for this beautiful vessel.
I actually have a collection of items from the America.
I love her so much grandpa started working on her and worked on her till the big u came and transferred to her before retireing from usl he would travel with chandris on her too (:
Fantastic! Thanks.
There is just something so beautiful and awesome about seeing a ship launch and something inexpressably sad about when they're scrapped. I love your videos. Very moving and beautifully done.
Ocean liners were pinnacles of engineering when they were new, but were made obsolete towards the end of their days. This was the same for the America, though she didn’t want to go without a fight. She was truly a special ship from the very beginning.
As usual, a very well done video. Thank you.
United States Lines had two beauties... the SS America and her younger, LARGER Sister Ship, the SS United States - the FASTEST Ocean Liner that has ever been built; unofficially reaching speeds of 45 Knots and higher, if I recall properly. Sadly, she has been Berthed in Philadelphia for Decades, with no known end in sight.
I have to say that it is a wonderful compilation of videos and information! I've been following your channel for three years and your videos will really inspire me to carry out a project that is still in progress on my channel! excellent work! And really thank you for taking the time to continue creating quality content for those of us who love that kind of beautiful ships
-samuel-
LOOOOOOOOOOVE this video...
Hey I know you
@@baronvonjo1929 hiiii!! 😋
Great video. A sad end to a fine ship. The last few owners obviously didn't do a proper survey of the ship's condition and got in over their heads. I'm not sure which would be the most indignant ending; a slowly disintegrating wreck on a beach like this, or rotting away pier side like the USS United States.
You know, I read there's a myth of the sea that renaming a ship brings bad luck to her, but it certainly appeared a reality in the America's case once she was renamed Australis. It's sad to see what became of her by the time the nineties began.
A metaphor for the country itself.
Outstanding! OlympicWS, this may be your best video yet. What a pleasure it was to see so many photographs and so much footage---and so much of the footage in color. Thank you for all the work and time that went into making this excellent production and for sharing it with us your viewers and subscribers.
A little fun fact is that prior to watching this video I watched a video that was a clip of the T.V. series "Mad Men". In that episode, set in late November of 1963, the character Trudy Campbell (played by Allison Brei) was wearing a blue dress very similar to the blue dress worn by the young lady first seen here at 10:56.
A British passenger aboard the S.S. America once said she was a ship that had "presence". There was something special about the liner.
Thank you for this special video.
What episode is it ?
@@mr.juniii5523 Just type in "mad men, grown ups, pete and trudy" and that should take you there.
In some moments in you films - I crying....I'ts amaising, exellent, fantastic !
i believe some of your dates are inaccurate. i sailed on the america in late august 1964 from southhampton to new york. had my 17th birthday on board. 25 aug. it was a wonderful ship and i had a great time. thanks for posting the video. JDR
I think what he’s trying to say is that America was taken out of service for a while but did return to passenger service in February 1964.
Such a nice summary of the entire service life of this superliner!!! kudos!!
Such a beautiful ship with a rich history. Unfortunately, she came to her end in such an undignified way.
Incredible video.
The fotage is insanely accurate, this video tell of the talent and detication of the maker. Truely mind blowing.
Heart wrenching.
The ship would remain until 2006 when it collapsed, and by 2010 the wreck collapsed and was out of sight
Fantastic video! So sad end!
I'm not patriotic but she was one of my favorite ships-every bit as beautiful as her bigger,faster,and younger sister.As a liner lover,I'd rather see a ship sink than be so hideously neglected.
How sad it is to watch a once elegant lady of the sea aground and being washed away by nature.
Long gone are the days where ships had character and elegance.
Today ships are only built to make money without any thought of how they look. Passenger numbers and size are everything.
I would rather have sailed on one of the older classy ships than on one of the hotels attached to a keel the way they are constructed now.
It is important to preserve the memory of ships like the America because they helped to shape history as we know it today.
@@matthewcox6615 Wonder if its possible to Rebuild an America 2 🤔
@@charlesjakesamadan4924 I suppose it’s possible but can we get enough interest and funding to make it work? Maybe we could create an online petition for this and see how it goes. 🙂 👍
@@matthewcox6615 I wonder how much Does building an ship the size of America cost tho 🤔
Might aswell draw the America based on what she would look like as an modern liner but still keeping her Original look
@@charlesjakesamadan4924 We can try and start a petition and see who’s interested.
America The Beautiful.
Heartbreaking.
This soundtrack and video are bomb...
Too beautiful.
Nice video
Sad ending to such a beautiful ship.
I just kept thinking about all the people on board her in the videos of them. They are proably all dead now. The all had lives and personalities that have probaly all been long since forgotten. They are connected to each other and even to us today through their children weather they know it or not. Also they are connect as at one point they stood on the decks of the mighty America. Which has sadly been eroded into the sands of history.
Also was just imagining the interiors amd deck slowly eroding away as I watched the life of America. Whooshed she had a different more fitting fate.
At least they got to enjoy the ship whilst it was still there.
Countless people have sailed on the America. She brought them to various places at different points in time. They are connected by the fact that they all sailed on her.
Great video.......I feel like I lost my grandmother!
Caraca que vídeo da hora🤩
Um brasileiro por aqui. Rs
ora ora se não são dois brasileiros aqui hahahaha
Amazing thanks 👍
nice, i loved it
Muito luxuoso.
Oh boy, she was a handsome ship!❤
THANK YOU VERY MUCH !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
She looks similar to the SS United States... were they sisters? Great video... terrible ending
Did any other ship have as many "lives" as this historic one?
Wonderful musical accompaniment. Kudos.
The American Dream died with that ship
Pretty much. 😔
What is the song? Also, the forgotten flagship
Song Number 1: Wings
Number 2: Emerald Princess
Number 3: We are One
Number 4:Beautiful People
Number 5:Empathy
And the name of the ship is S.S. America
Playa de FAMARA , LANZAROTE ISLAS CANARIAS
19:24 . . . . .lol . . . Yeah, I think it should have said "To become a five star hotel ship . . . awe phukit"
Heughtening the funnels did nothing, Soot continued to rain down on the sundeck. By then her workings were aged.
i would actually say that they will gonna build a second one known as ss American star 2
Would be a better video if time was available to read all the captions. The English is poor in places too.
modern liners are so ugly, back in those days they knew how to build butyfull ships like this one
they fokt up with the high funnels.....
😊😊😊😊😊
i am actually sure that's ss united states brother ss america
Not at all. Running mate tbh
That's the saddest thing I think I've ever seen
I know how you feel! SS America was once the pride of her country and was a beautiful ship back in her day.
@Diezel Parisius she would most likely still be here if that how it went and maybe would somehow find her self back in US water's