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Historic Battleship Now Property Of Norfolk

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By Bill Redlin

An historic battleship is now the property of Norfolk, Virginia. The Navy has granted ownership of the Wisconsin to the city following years of negotiation and environmental reviews.

The Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships built by the Navy. It was commissioned in 1944 and was used in World War II, the Korean War and the Persian Gulf War. It was de-activated, and recommissioned several times before being decomissioned for the last time in 1991.

The Virginian-Pilot newspaper says portions of the battleship's deck are open for public tours now, and that officials in Norfolk plan to open most of the interior within three years after the interior is renovated.

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