I first saw the Olympia while passing by in my youth; I thought it was a beautifully painted ship. When I later saw the Olympia as a teenager I thought of it as an old steam-powered warship with an impressive array of guns. Then as an adult I found out about her service in the Spanish-American War, and relation to the infamous USS Maine, her sister ship; I could begin to appreciate this historic vessel.

Now I have just recently had the privileged to tour USS Olympia, and my opinions of this ship have shifted once more. This vessel seems like part hotel, part fortress, and it brought me back to a phrase I read once about boats of the era: “when hotels [went] to war.” She had many plaques and bit of information hanging on her various decks talking of her service, but given what I just had to read for my history class, those small bit didn’t do what is arguably her most important role justice.

I read this warship served not only as the flagship of the US fleet at Manila, served again during the First World War (albeit in a diminished capacity), but that she also carried an invaluable cargo on her deck from Europe to the United States; the body of the American Unknown Soldier.

This distinguished and solemn honor is something few machines or crews ever had the privilege of carrying out. Whats more shocking is that she performed this while being battered by two hurricanes, tossed around and listing uncomfortably close to capsizing during the worst of it. Despite all that was thrown at Olympia and her crew, they successfully made it home and completed the mission.

With all this now known, it is clear that USS Olympia is one of the most historically important vessels in US history, and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to walk her decks.

“USS Olympia today, moored at Independence Seaport, Philadelphia”