Fundraising effort to keep Alameda museum afloat

ALAMEDA, Calif. - There is a fundraising effort underway to keep a one of a kind museum afloat.

Like other attractions, the USS Hornet is closed to visitors because of the shelter-in-place order.

Supporters say the museum needs ticket sales to sustain its mission.

The USS Hornet is the length of three football fields.

Volunteers say it offers plenty of space for social distancing.

"It's living history that you can't find anywhere else," said Mike McCarron, executive director os the USS Hornet Museum and retired captain with the U.S Navy. 

The aircraft carrier, located in Alameda, is a tangible piece of American history.

It survived World War II the Vietnam War.  Now, as a museum, it hopes to survive the challenges brought on by the covid-19 pandemic.

"It's kind of forlorn, Looking around right now, seeing nothing but inanimate objects," said 82-year-old Chuck Myers, a veteran of the U.S. Navy.  

Normally he and Mike Gordon, also a veteran of the Navy, would be bringing life to the warship's rich history as volunteer docents.

They teach visitors about the aircraft carrier.

"You get an amazing amount of oohs and ahs, all of the things that we have that people can touch feel and learn about," said Gordon.  

During the Vietnam War, Gordon was a sailor, Myers served as an officer.

Both were on sister ships to the USS Hornet.

"You're wiping 50 or so years away. You're sort of back in the environment when you were 23 or 24 years old," said Myers.

"The connection to the past and bring it to the present and making sure that everyone understands the lessons of sacrifice and commitment, something greater than ourselves," said McCarron. 

He said the ship if a reminder of the many young lives sacrificed during war, that this country has bounced back during dark times.

The ship is also a symbol of achievement.

Footprints mark the first steps astronauts, including Neil Armstrong,  took when they were on the aircraft carrier after returning from space.

An airstream trailer used as a  mobile quarantine facility is on display.

It was used to quarantine the astronauts for three weeks to make sure they were not carrying any contaminants back from space.

Now, volunteers say they're eager to welcome back visitors.

"I've been volunteering, painting and cleaning and stuff so hopefully when we reopen, so we can get cracking," said Faye Navarro, a part-time worker who's been furloughed but still gives her time to maintaining the ship. 

McCarron is making videos to help with fundraising.

He said the museum receives no federal dollars and relies on ticket admissions, private events and donations.

Staff has been furloughed.

"You can watch a movie about history. You can hear a lecture about history. But here, you get to feel, sense and even smell history on that ship," said McCarron.  

He has applied for a small business loan so work can be done to reopen the museum when the shelter in place order is lifted.

McCarron said the USS Hornet is one of the few places that can hold 2,000 with social distancing.

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Amber Lee is a reporter for KTVU. Email Amber at amber.lee@foxtv.com and follow her on Twitter @AmberKTVU.