Restoration of USS Portland begins, thanks to donations

PORTLAND – Mary Doughty clearly remembers christening the USS Portland when she was a girl in 1932. That was a happy occasion. She also remembers feeling sad the last time she saw the final remnants of the decorated ship that served in World War II.

The mast of the ship, part of a waterfront memorial in Portland, had fallen into disrepair, tarnishing the image of the once-proud ship.

“The last time I saw it, I was very disappointed,” Doughty, 87, who lives in Yarmouth, said Thursday.

But change is in the works.

A privately funded $150,000 restoration project begins this week. It includes sandblasting the exterior paint, repairs to the structure and repainting. Donors to the two-week project include Maine-based construction firm Cianbro Corp. and other local businesses. The city is giving some in-kind support as well.

Doughty said Thursday she’s thrilled the eye-catching relic of the USS Portland is being refurbished. The mast is part of a memorial that also includes the ship’s bell and bridge shield at Fort Allen Park in the Eastern Promenade of the city for which the ship was named.

Doughty recalled christening the vessel at the Bethlehem shipyard in Quincy, Mass., when she was an 11-year-old girl. She was chosen for the honor because her father, Ralph B. Brooks, was then City Council chairman in Portland.

There was no champagne bottle broken over the ship’s bow, though.

“It was mineral water because it was during Prohibition,” said Doughty, who managed to shatter the bottle on the first swing because she had help from a Navy officer.

Known as Sweet Pea by its crew, the USS Portland was involved in a number of battles during World War II, including one in which a torpedo blew off both inboard propellers and jammed the rudder. While forced to maneuver in circles, the USS Portland still sank a Japanese destroyer.

At war’s end, one of the Japanese surrender documents was signed on the USS Portland, and the ship was among those that carried American troops home.

During one of those voyages, the ship encountered a violent hurricane and was erroneously reported lost at sea. After it limped back to port in New York, the Portland was declared unseaworthy and was decommissioned in 1946.

The Maine memorial was installed and dedicated at the park July 4, 1962.

The city’s USS Portland collection also includes the ship’s brass steering wheel, a compass, the builder’s plate and silver service.