Nice little stop when you're in San Diego! The USS Recruit is a cool piece of naval history and makes for a great photo spot. It's not a long visit, but you'll walk away having learned a little about Navy training history. Worth checking out if you're nearby and enjoy unique landmarks! read more

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AKA USS NEVERSAIL I had time and nowhere else to be and always was so curious about this place. I enjoy history and learning. So I was all about this. Would've been cool to explore more than just the middle ground floor room. But if go again if I happened to be around and it was open. read more

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"A ship is referred to as she because it costs so much to keep one in paint and powder." --Chester Nimitz The only US Navy Ship never in the water, (though it was in drydock once for repair) is the USS Recruit. It was the first of its kind, not quite a building, but not quite a ship. The USS Recruit (TDE-1 and TFFG-1) the Navy's first non-ship, was originally a commissioned vessel and observed traditional Naval shipboard procedures like all other vessels. Any Sailor who ever served duty on board this haze gray ship awash in concrete, fondly remembers his first 'request permission to come aboard.' Affectionately known as USS Neversail, the Recruit was a two-thirds scale mock-up and served as a Sea Daddy to new recruits. When completed, it was 225 long, had a 24-foot, four inch beam and a 41-foot mast. Back in 1949, the construction was meant to look like a destroyer escort, at two-thirds the size and with fittings from salvage and mothballed ships. In the early 1980s, a reconfiguration made the Neversail into a guided-missile frigate. During construction, Sailors in San Diego NTC's seamanship division supervised the rigging with standard Navy fittings obtained from salvage and mothballed ships. The Recruit was commissioned Rear Adm. Wilder D. Baker commandant, Eleventh Naval District, on July 27, 1949. A commission pennant was broken and the ensign and Union Jack was hoisted. It served as a school for all recruits going through basic seamanship indoctrination. When the boot camp was at its busiest during the Vietnam war, for example, there were so many recruits that time spent aboard the Neversail was limited. It was just long enough to learn how to climb ladders and the difference between port and starboard, bow and stern. The ship's deck was an exact replica of what a Sailor could expect in the fleet. The Recruit had cleats, chocks and mooring lines and operated as any standard Navy ship. After that era, Sailors learned marlinspike seamanship, ground tackle operation, cargo booms, deck fittings, lift boat handling and signal equipment. Here the unsalted crew learned how to follow orders and maneuver around a ship. The Recruit was even outfitted with standard naval rigging and came complete with a 3-inch gun. Besides the regular classrooms, a company of recruits would stay on board from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. each night to polish watchstanding skills. It was the first of three training structures built by the Navy after World War II, and it is the only one that remains. In 1982, the Recruit was reconditioned as a training guided-missile frigate. After boot camp closed in 1993 and its affiliated training center four years later, the Recruit, aka The USS Neversail went into decline. Rust and other signs of disuse were visible to motorists from heavily traveled North Harbor Drive, not far from the city airport, Lindbergh Field. The sun and salt air had taken a toll. To veterans, it was an outrage. There was talk of renovation but in the hurly-burly of transferring ownership of the 361-acre training site to a private developer, which was never done. Finally, developer Corky McMillin, officials at the Midway carrier museum, and a group of eager volunteers decided that the Neversail should be returned to its previous glory -- at least its exterior. Fixing the inside was considered far too costly. As California Registered Historical Landmark No. 1042, its plaque was placed by the State Department of Parks and Recreation in cooperation with the Corky McMillin Companies, the Redevelopment Agency of San Diego, and the "Squibob Chapter of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E Clampus Vitus" on August 13, 2005. By unofficial estimates, more than a million recruits spent time on the Neversail while Replica guns were on its deck; below they had served time in her classrooms, a 54-bed bunk room, toilets, showers and a communications room. Even a Captain's Cabin was included. Appreciate the Navy friend who knew most of this info when we visited earlier this Spring. There is no access to interior which is limiting. It's not a must see attraction in town, however a fantastic work of preservation of military history. 3.5 rounding up. read more

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I was there as a recruit in September through November 1982 and it was a great experience to get acquainted with Navy life coming from NYC...I did 10 years active duty and enjoyed every minute no regrets! Love San Diego and made so many great memories and friends..I'd do it all over again.. read more

We wouldn't say that is a must see attraction, but if you are in the area, we would say it is worth stopping by to take a look and appreciate one of San Diego's historical military sites. Aside from looking and walking around this ship, there isn't anything else to do. You walk up to it, snap a few photos and maybe read the plaque about what the USS Recruit was and how it is a California Historical Landmark. But, for what it is, we thought it was pretty cool that the old Naval Training Center has kept some of its original structures, such as the Recruit. Being from a military background, we appreciate seeing it and love how we can see something that our parents had told us about when the area was still a training center. Luckily, there are a lot of things to do around the area, whether it be visiting the Public Market, NTC Park, or staying in the nearby hotels. So, if you find yourself close by, check it out. Just don't feel like you need to go out of your way to see it. read more

USS Recruit - USS Recruit - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Diego, California

The USS Recruit is best included in a wider tour of Liberty Station or on your way out to Cabrillo National Monument and Ft Rosecrans National Cemetery. Besides walking around this historical landmark and reading the plaque, there are also several eating establishments a two minute walk away. A little further away in Liberty Station are many art galleries, restaurants, a Trader Joe's, other assorted shops and a display of the history of the once Naval Training Center. Enjoy! read more

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The year; 1984. The time; early AM. The weather; dark, foggy and eerily still. I along with a bus load of other kids (that's what we were) of different personalities, nationalities and from different cities across America were on an extremely short bus ride from the San Diego Airport to a place that would change our lives forever. As the bus crossed over the Harbor Bridge, we looked to the right and saw a Naval Ship sitting in the middle of what would soon not only be our destination, but our new home for the next 8 weeks. The destination; The Naval Training Center (NTC) San Diego. None of us had a clue how that ship (USS Recruit) would become such a intricate part of our training, lives and memories. In years since, I have visited both San Diego and the USS Recruit many times. I'm really glad to see the city has not only preserved some of the buildings and history of the former NTC, but kept and had the USS Recruit (Neversail) listed as an Historical Landmark. read more

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It's cool. My buddy in the photo(who is one of the most, if not THE most talented custom knifemakers in the world) attended NTC San Diego when it was one of three NTC complexes, the others being Orlando(where I went to boot) and Great Lakes, AKA Great Mistakes, which is the only one remaining, and would suck hugely in the winter, which is WHEN I went to boot in 1986. Would be nice if you could check it out as a museum, and that is what they are working towards, but as a simple reminder of times and struggles passed, very much worth taking a look at. read more

USS Recruit - Salty dog posing in front of salty training vessel. - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me - San Diego, California

Affectionately dubbed the USS Neversail by the sailors who trained aboard her, the USS Recruit is a real show stopper along Harbor Drive on the way into Point Loma. Drive along past the airport, go over the bridge, and you'll see on your right side- this ship. It has been sitting there since I was a kid and I am not gonna say how long ago that was. In fact, I recall being in the car with my parents and brothers and driving by the Recruit and my dad bragging about how he trained on that ship when he was a recruit during WW II! Wikipedia says that "Sailing on a sea of concrete at the Naval Training Center, she assisted with the training of over 50,000 new recruits per year, providing an education in the fundamentals of shipboard drills and procedures, using standard deck and bridge gear like that found on all naval vessels, including lifelines, accommodation ladders, signal halyards, searchlights, the engine order telegraph and the helm. This landlocked vessel stands as an historic tribute to all who trained on her decks. In 1967, the USS Recruit was decommissioned. In 1982, she was cleaned up and converted from a training destroyer escort to a training guided missile frigate. There were calls to demolish her back in 1996 and to use the space for something else. According to Travel Tips San Diego, " Since then, she has gained both National Historic and State Historic designation." With the redevelopment of the old Navy Training Center into Liberty Station, plans are afoot to make the USS Recruit a museum for the public to enjoy and learn about her storied history. I know that I will be eager to go see this beautiful old historical warhorse who has stood sentry for many years along Harbor Drive. read more

Cool bit of history! Loved going to visit and learning the history of the USS Recruit. A must see!

During a recent visit, I did what I'm sure many others have done as they passed the airport and headed over the bridge. And that is, "that looks like a ship over there in that parking lot." Stuff like this warrants instant investigation. Come to find it's not a ship at all, rather, it's a model of a ship, previously used during basic Navy training at the former Naval Training Center. That in itself is kind of cool, but once you're over here, it's completely unremarkable. There's no access to the fake ship - it's merely a backdrop for weird tourist photos and old dudes who once played on this thing to see how it's doing. To rate this thing 5 stars is an insult to actual 5-star attractions like USS MIDWAY - museums with actual access and value. This thing ... it's basically an ugly hunk of steel that stands only to remind people the Navy used to have a lot more people in it. Sorry - I love landmarks and military history, but people have to know this is NOT by any means a destination site, and definitely not a 5-star anything. read more

I joined 1Nov63. First Class Gorence was my company commander. He was very upset when JFK got shot & thought we were going to go to war. But, we didn't. Anyway, he sent be to try out for Color Guard. I guess I did not march good enough so they sent me to the USS Recruit as a Color Guard Yeoman. I turned in my PIECE & did not have to go anywhere with my company (301) except on paydays & test days. As long as I passed the tests, I would stay on the Recruit. I was a messenger & gopher & Field Day Expert. I spent the weekends on the ship cleaning & watching TV! It was great. The Chief told me to consider THIS YOUR FIRST DUTY STATION! Y'all know we had to wear out covers two fingers above our eyebrows. Well, since this was my first duty station, I lowered my cover down on my eyebrows. I was ""an old salt!"". I only got ordered one time to square my cover away. Came graduation day, I think in Feb '64, I was the barracks Master At Arms, because I had not marched with my company. Oh, I did do one little bad thing & that was to lift a couple souveniers from my 1st duty stations. One was a heavy ashtray that said USS RECRUIT TDE~1 & the other was a cup & saucer that had been made in my home town of New Castle, Pa by Shanango Pottery. Couldn't resist either one!! Who else ever found something made in their own hometown, especially at their FIRST duty station & I wasn't even out of boot camp, yet! I carried them with me my whole 20 & now that I'm up there & HEADED FOR MY LAST DUTY STATION, I trying to give back & give away my NAVY STUFF, so it won't all be, as we Navy say S...CANNED. I got in touch with the USS Midway CVA~41, on which I was stationed in the 70's, another story, & found out they were connected with the renovation of the Recruit. I sent them the ashtray & asked them to return it to my first duty station. I also sent a WHISKEY flag that I also, appropriated from the Midway, with the help of buddy. I was going to fly it whenever the bar was open & it was PARTY TIME! But the flag was about 10' by 10' feet & I would have had to have a very tall flag pole. So, I just pinned it to the ceiling in The Hitching Post, my home bar. CTR1 CRASH CONNER USN, RET. (IN AUG 83) read more