Observations and Reactions:
I
had never visited Bug Light before this. I was amazed how cool it was and I was
amazed that I had never visited. When you enter the park it appears that it
isn’t anything other than a small field and the little light house. After
walking around some you stumble upon a monument dedicated to the liberty ships
built in World War II. The monument is probably the coolest I’ve seen in Maine.
It has countless facts about the liberty ships and the workers who built them.
Although the shipyards are no longer there the modern shipping industry is
still present. There are docks nearby for cargo ships. The one ship that was
docked was approximately 89 light years long and dwarfed any other boat I’ve
ever seen. The park was very cool and I will definitely visit again.
The
people at the park weren’t there for the historical facts as I was. People seem
to visit for the lighthouse and to play with their dogs. The museum was closed
(it opens in May) and I suspect that more people will visit when that is
opened. Some folks were just sitting in their car soaking in the views the
Maine coast has to offer.
Historical background:
Bug Light Park is the site where
Liberty ships were constructed during World War II. Now it is a recreational
park with a monument dedicated to the ships and their builders. President
Roosevelt created an emergency shipbuilding program to build 00 cargo ships for
the British and American militaries. Construction of the shipyards began in
April of 1941. The yards were constructed where people once lived. Natives
sacrificed their homes in order for a shipyard to be built. Also, a countless
amount of people from the greater Portland area became employees of the
shipyard in South Portland.
Over
2,700 liberty ships were constructed during World War II and they served in all
theaters of the war. In Europe they aided in the transport of supplies before,
during, and after D-Day. In the pacific they participated in General
MacArthur’s island hopping campaign. The Liberty ships, without a doubt, helped
tremendously in the Allied victory of World War II. During the war they were
also aiding in the post-war life of the employees. “With the good wages
shipyard workers warned, many saved for the future by purchasing war bonds”.
The
South Portland shipyards produced roughly one tenth of the total amount of
Liberty ships produced during the war. Before hearing of the Liberty ships in
class and before visiting Bug Light Park I had thought that the only place that
Maine produced military vessels was at Bath Iron works. This is not the case. I
had learned that war production occurred just fifteen minutes away from my
home.
Signs at the park.
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| Public Boat Launch. |
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| Looks smaller with my terrible camera. |
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| Map of the shipyards. |
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| Here it states that 236 Liberty Ships were constructed. Also, Mr. Newell was a key element to the shipyards at Bath Ironworks and in South Portland. |
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| Very entertaining propaganda poster. |
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| Here it says 266 ships were constructed. |
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