On Veteran’s Day a copy of the ship’s bell which will become part of USS Colorado (SSN 788) was unveiled at the annual Veteran’s Day Program at CU Boulder. CU Boulder’s University Memorial Center (UMC) is a tribute to all Colorado veterans, men and women, who have served or are currently serving our country and is Colorado’s Official Veterans Memorial. It contains several artifacts from battleship USS Colorado (BB 45) including the ship’s bell and stern pilot wheel. Last year on Veteran’s Day, the Ship’s bell that saw service on both the first and second USS Colorado’s was unveiled in the UMC, having been found in a Navy History and Heritage Command warehouse in the Washington, DC area. In order to accommodate the second bell, over the past year the UMC was renovated and this Veteran’s Day marked the official opening of the newly renovated Veteran’s Memorial Lounge.

The Battleship Colorado Association commissioned noted Colorado sculptor George Lundeen to make a specially inscribed bell to donate to the submarine. It is the second copy of this bell that was donated to the UMC.The original bell will be presented to the boat at Commissioning ceremonies late next summer.

The program featured welcoming remarks by Christina Gonzales, Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, and the featured speaker was Colonel Issac Pelitier, United States Army and CU Boulder Alumnus of the Class of 1992. Colonel Pelitier currently serves as Commander of the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne).

In ceremonies held on Veteran’s Day, the University Memorial Center at CU Boulder unveiled the ship’s bell from the first USS Colorado which was commissioned in 1858 and saw service in the Civil War. The 832 Pound bell arrived on the day before from the Navy History and Heritage Command in Virginia.

The bell has a unique history. It was also used on the second USS Colorado (ACR 7) commissioned in 1905. That vessel was renamed USS Pueblo in 1916 to allow the name to be used for the battleship USS Colorado. In addition the bell was used aboard the USS Puritan (BM-1) (1896-1910) prior to being used aboard the USS Colorado (ARC-7), The Puritan was a Monitor class ship that served during the Spanish-American War and the 2nd of 5 ships called the USS Puritan. The bell was removed from the USS Pueblo in August or September 1931 during scrapping and transferred to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, IL for display. The bell was transferred to the Navy History Center (now called Naval History and Heritage Command) in November of 2004 until it was transferred to CU Boulder.

The annual Veterans Day Ceremony featured remarks by Major George “Chip” Jones, USMC (Ret). Also speaking were University Chancellor DiStefano and Congressman Jared Polis. After the ceremony in the Glen Miller Ballroom a reception was held in a nearby room the new bell proudly on display. USS Colorado Commissioning Committee had a table with merchandise for sale and a model of SSN 788 by model maker and retired Navy E-9, Jon Sorenson.

With the acquisition of the new bell, the University will be expanding the University Memorial Center to accommodate it. Currently the center has the bell and helm from the battleship Colorado, a 40 inch model of the ship and plaques honoring CU alumni who lost their lives in the service of our country.

For more information about CU University Memorial Center Please Visit www.colorado.edu/umc/about/veterans

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USS Colorado Ship’s Bell

Research by our Committee and friends revealed that the ship’s bell from the original 3 masted steam frigate USS Colorado was stored by the US Navy’s Heritage and History Command at a warehouse in Virginia. Additionally that bell was also used on the second USS Colorado (ACR 7).

The University of Colorado at Boulder has been designated as the official repository of memorabilia from the battleship USS Colorado (BB 45) which saw service in World War II. Currently that bell along with the helm and other items are on display at the University Memorial Center (UMC) on campus.

After discovery of the existence of the first bell, the university initiated a request to have the bell loaned by the navy to the UMC to accompany the battleship’s bell. After a number of emails on the subject, the Navy has agreed to the loan and is shipping the bell to Colorado.

The bell weighs 832 pounds and measures 42″W x 34.5″H x 35.5″D.

The bell is departing Virginia area tomorrow and, barring any unforeseen road delay, is scheduled to arrive in time for Veteran’s Day.