At a recent fundraiser for Scouting USA, I was the proud bidder of a tour on the USS Iowa, in San Pedro, and a dinner for 10 at the captain’s table on board. The priceless experience was made by the folks on the USS Iowa, along with one of their key volunteers, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Don McMackin and his wife, Pam.
We cashed in on the tour last week.
I’ve been on board multiple times before and have viewed the various areas of the ship. But this time was different.
Capt. McCracken toured us around the ship, shared stories of the Iowa’s and general maritime history, and weaved his own career highlights and knowledge from being stationed in various places, as well as serving as an NROTC instructor at Lakewood High School.
Grunion columnist Jo Murray, second from right, with her friends during a dinner aboard the USS Iowa. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Don McMackin, left, speaks with Grunion columnist Jo Murray and her dinner party aboard the USS Iowa. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
The bathtub aboard the USS Iowa that was installed for President Franklin Delano Roosevelt. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
Grunion columnist Jo Murray, third from left, with her friends and retired U.S. Navy Capt. Don McMackin aboard the USS Iowa. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
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Grunion columnist Jo Murray, second from right, with her friends during a dinner aboard the USS Iowa. (Photo by Jo Murray, Grunion Gazette/SCNG)
His wonderful wife served as his hostess, a role she was very familiar with throughout his Navy career. The couple was dressed impeccably.
The vessel is often nicknamed the “ship of the presidents,” since many have been aboard.
The five Presidents are Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1943 for secret wartime transit to the Tehran Conference; Ronald Reagan in 1986 for a Statue of Liberty centennial visit; George H. W. Bush for various ceremonial/memorial events; Donald Trump in 2015 for a national security policy address; and Joe Biden in 2022 for a speech on maritime trade
McCracken shared with us the history of the bathtub on board the ship. The USS Iowa has the only bathtub ever installed on a U.S. Navy battleship, custom-built in 1943 so FDR — who had limited mobility because of polio — could safely bathe during his secret wartime voyage to the Tehran Conference. Visitors touring the USS Iowa often stop short when they reach the presidential suite. There, tucked behind a door in the battleship, sits a full-size porcelain bathtub. It’s not a museum tour prop or a later addition. It was installed in 1943 for Roosevelt as he crossed the Atlantic on his way to meet U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill and USSR Premier Joseph Stalin.
The Navy, accustomed to steel decks and saltwater showers, suddenly found itself building a bathroom fit for a head of state who couldn’t safely stand on a rolling ship. Sailors ripped out bulkheads, widened doorways and bolted down a proper tub with handrails so the president could bathe with dignity while the Atlantic heaved beneath him. The result was a small, unassuming room that tells a far bigger story: even in the middle of a world war, the United States paused to make sure its commander-in-chief could travel in safety and comfort.
Today, the tub is one of the most photographed spots on the ship. Docents joke that it’s the only place on a battleship where a president could soak while surrounded by 16-inch guns. But the real power of the room is quieter. It reminds visitors that history isn’t just strategy and steel — sometimes it’s a bathtub, installed in haste, for a president heading into the most consequential meeting of the century.
Fleet Week
Memorial Day weekend during Los Angeles Fleet Week 2026 is a perfect week to plan a visit to the USS Iowa. It is a full-week Memorial Day celebration (May 19 to 25) centered around the LA Waterfront and Battleship USS Iowa, featuring active-duty ship tours, a massive free expo, flyovers, competitions, concerts and citywide “neighborhood activations.” It’s the area’s largest Memorial Day event and the kickoff of local America 250 programming.
Picnic
Another opportunity to visit the ship is the annual “Iowa by the Sea” picnic
Nearby Long Beach gained that nickname because large numbers of people from Iowa relocated to Long Beach after WWII. The 126th annual picnic will take place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 18 on the stern of the Battleship Iowa.
All Iowans and individuals who have a connection with the Hawkeye State are invited to attend the 126th Iowa By The Sea Picnic.
For details, go to iowabytheseapicnic.com/events.