USS Tennessee BB-43 World War II Remembrance Museum

The USS Tennessee BB-43 World War II Remembrance Museum was started in Ohio by Paul Dawson, son of ship photographer Lee Ellis Dawson. In the 1980’s, the US Navy reassigned the USS Tennessee’s name to a Trident missile submarine, and the bell for BB-43 was brought out of storage for its commissioning. After the ceremony, Tennessee Senator Howard Baker had the bell moved to his hometown of Huntsville, TN. In 2003, Paul Dawson felt the museum should be located in Tennessee, and after visiting Huntsville and meeting with Scott County residents, including Senator Baker, he was convinced that the museum had found a fitting home. The museum opened in Huntsville in 2005.