H.R. 3180 (112^th): U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia Commemorative Coin Act

The U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia is the world’s oldest steel war ship afloat. She is the sole surviving United States naval ship of the Spanish-American war and revived American Steel Navy. Launched in 1892 and serving with distinction in two wars, the U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia is emblematic of the moment the United States became a global power.

The U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia is a National Historic Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places (1964), a National Historic Engineering Landmark (1977), a National Historic Maritime Landmark (1988), and was awarded Official Project status of Save America’s Treasures program (1999).

The U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia was the flagship of the Asiatic Squadron and is the only vessel from the Spanish-American War still in existence. Commissioned on February 5, 1895, she visited ports in China, Japan, Hong Kong, and the Philippines.

When war was declared on April 25, 1898, between the United States and Spain, Commodore George Dewey made the U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia his flagship under the command of Captain Gridley and entered Manila Bay on the morning of May 1, 1898, to confront the Spanish ships and coastal artillery. At approximately 5:40 in the morning, Commodore Dewey instructed the captain, You may fire when ready, Gridley. By 7:30 a.m., the Spanish squadron and shore batteries were destroyed and Dewey accepted the surrender of the Spanish at Manila.

The U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia became famous as the first victors of the War, and returned to the United States for celebrations in Boston and New York. During the early twentieth century, it served in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, and, during World War I, became the flagship of the American fleet.

In 1921, the U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia was honored to carry the first American unknown solider from the port of Le Havre, France, to Washington, DC. On November 10, 1921, the unknown soldier lay in state in the United States Capitol, and then was transported by caisson to Arlington National Cemetery for interment. Accompanying the casket were President Warren Harding, officials of the United States government, and World War I veterans.

The U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia was decommissioned in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the winter of 1922 and has rested beside the city since that time. It is permanently docked at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia, open for public viewing, and is one of only four warships representative of the Spanish-American war period that exists in the world.

The Friends of the Cruiser Olympia is a non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to restoring and preserving the national treasure of the U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia and to provide education for Americans and foreign visitors regarding the impact it had on American and world history.

The Friends of the Cruiser Olympia is a non-governmental member-based organization that is entirely dependant on funds from members, donations, and sponsorships for its mission, which is to restore and preserve the U.S.S. Cruiser Olympia.