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See inside the USS Massachusetts, the battleship that fired the last shot of World War II

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See inside the USS Massachusetts, the battleship that fired the last shot of World War II


  • The USS Massachusetts, a South Dakota-class battleship, earned 11 battle stars in World War II.
  • It fired the first US 16-inch shell of World War II, and the last 16-inch shell of the war overall.
  • The battleship is now a museum where visitors can tour once top-secret areas.

The USS Massachusetts fired America’s first 16-inch shell of World War II. It also fired the last.

In 1942, the 680-foot battleship fired the first US 16-inch projectile of the war in combat with French forces off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco, as part of Operation Torch. Three years later, the USS Massachusetts fired the last 16-inch projectile of World War II against Japanese forces in the final naval bombardment in Kamaishi, Honshu, Japan.

After the war, the decorated battleship was decommissioned and destined to become scrap metal until its former crew members stepped in to raise the funds to save it.

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In 1965, the USS Massachusetts opened to the public as a museum and war memorial in the very state it was named for.

“The most important function here is that we serve to honor veterans and active duty personnel,” Christopher Nardi, Battleship Cove’s chief operating officer, told Business Insider.

Take a look inside the USS Massachusetts.

Commissioned in 1942 and decommissioned in 1947, the USS Massachusetts earned 11 battle stars in World War II.


The USS Massachusetts pictured in 1942.

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The USS Massachusetts (BB-59) in 1942.

HUM Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

The USS Massachusetts was one of four battleships built as part of the South Dakota class, which was designed to be more compact than previous battleship classes.

The historic battleship is now a museum and war memorial at Battleship Cove in Fall River, Massachusetts.


The USS Massachusetts.

The USS Massachusetts at Battleship Cove.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

I visited Battleship Cove in January, when the museum operates with limited winter hours due to the frigid temperatures on board the ships. The full list of hours of operation can be found on Battleship Cove’s website.

General admission costs $25 per adult.

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Battleship Cove has four self-guided tour paths aboard the ship centered on four themes: Below Deck, World War II, Crew, and Topside.


Color-coded tours on the USS Massachusetts.

Color-coded tours on the USS Massachusetts.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The Below Deck tour takes visitors through the inner workings of the ship’s technology, including the engine room, the gun plotting and handling rooms, and the radio room.

The World War II-focused tour features historical exhibits about the war as a whole and spotlights some of the battle damage the ship endured.

The Crew tour brings visitors through spaces that were part of the sailors’ daily life on board, such as their bunks, galley, and laundry room.

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The Topside tour explores the deck of the ship, including its many guns.

Color-coded arrows direct visitors along each of the routes.

I started with the Topside tour and was immediately overwhelmed by the enormity of the 16-inch guns.


On the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

The 16-inch guns on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

Devin Green for Business Insider

The ship has a total of nine 16-inch, 45-caliber Mark 6 guns: two three-gun turrets at the front of the ship (“forward”) and one three-gun turret at the back (“aft”). They could hit targets up to 23 miles away.

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The 16-inch measurement refers to the bore diameter, or the size of the hole that the shell is fired through. The cannons themselves are over 60 feet long.

Even a single shell from the ship’s 40-millimeter Bofors guns could take down an enemy aircraft.


Bofors quad 40 mm antiaircraft guns on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

Bofors quad 40 mm antiaircraft guns on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The Bofors 40-millimeter guns featured a range of 6.25 miles and could fire between 120 and 160 rounds per minute.

At the height of World War II, the USS Massachusetts was outfitted with 72 40-millimeter guns.

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The 20-millimeter Oerlikon autocannons served as another antiaircraft measure.


A 20 mm Oerlikon autocannon on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

A 20-millimeter Oerlikon autocannon on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The 20-millimeter Oerlikon autocannons featured a range of 2.75 miles.

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The battleship was also outfitted with 20 5-inch guns that fired 55-pound projectiles with a range of 10 miles.


A Mark 12 5-inch/38 caliber gun on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

A Mark 12 5-inch/38 caliber gun on the deck of the USS Massachusetts.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Some of the ship’s 5-inch guns still work and are used for ceremonial gun salutes.

If you look closely, you can see the seagull that decided to perch on one of the guns when I visited.

The deck of the USS Massachusetts included the ship’s flag bag, which held the nautical flags used to signal and transmit messages to other ships.


The flag bag on board the USS Massachusetts.

The flag bag.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Each nautical flag represents a letter or signal. For example, the flag representing the letter “O” can also mean “man overboard.”

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The ship’s signal searchlight functioned as an additional communication device.


The signal searchlight on board the USS Massachusetts.

The signal searchlight.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Crew members opened and closed the light’s shutter to send messages in Morse code.

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Inside the ship, the wardroom, which once functioned as the officers’ dining room, has been converted into a lobby of sorts.


The wardroom on the USS Massachusetts.

The wardroom.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

When the ship was deployed, officers would have eaten their meals here off fine china.

The wardroom still features tables and seating for large groups.

Tours begin with the memorial room, which lists the names of over 13,000 service members from Massachusetts who died in World War II.


The memorial room on board the USS Massachusetts.

The memorial room.

Talia Lakritz/Business INsider

In addition to functioning as a museum, Battleship Cove is the official World War II memorial for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

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The Crew tour took me through several rooms full of floor-to-ceiling bunks known as racks.


Crew bunks on board the USS Massachusetts.

Crew bunks, known as berthing.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

During World War II, the crew of the USS Massachusetts grew from its normal number of 1,793 enlisted men to 2,500. When the berthing rooms were full, the ship set up hammocks in other areas.

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The ship’s post office, where sailors received letters from home, was crucial for maintaining crew morale.


The mail room on board the USS Massachusetts.

The mail room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Officers were in charge of censoring crew members’ letters to their loved ones, blacking out information like their location or even the weather.

In the blacksmith shop, crew members made parts for anything on the ship that needed repairs or replacements.


The blacksmith shop on board the USS Massachusetts.

The blacksmith shop.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

During the war, maintenance had to be performed while the ship was in the middle of the ocean.

Today, museum volunteers use 3D printers to create replacement parts.

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The ship’s main galley was open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.


The main galley on board the USS Massachusetts.

The main galley.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The galley prepared four meals per day: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and midnight rations known as “mid-rats.”

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Crew members baked around 500 loaves of bread per day in the bakery.


The bakery on board the USS Massachusetts.

The bakery.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The bakers’ work started at 3 a.m.

The laundry room was nicknamed “the harbor of lost clothes.”


The laundry room on board the USS Massachusetts.

The laundry room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Sailors labeled every item of their clothing, but some items still ended up in the lost-and-found, known as the “lucky bag.”

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Sailors who disobeyed orders or neglected their duties were confined to the ship’s jail, known as the brig.


The brig on board the USS Massachusetts.

The brig.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

In the brig, sailors received only bread and water for meals.

Along the World War II-themed tour route, I encountered a section of the USS Massachusetts damaged by enemy fire.


Damage from World War II on board the USS Massachusetts.

Damage from World War II.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

During the Battle of Casablanca in 1942, an 8-inch projectile hit the main deck and exploded in a bunk room. No one was injured since all of the sailors were at their battle stations, but the ship sustained damage from the shrapnel.

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The holes have since been repaired, but red outlines on the walls show where they once were.

The tour also passed through the sick bay, which included doctors’ offices, an operating room, and a dispensary.


The sick bay on board the USS Massachusetts.

The sick bay.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

The sick bay treated battle wounds as well as everyday ailments such as ear infections or athlete’s foot.

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This long passageway on the third deck was known as Broadway. Now it’s part of the Below Deck tour route.


The longest hall on the USS Massachusetts known as

Broadway.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

On Iowa-class battleships like the USS New Jersey, Broadway is the longest, straightest passageway on the ship. On South Dakota-class battleships like the USS Massachusetts, Broadway is thinner and not built in a straight line since the class was designed to be more compact.

In the 5-inch lower handling room, gunner’s mates sent projectiles up to be fired from the 5-inch guns.


Ammunition hoists part of the 5-inch gun system on the USS Massachusetts.

Ammunition hoists part of the 5-inch gun system.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Gunner’s mates loaded shells and powder cases into the hoists, which moved them up to the upper handling room and then up to the gun mounts.

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The 16-inch gun turrets featured a similar setup, with a powder-handling room and hoists on the lower level.


The powder handling room on board the USS Massachusetts.

The powder handling room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Six powder bags were required to fire one 16-inch projectile.

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The massive 16-inch guns were aimed and fired with instruments in the plotting room.


The plotting room in the USS Massachusetts.

The plotting room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

A device called a Mark 8 Rangekeeper computed where to aim the 16-inch guns based on factors such as the ship’s course and speed and the direction of the wind.

The USS Massachusetts had four engine rooms.


The engine room on the USS Massachusetts.

The engine room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Eight boilers supplied steam to the ship’s four General Electric steam turbines, which drove its four propellers.

The ship reached a top speed of 27.5 knots, or around 31.6 miles per hour.

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The ship’s electricity was managed from the distribution room.


The distribution room on board the USS Massachusetts.

The distribution room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

In order to work in the distribution room, an electrician had to pass a test showing that he could get from his bunk to the distribution room and identify any circuit while blindfolded.

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The ship’s communications took place in radio central, where radiomen received messages that came in from the air, land, and sea.


The radio room on board the USS Massachusetts.

Radio central.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Radiomen were responsible for typing messages and passing them to supervisors.

Nardi told Business Insider that the equipment in radio central is still operational thanks to the work of volunteers who continue to maintain it.

Coded messages were deciphered in the top-secret code room stocked with three ECM II coding machines.


The code room on board the USS Massachusetts.

The code room.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Canvas bags with lead bottoms were kept in the code room just in case any top-secret information had to be thrown overboard if the ship was compromised.

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Even after spending most of the day at Battleship Cove, there was still more of the ship I didn’t get to see.


The USS Massachusetts at Battleship Cove.

The USS Massachusetts at Battleship Cove.

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

Even with a map of the ship and color-coded arrows pointing the way, touring the USS Massachusetts was a dizzying experience full of ladders, hatches, and tight corners. On a battleship that big, there’s an endless amount of history to learn.

Nardi told me that touring historic battleships like the USS Massachusetts can provide insight into how modern Navy ships operate.

Basic navigational equipment looks and works largely the same as it did on World War II battleships, Nardi said. Some communication devices, such as sound-powered telephones that harness the electricity generated by the user’s voice, are also still widely used.

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“I hear Navy personnel come on board and say, ‘Oh, that hasn’t changed much,’” Nardi said.

Battleships became obsolete as missiles took precedence over large deck guns. President Donald Trump wants to bring them back.


Battleship Cove, featuring the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (left), the USS Massachusetts (right).

Battleship Cove, featuring the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. (left), the USS Massachusetts (right).

Talia Lakritz/Business Insider

In December, Trump announced a new “Trump-class” of ships, referring to them as “battleships,” as part of his plan for the US Navy’s new “Golden Fleet” to reinvigorate American shipbuilding. White House deputy press secretary Anna Kelly previously told Business Insider that Trump is “prioritizing this vital industry to strengthen our country’s economic and national security.”

However, the Trump-class ships would not technically qualify as battleships. To earn that title, they would have to be the largest, most heavily armored ships with the largest guns relative to other ships.

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“The word ‘battleship’ can be used very generically, which is not accurate. We don’t have them anymore, and President Trump’s not going to build battleships. He’s calling them that, but a battleship is what we have over here,” Nardi said, gesturing at the USS Massachusetts floating in the Taunton River. “That’s a real battleship.”





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Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ middle-class income range is highest in US., topping out at over $200K

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Massachusetts’ middle-class income range is highest in US., topping out at over 0K


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Your household can earn more than $200,000 a year and still be considered part of the “middle class” in Massachusetts, according to a recent study by SmartAsset.

Massachusetts ranks as the top state with the highest income range for households to be considered middle class, based on SmartAsset’s analysis using 2024 income data from the U.S. Census Bureau. The Pew Research Center defines the middle class as households earning roughly two-thirds to twice the national median household income.

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According to a 2022 Gallup survey, about half of U.S. adults consider themselves middle class, with 38% identifying as “middle class” and 14% as “upper-middle class.” Higher-income Americans and college graduates were most likely to identify with the “middle class” or “upper-middle class,” while lower-income Americans and those without a college education generally identified as “working class” or “lower class.”

Here’s how much money your household would need to bring in annually to be considered middle class in Massachusetts.

How much money would you need to make to be considered middle class in MA?

In Massachusetts, households would need to earn between $69,900 and $209,656 annually to be considered middle class, according to SmartAsset. The Bay State has the highest income range in the country for middle-class households. The state’s median household income is $104,828.

In Boston, the range is slightly lower. Households need to earn between $65,194 and $195,582 annually to qualify as middle class, giving the city the 19th-highest income range among the 100 largest U.S. cities. Boston’s median household income is $97,791.

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How do other New England states compare?

Massachusetts has the highest income range for middle-class households in New England. Here’s what households would have to earn in neighboring states:

  1. Massachusetts (#1 nationally) – $69,885 to $209,656 annually; median household income of $104,828
  2. New Hampshire (#6 nationally) – $66,521 to $199,564 annually; median household income of $99,782
  3. Connecticut (#10 nationally) – $64,033 to $192,098 annually; median household income of $96,049
  4. Rhode Island (#17 nationally) – $55,669 to $167,008 annually; median household income of $83,504
  5. Vermont (#19 nationally) – $55,153 to $165,460 annually; median household income of $82,730
  6. Maine (#30 nationally) – $50,961 to $152,884 annually; median household income of $76,442

Which state has the lowest middle-class income range?

Mississippi ranks last for the income range needed to be considered middle class, according to SmartAsset. Households there would need to earn between $39,418 and $118,254 annually. The state’s median household income is $59,127.



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‘No Kings’ protests draw thousands against the Trump administration who are ‘fed up, pissed off, and also hopeful’ – The Boston Globe

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‘No Kings’ protests draw thousands against the Trump administration who are ‘fed up, pissed off, and also hopeful’ – The Boston Globe


Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey altered the lyrics of some songs to criticize Trump and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“Let’s ship them out of Boston,” he told the crowd, referring to ICE agents and echoing lyrics from “I’m Shipping Up to Boston.” “Are you with us?”

Pressley followed, telling demonstrators the “world is on fire.”

“It is going to take every single one of us doing everything we can to put this fascist, white nationalist fire out,” Pressley said. “The only way to beat a dictator is with defiance.”

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Some of the faces in the crowd at the “No Kings” protest on Boston Common.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
The Dropkick Murphys perform during the protest.Finn Gomez for the Boston Globe

The flagship national demonstration was held in Minneapolis, where US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti were killed in January during a massive federal immigration crackdown that ended last month.

Bruce Springsteen performed “Streets of Minneapolis,” the protest song released after the killing of Pretti with lyrics describing the city as “aflame” under “King Trump’s private army.”

In Massachusetts, organizers staged 169 demonstrations, said Rahsaan D. Hall, president and chief executive of the Urban League of Eastern Massachusetts and emcee for the Boston Common event.

Saturday’s gatherings marked the third time protesters have mobilized under the “No Kings” banner since the first protest last June. Another round of protests took place in October.

Demonstrators gathered as the US war in Iran entered its second month with oil prices surging and Trump declaring victory is at hand even as thousands of additional American troops head to the Middle East.

Within the GOP, congressional leaders are at odds over funding the US Department of Homeland Security, which has been partially shut down since mid-February and has a new leader, Markwayne Mullin. Trump fired his predecessor, Kristi Noem, earlier this month following controversies over her leadership.

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Mihika Gogate, 24, who recently moved to Boston from North Carolina, said she was demonstrating for “absolutely everyone in this world that is suffering at the hands of the decisions of our fascist leader at the moment.”

She carried a sign depicting a Joker playing card featuring Trump with a crown on his head.

“I think, especially now, it’s such a scary time to be an adult in this world,” Gogate said. “It’s not just something that is affecting one of us. It’s affecting all our futures and our current realities.”

Michael Payne, Jean Carroon, and Maxie Chambliss were at the “No Kings” protest on Boston Common.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
The crowd on Boston Common was reflected in the horns of the performers.Finn Gomez for the Boston Globe

In Quincy, demonstrators gathered outside City Hall were encouraged to remain politically active.

“We hate what Donald Trump is doing. I’m tired of being in a state of exhaustion, and he’s bombarding us every day,” said Donna Cunningham, 51, a Quincy resident. “We need events like this to remind ourselves that we’re not alone in our little islands of our homes.”

On Boston Common, Sara Welch filmed the bustle as she walked through the park en route to Cheers. A resident of Hastings, Minn., Welch said she’s in the area for work.

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“It means a lot, especially with everything that went on in our state with ICE,” Welch said.

Yet some questioned whether large demonstrations are generating the changes they seek.

Warren May, a demonstrator from Watertown, said the Women’s March held the day after Trump’s first inauguration in 2017 was the last time he participated in such a large protest.

“That was really kind of great and inspiring and wonderful, but look where we are now,” May said. “It’s just gotten worse.”

John Cluverius, who teaches political science at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell, said the mass demonstrations signal to elected Democrats that the opposition to Trump “is real and is tangible.” His popularity has slipped since the last “No Kings” demonstrations in October, he said.

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“Being the party out of power has a very isolating effect on both individuals and voters — the sense that they’re out of control of the destiny of the country,” Cluverius said. “There is almost an affirming effect for people to gather in these places and get the sense that even though they’re opposed to so many things that are happening, they’re not alone.”

There are also signs that the protests are pushing elected officials to answer demonstrators’ demands, Cluverius said.

On Friday, Senate Republicans abandoned vows to resist any deal for Department of Homeland Security funding that did not include money for ICE and US Customs and Border Protection, by voting to do just that.

“Senate Democrats … did not defect in any way, and I think that speaks to the fact that these rallies were today,” Cluverius said.

Several exhibitions on Boston Common brought attention to the impact of Trump’s policies.

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An installation called “Eyes Wide Open — The Cost of War” featured rows of shoes, backpacks, and toys symbolizing the more than 160 children killed at an Iranian school during the opening day of US-Israeli strikes on Iran.

“We hope that this will cause people to pause and consider the humanitarian impact of this war,” said Ziba Cranmer, 54, who belongs to the Massachusetts chapter of the National Iranian American Council.

An ice sculpture reading “END ICE” was carved by artist Kat Carves.

“It’s a very powerful message,” said Lisa Mahoney, 66, of Beverly.

Most Americans disapprove of Trump’s performance as president, according to YouGov polling on behalf of The Economist, which found this month that his net approval rating is at -18 percentage points.

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His deportation agenda, attacks on higher education, and efforts to nationalize elections are deeply unpopular in Massachusetts, which backed his Democratic opponent, Kamala Harris, in the 2024 election.

A February poll by the University of New Hampshire Survey Center found 72 percent of Massachusetts residents disapprove of Trump’s overall job performance, driven largely by fears that he threatens democracy.

Dave Beyna, portraying George Washington, arrived at the protest on Boston Common before it started.Jonathan Wiggs/Globe Staff
Protesters sit at the Soldiers and Sailors Monument at the “No Kings” Boston rally.Andrew Burke-Stevenson/for The Boston Globe

Changes to the childhood vaccination schedule paused for now by a federal judge in Boston, new eligibility limits to public safety net programs under Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, and research funding cuts have also drawn opposition here.

Sonya Shropshire-Friel of Dover, N.H., said her parents protested during the civil rights movement and were arrested as college students in Elizabeth City, N.C.

“I thought if they can do that, I can show up here today,” she said.

Trump’s rhetoric and the actions of his immigration enforcement agents “really make America unsafe,” Shropshire-Friel said.

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“He has made people more inclined to be unkind and cruel toward one another,” she said. “I need to be out here with people who are also fed up, pissed off, and also hopeful.”


Laura Crimaldi can be reached at laura.crimaldi@globe.com. Follow her @lauracrimaldi. Anjali Huynh can be reached at anjali.huynh@globe.com. Aayushi Datta can be reached at aayushi.datta@globe.com.





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First Submarine Named After Massachusetts Joins the Navy Fleet

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First Submarine Named After Massachusetts Joins the Navy Fleet


BOSTON — The USS Massachusetts officially joined the Navy fleet on Saturday after a commissioning ceremony, making it the first submarine named after the Bay State.

The newest Virginia-class fast attack submarine, which can dive to depths greater than 800 feet (240 meters), was christened on May 6, 2023, by the ship’s sponsor, Sheryl Sandberg, the former COO of Meta. This is the 25th Virginia-Class submarine co-produced by General Dynamics Electric Boat and Newport News Shipbuilding and the fifth U.S. Navy vessel named after Massachusetts.

“To be able to take a ship from new construction and watch it be built together by the ship yard, train with our team and bring into Boston Harbor for the first time, it’s very amazing,” said the sub’s commanding officer, Mike Siedsma, a 21-year Navy veteran who has spent time on four different classes of submarines. “I looked at the history books. I don’t think we’ve had a submarine in Boston Harbor since sometime in the late ’80s or early ’90s.”

Siedsma did not say where the sub — which cost over $2.8 billion, weighs about 8,000 tons and can carry 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles — is headed. A U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship off the coast of Sri Lanka earlier this month in the war with Iran.

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“The geopolitical situation is very interesting,” Siedsma said. “What is important to remember is what we are doing is proving the power of the United States Navy.”

The crew of 147 also includes 39 women, 16 years after a ban on women serving on submarines was lifted. The USS New Jersey, which was commissioned in 2024, was the first sub designed and built with modifications for a gender-integrated crew.

“The ship is intentionally designed to be served on by both women and men. That is pretty exciting. Twenty five percent of this crew is female,” Sandberg said. “Those sailors just don’t inspire me. They inspire every little girl out there to believe that she could do anything.”

The Navy said this is the fifth vessel to be named after the state. The first USS Massachusetts was a steamer built in 1845 and the last was USS Massachusetts, BB 59, commissioned in 1942 as a South Dakota-class fast battleship. Most of its time was spent in the Pacific during World War II.

For Sandberg, the commissioning also brought to mind the role the state has played in the founding of the United States and how “people are still fighting for the same freedoms that the original colonists were fighting for.”

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Reporters touring the sub were led past the control room, down into the torpedo room and into the dining hall. The ward room, where officers eat, also features a mug rack featuring wood from counties in Massachusetts. It was donated by “This Old House,” the television home improvement show.

“It was an incredible donation. Very great connection to the state and the commonwealth,” Siedsma said. “It’s beautiful.”

© Copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.



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