Plans have been in place for months to sink the SS United States and make it the world’s largest artificial reef; however, a last-minute attempt is being made to stop it from happening, writes Shamus Clancy for PhillyVoice.
Back in March, the New York Coalition to Save the SS United States filed a case in U.S. District Court in Pensacola, Florida to try to prevent the historic ocean liner from being sunk.
After a motion from Okaloosa County — who acquired the ship last fall — to get the case thrown out was denied, the county filed another motion to dismiss the case. U.S. District Judge M. Casey Rodgers has issued a May 21 deadline for the coalition to respond.
Beyond the lawsuit, the Coalition has also sent letters to President Donald Trump and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi in its efforts to preserve the ship’s legacy.
“The SSUS, an iconic and irreplaceable testament to American achievement, is on the brink of being lost forever,” the coalition wrote in its letter to Trump. “This is not just a matter of preserving a historic vessel: it is about honoring the legacy of American Greatness and of the many who traveled on the vessel.”
Will the SS United States be saved—or sunk forever beneath the waves? Dive into the full story on PhillyVoice to find out what’s at stake.
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Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on PHILADELPHIA Today in May 2025.
