Shortly before 9 a.m. on Aug. 7, 2012, the decommissioned destroyer, led by the tugboat Colonel, puttered up the river toward the Wirt Stone Dock in Essexville where she would stay moored for the next nine months before moving to her permanent location near the Independence Bridge at 1680 Martin St., in Bangor Township.
Led by Mike Kegley, the president of the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum, a team of community leaders worked diligently for 15 years to bring the USS Edson to the Saginaw Bay Region.
Today, the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum serves as a national destination of excellence for the preservation and education of current and future generations about America's history, traditions, and values.
It has become a must-see museum in the Saginaw Bay Region and is listed as the #1 local tourist destination on Trip Advisor.
