Class:  Des Moines Class Heavy Cruiser
Laid Down:  July 4, 1943
Launched:  March 22, 1947
Commissioned:  May 9, 1949
Decomissioned:  January 30, 1959
Length:  716 Feet
Top Speed:  33.5 knots
full load weight:  21,500 tons
compliment:  109 officers, 1,690 enlisted
More detailed specifications can be found at the USS Salem's website.
You can get there from my links page.

As you walk along the docks, you look up at the Salem and her life boat.

Here you can see the new paint job that was given to her last winter.

A little bit of a wider angle, you can get an idea of how long she really is.

One of the aft 5-inch gun mounts are dedicated to the marines that served aboard the Salem.

A head on view of a 5-inch dual barrel gun mount.

Inside the 5-inch mount, Dad shows us the launching mechanism for the projectiles. Dad used to man this station aboard the Des Moines.

The gunner's seat. If the firing controls went down, the gun could be fired mannually from this position.

The union jack still flies proudly.