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U. S. S. NevadaThe Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas recently acquired an important collection of photographs and memorabilia from the renowned battleship, U. S. S. Nevada, through descendants of Andrew Thomas Levering, who served aboard the Nevada in 1931-38.
The U. S. S. Nevada was the navy’s first “super dreadnought.” The ship was launched in 1914, and served in both World War I and World War II. She was caught at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, and was the only ship able to get underway during the attack, although damage caused her to be beached. Salvaged and modernized, the Nevada served as a convoy escort and as a fire-support ship in WWII. In 1946 the navy assigned the Nevada to be a target ship in the Operation Crossroads atomic test at Bikini Atoll—after being hit by two atomic bombs, she was still afloat but heavily damaged and radioactive. The Nevada was decommissioned on August 29, 1946, and sunk during naval gunfire practice on July 31, 1948.
Andrew Thomas Levering aboard the U. S. S. Nevada, c. 1932Andrew Thomas Levering [1910-2001] joined the navy in 1931 and was assigned to the U. S. S. Nevada in June that year. Levering served on the ship as captain’s secretary until 1938, saw action in the Pacific during WWIIand retired from the service in 1956. In cleaning out his late father’s house, Levering’s son, Robert, discovered this cache of U. S. S. Nevada documents and memorabilia, including his father’s duty book, shipboard diary, scrapbooks, a photograph album, and medals. Robert Levering donated these materials to the Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas, in 2008. The Levering Collection is on display at the museum through April 30, 2009.
The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is located at 700 Twin Lakes Drive in Lorenzi Park. The museum is open daily from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. General admission is $4 for adults, $3 for seniors 55 and over, and free to children 17 and under.
The Nevada State Museum, Las Vegas is one of seven museums managed by the Division of Museums and History, an agency of the Nevada Department of Culture Affairs. The Department serves Nevada’s citizens and visitors through cultural and information management, presentation and promotion of cultural resources, and education. The Department also includes the State Historic Preservation Office, Nevada State Library and Archives, and the Nevada Arts Council. For more information, you can call Teresa Moiola at (775) 687-8323.
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