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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Plank Owners, Plank Owner Certificates, and Planking

A "plank owner" is an individual who was a member of the crew of a ship when that ship was placed in commission. Originally, this term applied only to crewmembers present at the ship's first commissioning. Today, however, it is often applied to members of a recommissioning crew as well. "Plank owner" is not an official Navy term, and has consequently been variously defined by different Navy units.

Commissioning of USS Spokane (CL-120), 17 May 1946.

Plank-owner certificates, like Crossing the Line or Blue Nose certificates, are unofficial. They are procured by and issued to crew members of the ship being commissioned rather than by the Navy. Some ships' crews design their own, while others purchase them from commercial sources. Perhaps the best-known of plank-owner and other unofficial certificates is the United States Naval Institute. Illustrations and prices of these certificates can be obtained from the Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD 21402.

Deck Planking

As part of the vessel decommissioning and disposal process, the Navy formerly removed a small portion of the deck as a traditional reminder of the time when "wooden walls and iron men" were a key part of the Navy. The last major vessel known to have been fitted with a wooden deck was USS Long Beach (CGN-9), commissioned in 1961. 

The Naval Historical Center's Curator Branch holds wooden deck planking removed from selected vessels, almost all from vessels built during the World War II period. For more recent ships with metal or steel decks, the Navy does not retain any deck or structural sections.

Plank owners on USS Endicott (DMS-35), March 1951.