The navy vets in the Norfolk area would have a strong geographic ally in their efforts to keep the
Wisconsin
away from Milwaukee. I may be wrong, but I have a very strong suspicion that she couldn't physically get to the Great Lakes.
The Coast Guard (or, more correctly, the old Revenue Cutter Service) ran into this problem in the reverse order when it tried to assign a Great Lakes-bound revenue cutter (I believe it was the
Gresham
to duty with the Navy during the Spanish-American War. They cut the ship in half, so it would fit through the locks - and the war ended before they had time to weld it together again. Doing a job like that on the
Wisconsin
would be quite a challenge.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.