History lovers are outraged after government officials approved the sinking of a historic American flagship that was once hailed as the country's fastest ocean liner. 

The SS United States first hit the waters in 1952 and carried American icons like former President John F Kennedy, Walt Disney, Debbie Reynolds and Marlon Brando. The ship also appears in Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, starring Marilyn Monroe, and West Side Story. 

In 1969, the ship was retired to the US Navy, where it sat until 1978. The ocean liner has passed through multiple hands since, but was never given a second act. 

The SS United States will now make its last voyage in November, when officials plan to sink it and convert it into the world's largest artificial reef. 

The Board of County Commissioners in Destin, Florida, announced that the ship has been fully remediated and the Army Corps of Engineers has scheduled the SS United States' final deployment. 

The vessel will deploy in the Gulf southwest of Destin-Walton Beach on the second week of November and later open for diving tours. 

Although its fate seems sealed, a coalition has continued to fight to save the ship from sinking. 

The NY Coalition to save the SS United States called the dismantling of the ship 'a slap in the face to the countless citizens - across all 50 states and around the world.' 

'Those who cherish the SS United States and continue to fight for her future as a preserved, floating landmark and symbol of American excellence, innovation, and pride.' 

'SHAME on anyone who conspired in silence against the will of We the People,' the coalition said. 

Although the coalition acknowledged that reefing is a common practice with old ships, they argued that the SS United States could contaminate the water with carcinogens because of its size and age. 

The coalition also launched an online petition to save the ship, which received over 16,000 signatures. 

The petition argued that the ship should be returned to New York and restored for waterfront redevelopment. 

'The SS United States is an irreplaceable piece of American maritime history and a National Historic Landmark. Turning this engineering marvel into an underwater reef without exhaustive public hearings disregards its cultural and historical significance,' one signatory read. 

'This ship is every bit as important as the Statue of Liberty! Please don’t lose your history,' wrote a third. 

The SS United States is a relic of a different time, before air travel was accessible and when luxury liners ruled the seas. 

The historic liner first set sail on July 3, 1952, ahead of Independence Day celebrations.

Harry Manning, Amelia Earhart's co-pilot, commanded the ship and set a speed record. 

The SS United States was soon dubbed 'America's Flagship' and became a marvel throughout the 1950s. Once air travel became more accessible in the 1960s, the ship struggled fiscally and was retired in 1969. 

In the years that followed, multiple owners took over the flagship. Plans were proposed and denied to convert the vessel into condominiums in the 1980s. 

The Norwegian Cruise Line purchased the SS United States in 2003, but the 2008 financial crisis thwarted the plans, and it was put up for sale again. 

In 2010, the ship came under the ownership of the SS United States Conservancy through a grant and has since been maintained by the nonprofit. 

Since then, multiple proposals to revitalize the SS United States have fallen flat. In 2015, a Brooklyn businessman named John Quadrozzi Jr expressed interest in purchasing the ship and converting it to office spaces, a gym, a swimming pool, restaurants, a theater, a maritime school and a museum, the Brooklyn Paper reported at the time. 

In 2020, a real estate firm also began approaching multiple city governments to propose a hotel-and-museum complex, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported at the time. 

However, in 2024, the Conservancy told Newsweek that after a decade of trying to advance a plan, local leaders 'did not embrace the project.' 

The Conservancy explained that 'with no viable options' for renovation, they were forced to reach an agreement with Florida officials to move the ship south to become an artificial reef. 

Despite the Coalition's efforts, the ship was remediated. In preparation for the sinking, the ship's tanks were emptied, exterior paint was taken off, artifacts were removed and the vessel was coated with a green floor covering. 

The Daily Mail has reached out to the Coalition and the County Commissioners for comment.