Posted on 07/12/2013 7:42:25 AM PDT by Jeff Head
Thought you might enjoy this. Ever been to one of them?
Where is the USS America (CVA/CV-66)museum?
I’ve had my kids on the Hornet in Alameda a couple of times, and will be taking them back. As they get older they can understand more.
The Hornet is moored at the same slip where the prior Hornet, CV 8, took off with Jimmy Doolittle for the Tokyo raid. Doolittle was actually born in Alameda, although he did not grow up there.
If anyone goes to see the Hornet, they should also go see the small Naval museum also on the former Alameda NAS. They have a section devoted to Doolittle, and a model of the Yamato about twelve feet long. It’ll cost you about five bucks, and the guys running it will shoot the breeze with all day if you want.
I was stationed on the Lex, 74-78.
I toured it at Corpus once. I was dissapointed that I couldn’t go exploring.
Thanks!
I did my first carrier landings on the Lex (as did thousands of other Naval Aviators).
I was on the Midway 2 weeks ago with my 9 year old son. GREAT time - took the wonderful self-guided tour. He was able to earn his Junior Pilot wings by answering questions in a pamphlet they gave us when we came in. He loved it! Very cool!
One event in particular was the 55 anniversary of the Midway battle. There were many participants in attendance - it was a rare opportunity and we're fortunate to have been there as they are all gone now.
Slept on the Yorktown several times as Cubmaster / Asst. Scoutmaster. They do a nice job there, and it makes you appreciate how little personal space the sailors had.
About 250 miles south east of Cape Hatteras in about 17000 feet of water.
Thanks for the post and pictures I have seen and been on the Midway.
Agreed.
Just went with family to the Intrepid and had a wonderful time. If you’re considering a visit, you should also know that they have on display the USS Growler, one of the last existing Grayback class subs. This was a nuclear-armed, diesel-powered sub from the cold war era (early 1950’s). Don’t go in if you’re claustrophobic though.
I toured the USS North Carolina in Wilmington, NC. Is that not a museum?
Thanks for your service...I spent five days on the Lexington, it was gawd awful. Those were five of the worst nights ever in the berthing space.
I had the overwhelming and overpowering stench of bunker fuel to the point I couldn’t sleep...I could taste it in my mouth and food, it was making me nauseous and sweaty.
I have no idea if there was something wrong with the ventilating systems, or if a vent for the fuel was sucking it back in, but I don’t think I spent more than ten minutes at a stretch sleeping for that whole week.
Ugh. If those guys who served in them all those years had to go through that, they have my deepest respect and sympathy. And it would make me feel like a wuss.
The size of the ship was really impressive. The hanger deck was enormous. But the two things I remember with total clarity was a plaque on the deck indicating the spot where a Kamikaze struck the ship during WWII, and a display where they had 2 scale models, with the Intrepid sitting on top of the deck of the Enterprise. As Huge as the Intrepid was, the model of the Enterprise just dwarfed the Intrepid.
I would really LOVE to see it again, now that it's a "real" museum.
Mark
I have a hope that USS ENTERPRISE (CVN-65) will not meet a similar fate. ENTERPRISE should be preserved as a museum, but she will need a home port that can accommodate her and she won't be cheap to keep in shape. [But, the same can be said of all museum ships.]
There is a group trying to turn USS SARATOGA (CV-60) into a museum, but they've had funding problems. I'm surprised that MA hasn't wanted the USS KENNEDY (CV-67) for Battleship Cove, given the importance of the Kennedys in that state.
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