USS Saratoga: Museum plans scrapped, ship faces same fate

The Saratogan ^ | 5/5/2010 | Paul Post

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

The navy has scuttled plans to make the USS Saratoga a museum in favor of another more modern aircraft carrier, the USS John F. Kennedy.

The Saratoga, now docked in Newport, R.I., will almost certainly be scrapped.

Six ships have been named Saratoga in American naval history – three sailing ships from the Revolution, War of 1812 and Civil War, respectively, a cruiser and two aircraft carriers.

"Every ship named Saratoga has had a strong presence in the history of this nation," said Larry Gordon of Wilton, the unofficial USS Saratoga historian. "It isn’t like we’re losing the ship. You can’t destroy the history."

The latest Saratoga was launched in 1956 and decommissioned in 1994 after serving in Desert Storm.

"In its time, the Saratoga was the big bad boy out there," Gordon said. "It’s always been there."

[K-oneTexas]

History looses again.

[Liberty Valance]

[Islander7]

I am sick of the Kennedys.

[pfflier]

The museum for the USS John F Kennedy is putting in a glass bottom...So you can see Teddy’s car.

[cva66snipe]

The first Carrier built with a 1200 PSI 8 Boiler configuration. Previous carriers were 600 PSI.

[USNBandit]

Bummer. These carrier museum projects are almost always economic losers. I don't know about Intrepid, but Midway is the only other one I know is keeping its head above water.

I did my A-4 carrier qual on the Saratoga. I didn't do very well. You had to get a 2.4 grade to qualify. I got exactly a 2.4. I sucked.

Eventually I got better.

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

I did not know that. Thanks for the info.

:)

[DemforBush]

Darn shame. I was reading a bit about Saratoga earlier tonight. The old girl has quite a history. Hate to think of her "cut up for razor blades", as the saying goes.

[Liberty Valance]

Thank you.

[RC2]

All my best to the crews who served on her. It’s a sad thing to know that the ship you served on is scheduled for the scrap heap. Having been in the Navy, I can tell you that there is a strong attachment to a ship you have served on. It becomes a part of you.

[cva66snipe]

I am sick of the Kennedys.

Me too. But ship museums are generally in honor of those who actually served on-board them and not the ships namesake as such. Although JFK's name on it will all but guarantee a museum happens.

[cva66snipe]

I did not know that. Thanks for the info

It was a fluke. Saratoga CV 60 was the second Forestall Class Carrier and Forestall Cv-59 had 8-600 PSI Boilers. That significant change still did not change the class name. I can also tell you the name of the only carrier built with a sonar dome. America LOL.

[GunsAndBibles]

I’d like to see her sold to Columbia.

[Liberty Valance]

[Doogle]

...pretty sure the Intrepid gets over 600,000 visitors a year...but it has gone under numerous upgrades...air and space and the like.I think this is the first year their opening more to the public too.

[wheresmyusa]

Thanks for that shipmate. Spent alot of cold nights out on that port quarter. =(

[cva66snipe]

The last few CV's the Navy got rid of they were sank. Scrappers can't make any money off of them due to environmental and safety regulations. Look for a SINKEX off the Florida Coast in the future as an artificial reef. IIRC that's where she was home ported Mayport, Florida.

[narses]

Indeed, many thanks!

[TXnMA]

Saratoga is one big ship! When we sailed out of Bristol Harbor, we could see her at Newport as soon as we were in Narraganset Bay. Iowa was moored on the other side of her, and you couldn't see her until you sailed past Saratoga...

[Freedom_Is_Not_Free]

The heroic old girl deserves a port in the USA, not a Chinese scrap yard.

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

The carrier I served on was the Coral Sea. One day in the mid 90’s I was driving thru Baltimore and looked over to that familiar 43...what a shock to see her being cut up for scrap.

Was the XO of the Marine Detachment - a grunt in a sea of Naval Aviators. I came aboard with little respect for ‘wing wipers’, but all that changed when I spent some time on the LSO platform one night. Landing a jet on that deck at night takes an awful lot of skill and courage. I have had high regard for Naval Aviators ever since.

Semper Fi,

[A.A. Cunningham]

loses

[K-oneTexas]

You’re right. Sorry! Fingers took over from brain.

[RC2]

I was on the old Fletcher Class Destroyer, USS Ingersoll, DD652. Yep, I’m an old fart....LOL. The worst duty I ever had was shore duty. I loved the sea and that ship but didn’t realize it until I got off. I was in Sonar and a staff driver for the Capatain.

[hjhough]

Thanks for the information – even if it is bad. I was a Supply Corps Officer onboard her in the 1970s. I’ll miss her.

I do hope that the name “USS Saratoga” will continue to live on in a new ship and that she will serve this great country as well as the others did.

[Pan_Yan]

My only contact with the Saratoga was during war games in the Med in 1992. We had just sunk them for the third time (simulated) when they shot a Turkish Destroyer with a live Sea Sparrow. Captain decided we should go hang out somewhere else for a while.