The Oriskany....on her way

1/20/2004 | Michael Hanson

[decompression]

The Oriskany...fondly called the Mighty "O" moved one step closer to its final resting place. Monday the ghostly hull started its journey from Beaumont's Mothball fleet to Corpus Christi where it will be readied for its final resting place.

The once valiant Carrier will be laid to rest as an artificial reef for divers and fishermen. Texas and Florida are ahead of others vying for the ship which would be a major attraction for divers. When sunk, the Oriskany will take its place as the largest ship to date to be placed as a reef.

[onyx]

Welcome to FR.

Excellent post.

I love the Oriskany. I hate to see her sunk.

[RLK]

They make great underwater parks for divers and scuba spearfishermen. I've been on a few wrecks.

[The Westerner]

I wonder why the ship isn't recycled as scrap?

[decompression]

She was actually sold to be scrapped...the company went bankrupt and the Government repossessed the carrier.

[The Westerner]

Okay. Thanks for that info.

[leadpenny]

From an old Army type I have a sense of how you sea-going folks feel about these things.

The extent of my maritime experience is when I sailed out of NY on the USNS Gordon Merchant Marine Troop Ship in February 62. I pulled KP and took saltwater showers (didn't know there were a couple of freshwater stalls) for nine days on my way to Bremerhaven.

About ten years ago I stopped in the office on the James River that handles the mothball fleet there. A woman in a very orderly office pulled a file out of a cabinet and showed me the record. As I remember, the General Gordon (2-star Army General) was decomissioned soon after 62, re-commissioned for a couple of trips to Nam and decommissioned again. It had been at James River and two years earlier it had been sold to a Japanese company for scrap. We joked that it was probably still alive in the form of Toyotas driving around Ft. Eustis and everywhere else. The woman told me that veterans and others came in all the time looking for info on ships and it was not uncommon to see the tears flowing.

[leadpenny]

BTW, welcome to FR, Michael. Just so you know, I doubt this will stay in Breaking News once the Mod on duty notices. I could be wrong.

[exnavy]

She was a grand lady, may she rest in peace in King Neptune's watery realm.

[exnavy]

By the way for those who may not know, check out www.navsource.org for lots of info and pictures of nearly all US Navy ships, past and present.

[Pharmboy]

Revolutionary War Battles

"The Battle of Oriskany" August 6, 1777


The British Northern Campaign called for the convergence of three separate forces: Burgonyne's troops coming down via Fort Ticonderoga and Lake Champlain; Colonel St. Leger's troops attempting to envelope the Mohawk valley; and 1,000 Native American warriors.

St. Leger expected to overwhelm the small dilapidated fort called Fort Stanwix easily, since it was garrisoned by only a few Americans. What he found instead was a rebuilt force with 550 Americans commanded by an energetic Colonel Peter Gansevoort. That group was reinforced as he arrived by an additional 200 Massachusetts volunteers.

St. Leger demanded the immediate surrender of the fort, a demand that was summarily rejected. St. Leger started to lay siege to the fort. Meanwhile, American Brigadier General Herkimer led a force of over 800 men in a relief expedition to the fort. As the relief force noisily approached, St. Leger sent a force primarily made up of Native Americans to ambush the approaching relief column. Six miles from Fort Stanwix, near the village of Oriskany, they were attacked as the column was traversing a deep ravine.

The Americans were surrounded, but they held their ground and fought bravely. Faced with no option but to fight or die, they fought the enemy until they reached a standstill. Each side lost over 150 men that day, and the American commander General Herkimer was soon to die from his wounds. All thoughts of relieving the fort were forgotten.

St. Leger continued his investment of the fort with renewed vigor after the arrival of his cannons. He once again demanded the surrender of the fort, threatening that, if they did not surrender, he and the Native Americans would massacre not only the defenders but the entire patriot population of the valley. The Americans once again indignantly refused. Two men however snuck through the enemy lines to appeal for help.

Help was indeed coming, in the form of Benedict Arnold leading part of Schuyler's army. Before he could arrive however, the dispirited Native Americans had learned of his pending arrival, and revolted. St. Leger had no choice but withdraw.

[Don Joe]

The woman told me that veterans and others came in all the time looking for info on ships and it was not uncommon to see the tears flowing.

Although I was not in the military, I felt a bit choked up when I read that they were scrapping the Constellation. My late father built it, and the Independence. He was scheduled to be on board the Constellation the day it burned, but by some quirk of fate, was stuck in the shop, and was spared.

I remember when the Independence was built, the Navy Yard had a day for the families to tour it. I was just a kid at the time, but I was quite impressed by the sheer magnitude of it, inside, and out. You'd think they could either keep these ships in service, keep them in mothballs, or make them into museums, instead of scrapping and sinking them.

[leadpenny]

In my next life I'm going to join the Navy. Twenty-one years in the Army was enough and there is something about the Navy customs and traditions that intrigues me. "Grass is Greener" maybe.

About 15 years ago, when my boys were young, we were vacationing in Michigan and we stopped in Muskegon. On permanent display was a WWII submarine managed by the Coast Guard Auxillary. They charged a small fee for tours. About 12 people were being led through the compartments by a young High School ROTC type. It seemed she knew the basic but that was about it. In the group was a fellow and his wife from the Chicago area. As I learned later, it was the first time he had been on a sub since he had served on the same type of sub in WWII. He took over the tour. It was great. Based on all of the cross-training he told us about, he seemed to know everything about the craft. He even knew how many had been built and how many were sunk. My boys still talk about that day.

[blam]

" Based on all of the cross-training he told us about, he seemed to know everything about the craft."

That's part of sub training. Each member is an expert in his own field and also competent to perform emergency duties in any other area of the sub. This training in all areas has saved subs when the 'expert' was trapped out of his primary area...others could perform emergency duties.

[leadpenny]

Thanks. Is that old diesel subs or old sailor? :)

[blam]

"Thanks. Is that old diesel subs or old sailor? :)"

LOL. Both. Go here to see the USS Jallao (SS-368), my old home for a while.

[YOMO]

The woman told me that veterans and others came in all the time looking for info on ships and it was not uncommon to see the tears flowing.................................
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If you want to check on ships go to http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/ships/lists/decoms.html The Navy list ships by type and Hull Number. I checked those I was on and found some to be turned into Razor Blades but some were given to different Governments or turned into Public monuments.

[snopercod]

bump

[ken5050]

Actually..seems to me far more fitting to be "interred" in the sea she ruled, rather than broken up for scrap...

[COEXERJ145]

I wonder why the ship isn't recycled as scrap?

Because of all the laws and regulations, it is very expensive to scrap old warships, especially ones that date from the WWII era building programs. The amount of hazardous materials on these ships makes it too expensive for any U.S. company to handle unless the government is willing to fork over large sums of money. The worst problem is the asbestos which was widely used in WWII era carriers to help protect the ships against fire. When we lost the U.S.S. Lexington (CV 2) at the Battle of the Coral Sea, it was the fires resulting from battle damage which ultimately killed her. When the second Lexington (CV 16) was being converted to a museum, the amount of asbestos on board almost made it too expensive to turn into a museum. Even when it opened to the public, much of the ship was inaccessible because asbestos removal was still ongoing.

We used to send old ships to India for scrapping but after a news report on the working conditions at Indian shipyards, some members of Congress got a law passed prohibiting the Navy from sending old ships to India for disposal.

While I hate to see any warship meet its end, being sunk is a far better fate than the scrappers’ torches.