By now this great ship should be out in the Atlantic and heading south.
For those not familiar with the 1967 Gulf of Tonkin incident you should check out the video on YouTube. Those who have served in the Navy in the 70's or 80's have probably all seen it at least a dozen times.
Trial by Fire: A Carrier Fights For Life (1973)
The ship was known generally by several nicknames including "the FID" which comes from her ships motto "First In Defense" and of course also the "USS Zippo" and the "ForrestFire".
I spent the spring/summer/fall of 1982 on her visiting the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean (via the Suez canal). I had a wonderful berthing area directly under the number two arresting cable and between the number 2 and number 3 arresting engines. To this day I give credit to this ship for my ability to sleep anywhere no matter how much noise there is nearby. I remember distinctly the first time 70,000 lbs of F-4 Phantom landed on the flight deck which was literally my ceiling. It took a few days, but after awhile I no longer noticed the noise of the landings or the scream of the arresting cables sliding out as the aircraft were recovered. The compartment I slept in is right under where a huge hole was blown in the deck during the Gulf of Tonkin incident. That didn't worry me all that much because I was certain those mistakes made in '67 wouldn't be repeated again.
It is indeed a sad day to think of this fine ship being scrapped. I almost hope a sudden storm forms in the Atlantic and swallows her up. She doesn't belong in a scrapyard.
For those not familiar with the 1967 Gulf of Tonkin incident you should check out the video on YouTube. Those who have served in the Navy in the 70's or 80's have probably all seen it at least a dozen times.
Trial by Fire: A Carrier Fights For Life (1973)
The ship was known generally by several nicknames including "the FID" which comes from her ships motto "First In Defense" and of course also the "USS Zippo" and the "ForrestFire".
I spent the spring/summer/fall of 1982 on her visiting the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian Ocean (via the Suez canal). I had a wonderful berthing area directly under the number two arresting cable and between the number 2 and number 3 arresting engines. To this day I give credit to this ship for my ability to sleep anywhere no matter how much noise there is nearby. I remember distinctly the first time 70,000 lbs of F-4 Phantom landed on the flight deck which was literally my ceiling. It took a few days, but after awhile I no longer noticed the noise of the landings or the scream of the arresting cables sliding out as the aircraft were recovered. The compartment I slept in is right under where a huge hole was blown in the deck during the Gulf of Tonkin incident. That didn't worry me all that much because I was certain those mistakes made in '67 wouldn't be repeated again.
It is indeed a sad day to think of this fine ship being scrapped. I almost hope a sudden storm forms in the Atlantic and swallows her up. She doesn't belong in a scrapyard.
A little history/details of CV-59:
Forrestal was the first American aircraft carrier to be constructed with an angled flight deck, steam catapult, and an optical landing system, as opposed to having them installed after launching. Originally she was supposed to be named the USS United States, but was renamed as the design changed to incorporate the angle deck and other major design changes.
| Class & type: | Forrestal- class aircraft carrier |
| Displacement: | 59,650 tons standard; 81,101 tons full load |
| Length: | 990 ft (300 m) at waterline; 1,067 ft (325 m) overall |
| Beam: | 129 ft 4 in (39.42 m) ; 238 ft (72.5 m) extreme width |
| Draft: | 37 ft (11 m) |
| Propulsion: | Steam turbines, 4 shafts; 260,000 shp (194 MW) |
| Speed: | 33 knots (61 km/h) |
| Complement: | 552 officers, 4,988 enlisted |
She was launched in 1954 and commissioned in 1955. Below are a few shots of the construction.
Forrestal made history in November 1963 when on the 8th, 21st and 22nd, LT James H. Flatley III and his crew members, LCDR "Smokey" Stovall and Aviation Machinist's Mate (Jets) 1st Class Ed Brennan, made 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs in a C-130 Hercules aboard the ship. The tests were conducted 500 miles (900 km) out in the North Atlantic off the coast of Massachusetts. In so doing, Forrestal and the C-130 set a record for the largest and heaviest airplane landing on a Navy aircraft carrier. The Navy was trying to determine whether the big Hercules could serve as a "Super-COD", or "Carrier Onboard Delivery" aircraft. The problem was there was no aircraft which could replenish a carrier in mid-ocean. The Hercules was stable and reliable, and had a long cruising range and high payload. Below is a shot of the C-130 on board the Forrestal.
During 1982 when I was aboard her she looked like this:
A shot of CV-59 transiting the Suez canal. This was shot after 1982 because you can clearly see the shape of F-14 Tomcats on the deck. In 1982 we were the last ship in the Navy to cruise with F-4 Phantoms.
Last but not least here are a few shots of the ship in the Philadelphia shipyard. The first is the Forrestal and The Saratoga.
The last one here is of the stern, with some obvious rust. But you can still read the name. The boarding ladder that we used to come back aboard from the liberty boats is long gone.
Farewell Forrestal.
You may now return to your regularly scheduled surfing.
Tim
For more good stuff check out my primary website.
Follow Tim on twitter @tl1000rzx2
No comments:
Post a Comment