So, as I write this, the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, is being formally decommissioned, and will be struck from the rolls of the Naval Vessel Register.
As long as I have been alive, there has always been a USS Enterprise as a part of the fleet.
Indeed, the day I was born, my father was aboard her undergoing workups for a deployment to Vietnam.
Fair winds, Big E.
Served on her in sixty nine. Loved that there was no stack gas on the flight deck. When you are loading ordnance stack gas can be a killer. Went through the fire with her,but she was great ship. Fair Winds and Following seas to everyone who served on her. She was one of the best,
Posted by: AO1 J W russell | 02/03/2017 at 03:13 PM
With any luck, the Navy building surge that seems to be part of new DoD plans will bring us CVN-80 prior to the last "slipped date" of 2027. Just not right to not have an Enterprise in the fleet.
This would also be a good time to search through classic carrier names for future builds and stop naming them after politicians. While the Wasp-class gator freighters used a bunch of them, the fleet needs a Yorktown, Saratoga, and Lexington.
Posted by: Captain Ned | 02/04/2017 at 01:50 PM
Even as someone who has not served in the U.S.Navy, I shall miss the USS Enterprise.
Paul L. Quandt
Posted by: Paul L. Quandt | 02/04/2017 at 02:40 PM
@ Capt Ned: Indeed!
Posted by: Quartermaster | 02/09/2017 at 07:47 AM