Posted on 07/12/2013 7:42:25 AM PDT by Jeff Head
I gained a greater appreciation for sailors walking around that ship!
I served on the commissioning crew of the Kennedy. This was perhaps the most politically sensitive ship of the fleet at the time. I appreciate seeing this story as it brings back fond memories.
It must have been very discouraging to the Japanese who thought they had gotten these ships in the earlier battles.
I'll tell you what. When I was on the ship we carried nukes. They as such didn't worry me. Two other things were a far more likely accident waiting to happen. One was like you mentioned the LOX Plant the second would have been a steam break. The LOX Plant had the biggest potential for a mass causality explosion. If you had any sense it would put the fear of GOD in you. To work in there you had to have your stuff together.
My division had The LOX Plants, Elevators and conveyors, Air Conditioning & Refrigeration, Machine Shop, Ships Services like heat and galley equipment, and the Boat Shop where the liberty launches and emergency generator engines were maintained. I stayed out of 02N2. I worked AC&R mostly and part time as a pushed into service engineman on boat crew and a couple T.A.D. stints to the ships fire department which was it's own division.
I don't know if all carriers went to a full time Fire Department in 1980 but we did. It started out in the yards but was made permanent. It made good sense to pool the firefighters rather than put all the Hull Techs and Gunner Mates at risk. The Fire Dept also had to do fire station and hatch maintenance ship wide.
Heres one for you Jeff. Which carrier in the Enterprise, Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, and Kennedy class, was built with a Sonar Dome?
I believe America and JFK were the only ones that had the actual sonar dome built during their construction...but that America was the only one of those two that had the sonar actually installed. SQS-23 I believe.
LOL America’s Sonar Dome worked. From what I read in the ships veterans association old forum it was removed in either 1980 or 85. Confirmed by a guy on the ship who took the gear out. Our Berthing Compartment was under the aft galley right at water line. At sea you could hear the thing. It sounded like somebody opening a door that the hinges needed oil or a slow rocking chair. When we’d get back in port you’d miss hearing it. LOL. BTW you could also here the planes landing.
My dad was Leading Chief of VA-115 on that cruise.
A6’s yes we shared our shop with VA-115. It was a shot up bird from VA-115 that crashed into the bow Oct 24 1972. I lost my two best friends that night.
Thanks. We were still there in 05. I lived there from 1992 to 2006 after I retired from the military. I met my wife there. We lived in Bremerton and took the ferry to and from Seattle every day to work. I met my wife on the ferry. We were married in Bremerton in 95. Only good thing I ever got out of being there. We could not wait to get out. My wife lived there from 1955 till we left in 05. She hated it there also. She saw Seattle go from being a great place to live to a liberal hell hole.
I have a question for you that you might know something about. In the late 1970’s somewhere maybe 1977-78 the A-6’s had some sort of malfunction that basically made them have catrostrophic failure right after launch usually in sight of the carrier. I can’t remember why I just remember an A-6 stand down caused by it and it involved several A-6’s launching from the America. My memory is a little bad but I’m pretty certain it was an A-6.
I think my dad was the VA-115 maintenance chief during that cruise and then Leading Chief the following cruise.
That was after my time. I got out in 1973
I need to know the name of the Aircraft Carrier U.S. Navy ship that was docked in Brisbane, Australia, in February/March 1970. Do you think these offices could help me?
down to 2 now...Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger and Constellation are in Brownsville being scrapped. Independence and Kitty Hawk will be the next to go.
https://www.google.com/maps/@25.9644735,-97.3611799,1715m/data=!3m1!1e3
Here are Sara, Ranger and Connie being scrapped in Brownsville.
I was stationed aboard the Midway from ‘76 to ‘79. At the time, I thought the tour would never end and couldn’t wait to get transferred. Now I would like to visit her and see how San Diego is taking care of the old gal.
Sunk as reefs seems so much a waste to me.
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