Storied carrier, 'the Big E,' makes final voyage

Yahoo (AP) ^ | 3/10/12 | BROCK VERGAKIS

[Secret Agent Man]

There will be another Enterprise.

[Mariner]

"There have been a bunch of ships named Enterprise."

Who else but the USN has the balls to name their ships Enterprise.

Naming a ship after our spirit. Hell, several of 'em.

We also have Endeavor as a Name.

Only the British have done as well in the naming category.

[BIGLOOK]

My father (CMC) served on the Long Beach and years later I was TAD to a picket ship to the Enterprise BG on Yankee Station. Told a story about the Big E that got pulled. Maybe I can tell it again now.

[castlegreyskull]

There is a movement that the CVN-80 will be named the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE. CVN-78 will be the U.S.S. FORD, CVN-79 will be the next JFK.

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

Roger that, Captain. I was the XO of the Marine Detachment on the USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) in the early 70s. A great ship with a proud history.

In the mid 90s I was driving thru Baltimore and glanced out the window to see the 43 once again. She was being cut up for scrap. Even though I wasn’t a sailor, I still felt a twinge of regret about her circumstances.

Semper Fi,

[Parley Baer]

“My big brother flew A6 Intruders off her during his tours of Viet Nam.”

I did a couple of tours with the Enterprise in 1967 and 1968. I was with VF-96 at the time. I was also on board during the “Pueblo” incident off North Korea.

[Trueblackman]

There she is, Miss Piggy!

[Trueblackman]

There she is, Miss Piggy!

[Secret Agent Man]

My grandfather served on the Hancock, which was in the same strike group as the wwii Enterprise.

[castlegreyskull]

Ironically there is a legend out there that Admiral Rickover used the U.S.S. ENTERPRISE’s speed to help him convince congress that we need a faster submarine. The Big E was leaving San Franciso Bay and a Russian submarine was shadowing it, all with the knowledge of the U.S. Navy. They kept ordering the Big E to go faster to find out how fast the Russian boat could go to keep up with the Big E as it headed to Pearl Harbor. Eventually it was determined that the Russian boats have the ability to outrun any of current boats, and he was able to win the LOS ANGELES Class submarines. http://www.ehow.com/about_5393742_history-nuclear-submarine.html

[Mariner]

"My father (CMC) served on the Long Beach and years later I was TAD to a picket ship to the Enterprise BG on Yankee Station. Told a story about the Big E that got pulled. Maybe I can tell it again now."

Folks, if you didn't know it Jim is a sailor too. I'm sure he has a story or lie to tell us:)

Come on Jim, talk about it:)

You're my hero sir.

[Covenantor]

Isn’t that just the damnest thing?

That ship leaves a wake you can see the next morning.

_____________________________________

As a little kid of nine or ten I saw the USS Forrestal being finished out in Newport News. The view was from an 8’ foot wooden rowboat commanded by my 12 year old cousin. It was probably the most memorable childhood experience, but I only saw it at anchor and never imagined it moving at speed.

Awesome.....in the original meaning of wonderous and fearful. Let our enemies witness it and fall to their knees in terror at these floating sea mountains ready to unleash the wrath of god from the skies.

Thanks for that bit of information and the resulting image burned into my brain.

[moehoward]

Great pic. Before they removed the old tower.

[RandallFlagg]

My Dad was Chief Engineering Officer/XO on the USS Boxer ...

The Boxer?
I was on the USS PELELIU right next door at the base on pier 13.

We cruised side-by-side with Enterprise in the Indian Ocean back in 1995.
Beautiful ship.

[Oztrich Boy]

The Spanish once named an entire fleet The Enterprise. Didn’t turn out well.

[Mariner]

"The Spanish once named an entire fleet The Enterprise"

We leave out the "Thuh"

Just "Enterprise"

That's about as sweet as it gets.

[Jim Robinson]

Thanks, but I was drunk at the time.

[Frank Sheed]

Hope so. Wearing a CVN-65 Navy Blue Sweatshirt as I type this. We need that name in the fleet forever.

Frank

[BIGLOOK]

Let's see if the sea story makes it through this time.

I was sent out to the USS King (DLG 10) on Yankee Station, a picket ship for the Enterprise. Never got to see the Big E until we were relieved and headed off to BCC Hong Kong for Liberty. As fate would have it, five days in HK was cut short and the task force was ordered to sail. A typhoon was headed our way.

The King was in badly need of an overhaul, she had two boilers down when the TF went out of the harbor and spread, Enterprise was about 3 or 4 miles off when she went to flank speed to run away from the typhoon. We were at the rails watching, King was managing 10 knots in the group when a rooster tail appeared behind Enterprise and she disappeared over the horizon in less than 20 minutes.

Do your own calculations but remember King was turning 10 knots at the time and the height of the deck was about 15 feet.

[xrmusn]

Well, except the LHAs came first.
Tarwara sailor speaks:)
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The initial ‘designated’ Helicopter Carrier was USS Thetis Bay (CVHA-1) 1956 - and became LPH6 in 1959.
I did a short aboard her after leaving USNH Yokosuka and rode her back to San Diego to meet my ship USS Henrico (APA-45).
Yes, you do become a ‘part’ of the ships you sail on.