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Oriskany to sail for (Texas)city soon
Corpus Christi Caller-Times ^
| January 9, 2004
| Matthew Sturdevant
Posted on 01/09/2004 4:31:17 PM PST by SwinneySwitch
An 888-foot Korean War-era aircraft carrier will arrive at the Port of Corpus Christi next week to have its innards cleaned of solvents before the ship is sunk offshore to create an artificial reef.
Officials haven't announced yet where the ship will be sunk.
The USS Oriskany will be towed Tuesday from Beaumont and will arrive later in the week at the Port of Corpus Christi, said Denise Johnston, manager of government contracts for Resolve Marine Services. The company is one of two contracted to clean aircraft carriers.
"The tow will commence depending on weather conditions," Johnston said. "It could be in Corpus Christi on the 15th, the 16th, the 17th - it depends on the weather."
Resolve Marine Services of Florida, and a Brownsville company, Esco Marine, were jointly awarded a $2.18 million U.S. Navy contract to remove oily solvents from hundreds of tanks and bilge compartments on the ship, according to federal contract information.
Cleaning the Oriskany is expensive because the ship has chemicals and substances that are regulated by the federal government for special disposal, such as polychlorinated biphenyls, mercury and asbestos, Johnston has said.
The Navy and U.S. Maritime Administration are evaluating applications from five states for four sites - three in the Gulf of Mexico and one off the Atlantic coast - and will decide later this month or in February where it will be sunk.
The Oriskany is the last of the Essex Class carriers, the same type as Corpus Christi's museum ship, the Lexington. The Oriskany was used during the Korean and Vietnam wars from 1950 to 1976. It will be the largest ship deliberately sunk as an artificial reef, according to the Maritime Administration.
Contact Matthew Sturdevant at 886-3778 or sturdevantm@caller.com
TOPICS: Culture/Society; Extended News; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: aircraftcarrier; artificalreef; oriskany
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2
posted on
01/09/2004 4:32:20 PM PST
by
Support Free Republic
(If Woody had gone straight to the police, this would never have happened!)
To: SwinneySwitch
Was the Oriskany the carrier that had the major accident off the coast of Viet Nam with rockets setting off on the full flight deck?
3
posted on
01/09/2004 4:59:01 PM PST
by
Thebaddog
(Woof!)
To: Thebaddog
don't think so. forestal (sp?) was one and enterprise was another. in fact enterprise was in pearl harbor for repairs during the filming of "tora, tora, tora" and had to be screened by smoke pots so as not to show up in the background.
To: Thebaddog
Nope, the Forrestal was the ship where John McCain touched off the Zuni rockets on his plane and set the ship aflame.
5
posted on
01/09/2004 5:14:28 PM PST
by
tarawa
To: tarawa
6
posted on
01/09/2004 5:20:33 PM PST
by
Arkinsaw
To: Thebaddog; AppyPappy; Jeff Head; Billthedrill; onyx
The Oriskany had a major fire in '66 started by a magnesium parachute flare that claimed 44 men. The Forrestal had a major fire in '67.
7
posted on
01/09/2004 5:29:26 PM PST
by
SwinneySwitch
(Freedom isn't Free! Support those who ensure it.)
To: SwinneySwitch
8
posted on
01/09/2004 5:31:47 PM PST
by
gbunch
(God bless our President and our troops.)
To: SwinneySwitch
Thanks.
9
posted on
01/09/2004 5:58:38 PM PST
by
Thebaddog
(Woof!)
To: SwinneySwitch
I live the Oriskany. Thank you so much for this ping. I've bookmarked this thread.
10
posted on
01/09/2004 6:34:16 PM PST
by
onyx
(Your secrets are safe with me and all my friends.)
To: SwinneySwitch
They've probably already sold the propellers for scrap, but it is too bad they couldn't have melted them down and stamped a bunch of dollar-sized medallions out of it like they did the 1898 cruiser Olympia. A neat bit of history that I'll bet people would have paid bucks for. I would have.
11
posted on
01/09/2004 6:37:30 PM PST
by
Oatka
To: SwinneySwitch
The "Mighty O-Boat."
At least it will stay at sea and not wind up as razor blades.
12
posted on
01/09/2004 7:24:53 PM PST
by
CPOSharky
(Liberal method - Repeat lie until someone else quotes it, then use that quote as proof.)
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