Posted on 11/04/2012 6:33:18 AM PST by Berlin_Freeper
WASHINGTON — After half a century on the high seas, the oldest warship in the American fleet, the USS Enterprise, will return to port Sunday for the last time.
From the Cuban Missile Crisis to the war in Afghanistan, the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier has played a part in every conflict involving the United States since she was commissioned in 1961.
But when the massive vessel glides into the US naval base in Norfolk, Virginia on Sunday morning, with sailors in white uniforms standing on deck, it will mark the end of her 25th and final deployment after an eight month tour in the Mediterranean and the Gulf, the Navy said.
"Homecoming will no doubt be a bittersweet day," said Captain William Hamilton, the ship's commanding officer.
"We are pleased to be returning to our families after a very successful deployment, but to know that it is the last time Enterprise will be underway through her own power makes our return very sentimental."
The ship will be formally retired at a ceremony on December 1 but the vessel known as the "Big E" already relinquished its ammunition and ordnance last week at sea, with helicopters ferrying more than 1,500 tonnes of missiles and bombs to cargo ships nearby.
With a length of 342 meters (1,123 feet), the Enterprise is the longest naval ship in the world, and has a displacement of nearly 95,000 tonnes. The floating base can accommodate 4,500 sailors and aviators, as well as 72 planes and helicopters.
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G-2 Div, WEPS CVN65 81-84
Mike - you don’t expect ME to argue do you?
ref: “Oh, and a rowboat, USS Wookie.”
I’m glad I wasn’t drinking anything at my computer keyboard when I read this because it would be drenched after I read your comment above.
Ship. The Enterprise is the only boat in the class.
Well Rusty, as you know, the Navy does not need so many ships now - or horses or bayonets, so I guess a rubber dingy would suffice.
I like what France does for its money- they have portraits of famous people but none of them are politicians. The ones I remember were Marie Curie and Antoine du St-Exupery.
Just damn, the USS Kitty Hawk has been retired too? I had the thrill of being on the Kitty Hawk during a family cruise day back in the early 80’s. All I can say about that day is WOW!
Yes, but it's been retired for decades now, and never even made it into low earth orbit :-(
Mark
The anti nuke activists and survivors of our Atom bomb attacks finally started dying off and the Japanese are more realistic now—especially with China, as usual, wanting to swallow them up now more than ever.
Nahhh, these days everyone recognized that the Marines are just a department of the Navy.
The MEN'S Department...
re: “. . .so I guess a rubber dingy would suffice.”
I agree, a very small dingy, too.
I guess I could be OK with an Edison dollar, or a Tesla Twenty, but where does one draw the line? A Soros C-note?
dumb, dumb dumb dumb duh doh, dumb dumb! dumb! dumb!
Don’t worry she be recycle as USS Enterprise with cowboy like Capt Kirk and logical Vulcan/Human Hybrid Mr Spock and very annoyed Dr McCoy in 23th century
Live long and prosper
It was a carrier...that i do remember...and very big, my 8 yrs old eyes thought it very big anyway...then what happened to the original WWII ship you mentioned and probably the one I was on.
Menses? Only the WAMs...
I agree
How this thread turn into Star Trek thread all sudden LOL!
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