[chrisser]

Is there a reason the name Hornet wasn’t used again for a carrier? Seems sticking with a traditional name like that would be better than using politicians’ names.

Or is it a tradition that the ship name dies with her when she’s lost in combat?

[rebel25]

It was, another carrier was renamed hornet just a short time later.

[GreyFriar]

There was a follow on USS Hornet, CV-12: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hornet_(CV-12) launched in 1943.

[Charles Martel]

Is there a reason the name Hornet wasn’t used again for a carrier? Seems sticking with a traditional name like that would be better than using politicians’ names.

Or is it a tradition that the ship name dies with her when she’s lost in combat?

I agree, those fleet carrier names from WWII belong on the current CVNs. Some of the old names have drifted over to the amphibious assault/helicopter carrier ship classes.

During WWII, new replacements for Wasp, Hornet, Lexington and Yorktown were launched (and probably a few replacement light carriers, too). There is no tradition of shelving a ship's name due to loss in combat; quite the contrary.