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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Rooster tail was above the flight deck!
I was an FT/G on the Perkins (DD-877) when, on a Midshipman's cruise leaving Hawaii, she raced Bainbridge (DLGN-25) and USS Long Beach (CGN-9) and I am pretty sure that Enterprise won. All we saw was them leaving the horizon!
We see those ships every time we go through Bremerton. I’d love to take a tour of one of them.
True.
Here’s a nice pic of the real thing. (Link only / large image):
http://cinchouse.com/Portals/140/enterprise.jpg
I was going to suggest a barge with a miniature golf course on top to be permanently stationed just off shore from Chicago.
Oh, and a rowboat, USS Wookie.
Of course we called the members of the USMC (which meant U suk my you know what) grunts, jarheads, brig screws (or chasers), GIrines and those dumasses we put on foreign shores to get shot;)
Wonder if the same old traditional love/hate relationship between the Nav and the Corps still goes on...in spite of the rivalry we had each others’ backs.
“Error, error, error - oldest US Navy ship is STILL the USS Constitution.”
And if Obama gets re-elected, it will be an active duty warship...!
That was the USS Ranger.
USS Ranger (CV-61) - 1957 to 1993 [Forrestal-class]
USS Independence (CV-62) - 1959 to 1998 [Forrestal-class]
USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) - 1964 to 2009
USS Constellation (CV-64) - 1961 to 2003
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) - 1962 to Present
The evolution to the British-pioneered angled flight deck which allows for simultaneous launch and land as well as increased multiple launches. Note that both the Ranger and Independence served as recovery HQs for NASA manned capsule ocean landings. I don't think that the others above had that tasking.
I have no doubt she beat the BAINBRIDGE or the LONGBEACH. It was amazing watching the F-14s do their thing. I was on there when they had both F-14 and F-18.
“what kind of ship do you think it should be?”
It will have a limp deck.
The catapult will hurl golf balls.
The aircraft will be fairies.
HMS was an ambitious, ruthless and aggressive white racist who forced black Africans or the more PC African American Africans to do his bidding in his efforts at empire building.
Does sound like the fascist Soros, doesn't it? Only George had only to pull the strings of one African American whose father was a commie African American African and mother a European American Marxist with a chronic case of jungle fever.
Agreed.
Part of nully's platform includes a related idea:
Coinage and paper money: Remove all images of any actual human beings from all new coins and currency. Allegorical figures, natural wonders, symbolic and fantastic animals and technological achievements only
The quote is "the oldest warship in the American fleet" and my response to your apparent snark is that the USS Constitution is still US Navy, it is still officially in commission with an official Navy crew, it still leaves the dock every year, it is still considered a warship and it is still part of "the Fleet". Lack of deployment does not constitute absence from the Fleet. [grin]
And to put the cherry on this, the USS Constitution is also the oldest commissioned naval vessel anywhere in the world. Not many man-made things here in the US can make that claim!
Of course this is from Agence France-Presse (AFP) and their oldest ships can be found wherever the British Navy left them. So their naval knowledge may be somewhat impaired. If they had said "the oldest warship in deployment of the American fleet", it would be absolutely correct.
Target barge perhaps?
She was built before the USS Constitution.
I think it would be interesting for them to take a couple of the retired carriers and convert them to disaster relief. One on each coast and one for the Gulf area. They would be able to have them stocked and ready to go.
I’ve visited it in Boston. It’s a floating museum piece.
I had one. It even "launched" a Polaris missile!
If she was commissioned in 1961, What Enterprise was I on in about 1957/1958 in Bremerton WA during an open house aboard ship after a major retrofit in that shipyard? My stepfather worked on her during that time.
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