Posted on 12/01/2012 7:09:10 PM PST by smoothsailing
December 1, 2012
Rick Moran
For five decades, the nuclear powered aircraft carrier Enterprise plowed the seven seas to protect the freedoms of American citizens and guarantee freedom of the seas for all. From the Cuban missile crisis through its participation in conflicts arising out of the 9/11 attacks, “The Big ‘E’” was the tip of the spear of American foreign policy.
Today, in front of 12,000 former crew, their families, and friends, the United States Navy formally retired Enterprise from active service.
The 1,123-foot (342-metres) long Enterprise was commissioned in 1961 with eight nuclear reactors on board, and the next year was deployed to participate in a blockade of Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Since then, it has played a role in a number of naval missions, including deployments to Vietnam and to the Middle East as part of the U.S. response to the September 11, 2001, attacks. It returned from its final deployment about a month ago, said Navy spokesman Mike Maus.
Nicknamed the “Big E,” the Enterprise was the oldest active duty ship in the U.S. Naval fleet, according to the military, and was the eighth U.S. military ship to bear the name Enterprise.
The roughly 12,000 people who participated in the ceremony for the USS Enterprise include many former crew members and their friends, Maus said. The ceremony was held in Virginia at Naval Station Norfolk.
The Enterprise will stay at Naval Station Norfolk for several months and then will move to a shipyard in nearby Newport News, Virginia, where its nuclear fuel will be removed from the vessel, Maus said.
After that, the ship will be towed to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Washington state, where its nuclear reactors will be dismantled and the Enterprise will be scrapped, Maus said.
There are no plans to turn the Enterprise into a museum, as has been done with other historic warships.
The Navy said in a statement that inactivation and defueling of the Enterprise will have “major impacts on the structure of the ship” and that it would be too costly to “return the ship to a condition that would support it becoming a museum.”
Even today, Enterprise was an impressive weapon of war. Its 8 nuclear reactors powered the ship to speeds up to 34 knots. It carried a crew of 5,000 seamen and airmen and up to 90 aircraft. It was the longest naval vessel in the world in its time, displacing nearly 95,000 tons — a truly fearsome manifestation of American power.
Enterprise was the second oldest commissioned warship in the US Navy, superseded only by the three masted frigate Constitution. She and her crew have much to be proud having served this nation with honor and courage for so long.
The practice of naming ships after presidents needs to end. The next flattop should be another Enterprise. Then every carrier after that should rturn to being named after revolutionary war battles.
Enough of the memorials to fat farting potentates that everyone wants to forget anyway.
What a wonderful experience that must have been! Good for your Dad! :)
Right - the the submarine named after Jimmah Carter? The USS Peanut????
he also took us to The Battleship Massachusetts, a bunch of WW2 Ships in mothballs , and a submarine!
he was SUCH a cool guy!
I’m a big fan of WWII Pacific naval battles. Bring back names like “The Bunker Hill”, etc. Although I think the Ben Franklin was a good name for that carrier. But there was the Yorktown too. But politicians as they are will name things after themselves. Wish the Navy had a septic system tanker they could name “The Obama” ....
Wow! that picture evoked a memory too! :-)
Yep,, and the USS Obama will come before he even leaves office. Reagan deserved it. But it’s time this practice stopped until we have a Saratoga, a Yorkown, a Constitution, and Enterprise, etc.
Our personality cult of the presidency is beginning to suck.
Agree! Make the Reagan the last one only because he brought back the Navy that Carter decimated during his term.
Maybe go around the Cape for fun!
A new ENTERPRISE... that is cool
Yea!!!!!
And Franklin getting a carrier was great! And it was 150 years after his era. It was clearly named after him because he deserved it, and not as an honor bestowed to help ensure the ship project never met with a budget cut.
The USS GHW Bush was ordered the week George W Bush was sworn in. Does anyone believe thats a coincidence? And i know he was a pilot. But as a president he was clueless. Would the American people of 150 years hence look back, and think of him the way people in 1941 thought of Franklin? I doubt it.
Build a bigger better Enterprise CV-6b
I read about the sea battle where the Franklin was hit over and over again with those Kamakasi planes. Although I’m a bit clueless over naming one carrier the Wasp (it was sunk). What was that all about?
Thats good news! Just hope it survives the Obama vendetta and actually gets built.
Hopefully some jerk politician won’t cancel the funds for it. We have to be nice to the world and not be so militaristic. /sarc
Here’s a link to an excellent article about the Enterprise ceremony today. Bunch of nifty pics and info!
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