To all our men and women in uniform, America salutes you!
We can never thank you enough for all your sacrifices.
Let us keep our focus on the real meaning of Memorial Day.
Salute to all who served and died to make this country great.
God Bless the USA and God Bless our Armed Forces at home and abroad, past and present.
Regards to all.
Today's classic ship, USS Franklin (CV-13), the most decorated ship in US History.
Essex class (short-hull) Fleet Carrier:
Displacement: 34,800 tons
Length: 872'
Beam: 147'
Draft: 28'7"
Speed: 33 knots
Armament: 12 5"/38, 18x4 40mm, 60 20mm; 103 planes (37 F6F, 36 #B2C, 18 TBM)
Complement: 3,448
Geared turbine engines, 4 screws, 150,000 shaft hp.
Built at Newport News, and commissioned 31 January 1944
Sold for scrap in July 1966
USS Franklin, a 27,100 ton Essex class aircraft carrier, was built at Newport News, Virginia. Commissioned at the end of January 1944, she arrived in the Pacific in time to participate in later stages of the Marianas operation. From late June into September, her planes conducted strikes on enemy targets in the Bonins, Marianas, Palaus and Carolines. In October, after supporting the September landings in the Palaus, she took part in the Third Fleet's raids in the Western Pacific and in the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was lightly damaged by a Japanese bomb on 15 October, and was hit by a suicide plane on 30 October. The latter caused serious damage and killed 56 of her crew, necessitating a trip back to the United States for repairs.
Franklin returned to the war zone in mid-March 1945 and joined the Fifth fleet for strikes on the Japanese home islands. On the morning of 19 March, while her flight and hangar decks were crowded with fully armed and fueled planes preparing to take off to attack the enemy, a Japanese plane approached undetected and hit the carrier with two bombs. The resulting inferno badly damaged the ship and resulted in the deaths of 724 of her crew. Heroic work by the survivors, assisted by nearby ships, brought the fires and flooding under control. After a brief period under tow, Franklin's engineers again had her steaming on her own. For their bravery under fire the crew was awarded 3 Medals of Honor, 3 Silver Stars, and Dozens of Bronze Stars and Letters of Commendations. The Franklin was the most heavily damaged ship to survive the war.
The badly damaged carrier crossed the Pacific, transited the Panama Canal and in late April arrived at the New York Navy Yard for repairs. These were completed shortly after the end of the Pacific War, and Franklin saw no further active flight service. She decommissioned in February 1947. Though reclassified CVA-13 in 1952, CVS-13 a year later and AVT-8 in 1959, Franklin remained in the Reserve Fleet until she was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register in October 1964. She was sold for scrapping in July 1966.
Rev. 21:4
Lest We Forget!!
Freedom Is Worth Fighting For !!
Molon Labe !!
Thank you all for the kind words about my opening post. I tried to say what was in my heart.
For some reason this years Memorial Day is hitting me especially hard. At the Service they try to keep it upbeat while remaing solemn, but I just can't seem to get into an upbeat mood today.
I'm sorry I didn't answer each response separately, but I'm having trouble finding the words today. Please accept my apologies.