O/T Time marches on..........

Goose · Mar 10, 2012

The USS Enterprise (CVN65) is being retired.

Can't believe she's 50 years old already. She was the first nuclear aircraft carrier, and when she was built she had an anticipated life span of 25 years.

Don't know how many former aircraft carrier guys we have on board here, but I thought I'd pass it along.

GordoSD · Mar 10, 2012

I remember when she first appeared in the Tonkin Gulf in 1966. We all caller her the "Tonkin Hilton"
Easy to land on, no stack gases to fly through.

northvale · Mar 10, 2012

Trouble is, the US Navy safeguards all the world's oceans. 1 less carrier is a serious issue.

Offandgone · Mar 10, 2012

I remember that also. I was on the Oklahoma City. Com 7th Fleet on board and their was several helo flights between the ships.
Frank

David G · Mar 10, 2012

My BIL was a nuclear technician on that.

old popper · Mar 10, 2012

I have a BIL that served on the Enterprise during Nam. I missed the whole dance, Uncle sent me to Germany in June of '64. I liked solid ground under my feet.

donjr · Mar 10, 2012

The 'BIG E' was built before I went into the nuke program. She was one of two ordered, the other being the Kennedy. But Robert MacNamara had it redesigned with oil fired boilers because of the cost of the reactors. It was told us in Nuke school that the Kennedy would use enough oil by herself to fill a string of tank cars on the tracks from Washington to Boston PLUS the logostic support ships to get it to her at sea. The next nuclear carrier was Nimitz, which was being outfitted in Newport News next to our Poseidon conversion in 1972. That's one BIG piece of tin.

old · Mar 10, 2012

Saw the old girl more then once when I was on the CVA62 JFK and was parked on the other side or the pier from her more then once Navy 1974-1980

NCWayne · Mar 10, 2012

Spent two years aboard the America CV66. Like the Kennedy it was also designed from the start to be a nuke but give oil fired boilers instead to cut costs. When in charge of damage control for the engineering department I often found refferences in old paperwork, on systems that wouldn't have changed from power plant to power plant, to it being CVN-66. I once found a huge roll of blueprints for the ship on top of a ceiling mounted an EEBD rack. Judging by the armament showing on the prints they were from long before I got onboard. I don't remember what happened to them after they were found but I still wish I could have found a way to have brought them home with me, if for nothing else than a conversation piece.

old · Mar 10, 2012

That should be CV67 not 62. Was aid on a good day the JFK would burn a million gal of fuel per day

JakeE · Mar 10, 2012

was on the cva- 63 kitty hawk, was a 3rd class bosn in the 5th div we toke care of the out side exterior, never finished painting.was all done with saliors who were tad to the side cleaning detail.i some times had airmen who were better over the side in nets than seamen,when i got out i spent 25 years working for american airlines. also ran the captins gig for about a year, yes even the hawk is in the scrap yard.

Used-to-be-iowa-dave · Mar 10, 2012

I was on the Sacramento, AOE-1. Pulled alongside the Big E many times to refuel and restore her. The Sac has been in mothballs for a few years, now the E will join her. The Sac was pretty good sized, usually larger than what came alongside for fuel. When you went above decks (outside) while the E was alongside, you were staring at a wall of grey. She ran aground on a sand bar off San Diego in the mid eighties, cut a big gash in the hull. While in repair, they found compartments that had never had hatches cut into them, complete with machinery not touched since placed there during original construction. She will forever epitomize "carrier" and "force projection" for me.

LeoinMI · Mar 10, 2012

I was stationed on the USS Coral Sea CVA-43 from 1971-1975 and worked on the flight deck. The "Big E", as we called her was right along side us in Vietnam. I went aboard her a couple of times when she was in port in Subic Bay. The Enterprise was the biggest and coolist carrier going at that time. She will be long remembered and missed by all who served aboard her I am sure.
Leo (ABH-2)

Goose · Mar 10, 2012

Guess I already mentioned on a different thread a week or so ago, I was on the Lake Champlain (CVA 39) and the Saratoga (CVA 60).

Dave in GA · Mar 10, 2012

I hope that they save her as a museum like they did with a few other carriers and battleships along the east and west coasts. Wish they kept the WWII Enterprise also, which had a fantastic history. I plan to visit the Yorktown sometime this year in Charleston with the kids.

Billy Shafer · Mar 11, 2012

I also was on the Sara.For a farm kid right off the farm.When I first saw her. Told my self that thing is to big to float.

O/T Time marches on..........

Goose

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GordoSD

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northvale

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Offandgone

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David G

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old popper

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donjr

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old

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NCWayne

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old

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JakeE

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Used-to-be-iowa-dave

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