A Look At Some of Hampton Roads' Most Famous Ships-- Part 5: USS Forrestal

**  The Original "Super Carrier"--  Launched at Newport News on December 11, 1954, the USS Forrestall (CVA-59) was 1,039 feet long.  It was the first aircraft carrier designed and built for use by jet aircraft.

**  First Nuclear-Powered Carrier--  Commissioned November 25, 1961, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65), was 1,123 feet long and still ranks as the largest naval vessel ever built.

--DaCooterprise

A Look At Some of Hampton Roads' Most Famous Ships-- Part 4: The "Big E"

**  The United States' most-decorated aircraft carrier, the second of two Yorktown-class carriers completed at Newport News in the late 1930s. the USS Enterprise (CV-6).  It was longer and faster than the USS Ranger and called "The Big E," it earned 20 battle stars during World War II.

**  The Backbone of the Fleet, the first of the new longer, wider and more powerfully armed aircraft carriers, the USS Essex (CV-9) was completed at Newport News in July 1942.  It won 12 battle stars in 68 combat operations in the Pacific.  It and its 20 sister ships became the backbone of the U.S. Navy.

--CooterCraft

Bits O' History: Tomb of the Unknown-- Last Trip of USS Enterprise

1.  TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN--  Oct. 29, 2012, ABC News.  An inspirational picture making internet rounds of the elite soldiers guarding the Tomb of the Unknown in Arlington National Cemetery.  Picture actually taken in September.  The Army's 3rd Infantry Regt., "The Old Guard" keeps watch 24-hours, 365 days a year, regardless since 1948.  They were on post during Hurricane Sandy.

2.  LAST TRIP FOR USS ENTERPRISE--  Nov. 21, 2012, KVOA, Tucson, Az--  The world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier finished its 25th and final deployment Nov. 4th and returned to its home base at Norfolk, Va.  Its reactor will be removed and it will be towed to Washington State to be scrapped.  It was the Navy's second-oldest ship after the USS Constitution.

Scotty and Kirk Won't Be Happy--  Cooter

U.S. Navy Ships By the Name Enterprise

Good Ol' Wikipedia.

I read that there had been eight ships in the Navy with the name Enterprise.  I knew the most about the World War II aircraft carrier.

1.  1775 sloop-of-war sailing ship operating on Lake Champlain in Continental Navy during the Revolutionary War, 22-guns.

2.  1776 Continental Navy schooner sailing ship, Revolutionary War, 8 guns.

3.  1779 schooner, 12 guns.  In Quasi War with France, Barbary War and War of 1812.

4.  1831 schooner, 10-guns.  Served 1831-1844.

5.  1877  Screw-sloop-of-war, 6 guns

6.  motorboat, never commissioned.

7.  1938, aircraft carrier saw service in World War II, 6th US carrier. 

8  Current aircraft carrier


Other Enterprises in US service: steamboat used at War of 1812 Battle of New Orleans, Civil War military balloon and a space shuttle.

Then there were lots and lots of Enterprises in all the Star Trek TV shows and movies.

A Real get-Up -and-Go Kind of Ship.  --DaCoot

The USS Enterprise Retires

The world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, commissioned in 1961.  Used over the next 51 years with 25 deployments and was involved in every major conflict from the Cuban Missile Crisis to Vietnam up to Iraq and Afghanistan.

Her 8 nuclear reactors allowed the Enterprise to stay at sea for six months at a time without refueling.

It was the eighth warship in the U.S. Navy to bear the name since the first one was in the Continental Navy.  Construction of a ninth is scheduled to begin in 2025.  After the USS Constitution, it was the ship that served the Navy the longest.

Wondering if it will be a museum ship or scrapped.?

Not to Be Confused With That TV/Movie Spaceship.  --Cooter