Just read that the USS Enterprise is departing on its last deployment. Having spent the better part of two years aboard her during the late unpleasantness in Viet Nam it triggers some memories. My time on her flight deck was both the most exciting and the most deadly boring moments of my life. Nothing like seeing a human being sucked down a jet intake like a human dust bunny to get ones attention. My first night ops had me only feet from walking into a spinning propeller. Hate to see her scrapped but she served well for 50 years.
Enterprise on last deployment.
- Thread starter Autografe
- Start date
- Status
The Big E is a legend. I hope they name a new carrier Enterprise again someday, instead of after some politician.
Ken_W
Ken_W
Boats are getting old. They are scrapping the Love Boat, the Italian one that caught fire and now the Big E. Well the Big E has a seven month tour then to the scrapyard. Must be one heck of a scrapyard to cut apart an aircraft carrier. But its good we cut them up for iron scrap rather than sink them.
- Joined
- Sep 26, 2010
- Messages
- 9,807
Perhaps some city/port/state will take her as a museum piece. I know that my children have enjoyed to the nth degree being able to visit the USS Lexington (Corpus Christi), USS Alabama (Mobile), USS North Carolina (Wilmington), and USS MIssouri (when it was in Bremerton). They loved learning about how ship life was and what role/duty the ship and its crew played in the defense of the United States.
The Star Trek crowd should organize to save it. The next Enterprise may well be a spaceship!
It will be a sad day when she is scrapped.
Originally Posted By: 2010_FX4
Perhaps some city/port/state will take her as a museum piece. I know that my children have enjoyed to the nth degree being able to visit the USS Lexington (Corpus Christi), USS Alabama (Mobile), USS North Carolina (Wilmington), and USS MIssouri (when it was in Bremerton). They loved learning about how ship life was and what role/duty the ship and its crew played in the defense of the United States.
Some city better step up to the plate. The Midway Museum in San Diego has been a huge success.
Perhaps some city/port/state will take her as a museum piece. I know that my children have enjoyed to the nth degree being able to visit the USS Lexington (Corpus Christi), USS Alabama (Mobile), USS North Carolina (Wilmington), and USS MIssouri (when it was in Bremerton). They loved learning about how ship life was and what role/duty the ship and its crew played in the defense of the United States.
Some city better step up to the plate. The Midway Museum in San Diego has been a huge success.
Originally Posted By: pcoxe
The Star Trek crowd should organize to save it. The next Enterprise may well be a spaceship!
You realize that has already happened right? The first space shuttle orbiter in 1977 was the Enterprise
The Star Trek crowd should organize to save it. The next Enterprise may well be a spaceship!
You realize that has already happened right? The first space shuttle orbiter in 1977 was the Enterprise
the TV show "Battle 360" is on again this Wednesday. It is about the life of the original Enterprise and it fights against the Japanese. The show is put on by a person who was on the Enterprise during WW11 and he is the one who started the car rental company which he named Enterprise. A great TV series. Ed
JHZR2
Staff member
Ive spent far more time on DDGs, and the AMR on the E was sad compared to the 51s and even when I visited the 964 maybe two years back. Just felt like there were a few too many coats of paint and old metal.
Granted E is much older than even the PF.
Granted E is much older than even the PF.
Some interesting reading on the Big E: www.mooj.com/rxdept.htm. I had my initial nuclear training at A1W, the Enterprise's reactor prototype in Idaho.
I read some while ago that the Navy has already rejected the idea of preserving Enterprise. They state the cost of removing her reactors, which would involve cutting huge holes in her decks and then repairing them, was prohibitive. Interesting how her looks have changed. During one of her rebuilds the island structure was replaced with one that more closely resembles the Nimitz class ships. As for naming of future carriers it is interesting how the Navy abandoned the practice of naming carriers for historic ships like Enterprise,Ranger and Constellation or battles like Antietam and Bunker Hill and started naming them after political figures. I guess the FDR and the Forestall were exceptions but with the JFK it seems which ever political party was in power made sure the next carrier was named after one of their guys. I bet there will never be another Enterprise with a hull number beginning with CV.
- Joined
- Mar 3, 2010
- Messages
- 2,451
It will be a sad day in US history when a ship with so much history and distinguish be scrapped, I hope they restore it and make it a museum instead..
Just read about this morning, a sad day. Big E has been walking the beat for almost the same time I have been alive.
It would be great if it could but like was said the removing of the reactors will make it impractical. Finding someplace that could take it and make a museum would also be hard. I would almost be surprised if and when we get around to building a new carrier that isn't already named that they don't name it the Enterprise. Even in politics it would make great PR to name the latest and greatest after one of the greatest naval ships.
Part of the reason Big E is being retired is the cost of maintaining her plant, with its 8 AW-1 reactors. She ushered in a new age of carrier aviation, and I will remember my time underway on Big E fondly...
Don't count the name Enterprise out yet, the next CVN is slated to be named USS JOHN F KENNEDY - a great choice! Spent some serious time on CV-67, the first JFK...and there is no better politician for whom to name a US Navy warship...but the one after that? Well...
Don't count the name Enterprise out yet, the next CVN is slated to be named USS JOHN F KENNEDY - a great choice! Spent some serious time on CV-67, the first JFK...and there is no better politician for whom to name a US Navy warship...but the one after that? Well...
I always though the enterprise was intereting, because of the way they added it to nuclear power. It has what, 8 small reactors? Interesting design.
The first nuclear carrier.
It would nice if they sank it somewhere and turned it into a scuba diving park.
It would nice if they sank it somewhere and turned it into a scuba diving park.
The story I read said they were going to cut it up for scrap. It costs an awful lot to sink one since you have to remove every bit of hazzardous material on it, plus make sure that it sinks like you want it to. I would think that making it a scuba diving park could be risky. Going inside and getting hung up or lost would result in death. Could see some big time law suits coming then.
- Status
Similar threads
