HISTORY PRESERVED FROM THE SCRAP HEAP

            Of the 24 Essex class aircraft carriers constructed during World War II only a handful remain in existence—and they now serve as memorials of the past as historic museums. One of the last to see fighting against the Japanese in the Pacific is the CV-12 Hornet now moored at Alameda, California as a California Historic Landmark.

            She now rides gently berthed at a dock and is open to the public. But as time passes and the lack of funds persist she is slowly falling into disrepair.  Lately a news segment on national television showed how awful things have gone for this famous relic. Water now seeps through the flight deck invading the inner quarters and causing damage. The “Aircraft Carrier Hornet Foundation” which took charge of her in 1998, has put up a valiant effort to preserve her for posterity. But in spite of their efforts not enough money is available to restore the ship. Hopefully with public help things will change.

            Only about four Essex carriers remain in existence. Of the 54 carriers commissioned during World War all have been sold for scrap except for the ones now designated as war memorials.  These include the Yorktown, the Intrepid, the Lexington and the Hornet. All face the same problem—money for upkeep.

            In Manhattan, New York City, the Intrepid has overhauled her flight and hangar decks and is slowly reopening and reconditioning other compartments. It’s a slow process but it is a labor of love for those who work on the ship. The flight deck is decorated with several aircraft and helicopters. Many of these aircraft were designed and built in the succeeding time dating back to the 1950’s and were never included in the original planes that flew off the ship. They even have a supersonic “Blackbird” SR-71 that to this day its altitude and speed remain classified.

            The Lexington, decommissioned in 1991, is based at Corpus Christi, Texas, and is one of the finest maintained carriers in existence. She is also the oldest aircraft carrier in the world and the first to allow women as crewmembers.

            Yorktown, named after her predecessor that was sunk at the battle of Midway, is now berthed at the Naval Historical Center, South Carolina and is open to the public. Commissioned in January 1943 she was assigned to the Pacific to aid in the island hopping battles including Saipan and Iwo Jima. After the war she made trips carrying servicemen back to the United States. She later went under a complete overhaul including redesigning her flight deck for jet aircraft. The ship also participated in both the Korean and Vietnam wars.

            But it is the Hornet that I have the fondest memories.

            When I first saw the carrier based at the former Alameda Naval Base, she appeared huge compared to other naval ships tied up along her. Going aboard I was greeted by a volunteer who had a brochure giving a brief history of the ship. I was astonished that so few visitors were roaming around the vessel.

Hornet had been decommissioned and mothballed at the Bremerton Naval Shipyard at Bremerton, Washington State in 1970. In 1998 she was designated as both a National and California Landmark and towed to Alameda where she remains to date.

Her accomplishments are a record of the fiercest naval battles in the Pacific during World War II. She fought in battles at the Coral Sea, Marshall Islands, New Guinea and also the Caroline Islands and the Marianas. Her fighters, dive bombers, and torpedo planes inflicted horrific damage to the Japanese navy and army air forces and ships and eventually helped in winning aerial superiority throughout the Pacific.

The Hornet was also cited for her attacks against the Japanese shipping that accounted in one raid that destroyed an entire Japanese convoy. As the war continued right into the backyard of mainland Japan, Hornet’s planes were used to blast and destroy military bases, industrial complexes and other mainland military targets.

Continuing at sea her planes were responsible for the sinking of Japan’s pride battleship Yamato that was closing in to fight off the invasion of Okinawa.

After the war Hornet returned to the United States and was decommissioned in 1947. But in 1951 the ship was re-commissioned and sailed to the New York Naval Shipyard for conversion. There her flight deck was reconstructed and other modern alterations were made as well. When the work was completed she was renamed as an attack carrier and participated in the Vietnam War.

As the years went by the Hornet enjoyed other history making events. In August 1966 she was part of the recovery fleet that fished out the unmanned Apollo module off Wake Island that set the precedent of recovering astronauts.

When I visited the Hornet I was astonished at how smart and clean she was. The main kitchen gleamed and the brass and stainless sinks and hardware shined to a perfect image. Visitors are able to tour the various compartments including the engine rooms, mess hall, ready rooms, sleeping quarters, hospital and bridge. And for those who have a supernatural sense the Hornet is supposed to be haunted.

Unfortunately today those born after the Second World War have little knowledge of the time that resulted in the death of millions and the opening of Pandora’s Box—the nuclear age. She, like her other three sister carriers now rest and await a curious public. If it were not for these valuable artifacts of a time where America was in crucial danger, the history of those major battles that led to final victory would be lost.

Let’s hope that sufficient donations will meet the need to repair these irreplaceable parts of a history that made America free.