USS ''Forrestal'' (CVA-59) (later CV-59, then AVT-59), was a
supercarrier
An aircraft carrier is a warship that serves as a seagoing airbase, equipped with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft. Typically, it is the capital ship of a fleet, as it allows a n ...
named after the first
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
James Forrestal
James Vincent Forrestal (February 15, 1892 – May 22, 1949) was the last Cabinet-level United States Secretary of the Navy and the first United States Secretary of Defense.
Forrestal came from a very strict middle-class Irish Catholic fami ...
. Commissioned in 1955, she was the United States' first completed supercarrier, and was the
lead ship
The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels.
Large ships are very complex and may ...
of
her class. The other carriers of her class were , and . She surpassed the
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
Japanese carrier as the largest carrier yet built, and was the first designed to support jet aircraft.
The ship was affectionately called "The FID", because her namesake was the first Secretary of Defense, FID standing for "First In Defense". This is also the slogan on the ship's insignia and patch. She was also informally known in the fleet as the "USS
Zippo
A Zippo lighter is a reusable metal lighter produced by Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford, Pennsylvania, United States. Thousands of different styles and designs have been made in the nine decades since their introduction, including milita ...
" and "Forrest Fire" or "Firestal" because of a number of highly publicized fires on board, most notably a
1967 fire in which 134 sailors died and 161 more were injured.
''Forrestal'' served for nearly four decades in the Atlantic, Mediterranean, and Pacific. She was decommissioned in 1993, and made available as a museum. Attempts to save her were unsuccessful, and in February 2014 she was towed to
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
, to be scrapped. Scrapping was completed in December 2015.
Construction and commissioning
''Forrestals keel was laid down at
Newport News Shipbuilding
Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), a division of Huntington Ingalls Industries, is the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and sole designer, builder and refueler of United States Navy aircraft carriers and one of two providers of U.S. Navy ...
on 14 July 1952. During construction, her design was adjusted several times—the original telescoping bridge, a design left over from the canceled
USS ''United States'', was replaced by a conventional island structure, and her flight deck was modified to include an angled landing deck and steam catapults, drawing on British innovations. She was launched on 11 December 1954, and commissioned into service on 1 October 1955.
Design features
''Forrestal'' was the first American aircraft carrier to be constructed with an
angled flight deck
The flight deck of an aircraft carrier is the surface from which its aircraft take off and land, essentially a miniature airfield at sea. On smaller naval ships which do not have aviation as a primary mission, the landing area for helicopter ...
,
steam catapult
An aircraft catapult is a device used to allow aircraft to take off from a very limited amount of space, such as the deck of a vessel, but can also be installed on land-based runways in rare cases. It is now most commonly used on aircraft carrier ...
, and an
optical landing system
An optical landing system (OLS) (nicknamed "meatball" or simply "ball") is used to give glidepath information to pilots in the terminal phase of landing on an aircraft carrier.
From the beginning of aircraft landing on ships in the 1920s to the i ...
, as opposed to having them installed after launching.
[David Hobbs, 2007, ''HMAS ''Melbourne'' (II) – 25 Years On'', p. 6]
The original design——provided for the island to retract flush with the deck during flight operations, but that was found to be too complicated. Another solution was considered where the two masts were to fold down, in lieu of the retractable island, to allow the carrier to pass under the
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is a hybrid cable-stayed/ suspension bridge in New York City, spanning the East River between the boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn. Opened on May 24, 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge was the first fixed crossing of the East River ...
. The larger center mast was to fold to the side and rest on the flight deck, and the smaller mast was to fold toward the stern.
1956–1962
![USS Forrestal (CVA-59), starboard view, 1955](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/USS_Forrestal_%28CVA-59%29%2C_starboard_view%2C_1955.jpg)
From her home port,
Naval Station Norfolk
Naval Station Norfolk is a United States Navy base in Norfolk, Virginia, that is the headquarters and home port of the U.S. Navy's Fleet Forces Command. The installation occupies about of waterfront space and of pier and wharf space of the Hamp ...
,
Norfolk, Virginia
Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
, ''Forrestal'' spent the first year of service in intensive training operations off the
Virginia Capes
The Virginia Capes are the two capes, Cape Charles to the north and Cape Henry to the south, that define the entrance to Chesapeake Bay on the eastern coast of North America.
In 1610, a supply ship learned of the famine at Jamestown when it l ...
and in the
Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
. An important assignment was training aviators in the use of her advanced facilities. During this time she often operated out of
Naval Station Mayport
Naval Station Mayport is a major United States Navy base in Jacksonville, Florida. It contains a protected harbor that can accommodate aircraft carrier-size vessels, ship's intermediate maintenance activity (SIMA) and a military airfield (Admi ...
, Florida. On 7 November 1956, she put to sea from Mayport to operate in the eastern
Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe an ...
during the
Suez Crisis
The Suez Crisis, or the Second Arab–Israeli war, also called the Tripartite Aggression ( ar, العدوان الثلاثي, Al-ʿUdwān aṯ-Ṯulāṯiyy) in the Arab world and the Sinai War in Israel,Also known as the Suez War or 1956 Wa ...
, ready to enter the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
should it be necessary. She returned to Norfolk on 12 December to prepare for her first deployment with the
6th Fleet in the Mediterranean, for which she sailed on 15 January 1957.
On this, as on her succeeding tours of duty in the Mediterranean, ''Forrestal'' visited many ports to "show the flag" and take on board dignitaries and the general public. For military observers, she staged underway demonstrations to illustrate her capacity to bring air power to and from the sea in military operations on any scale. She returned to Norfolk on 22 July 1957 for exercises off the
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
coast in preparation for her first
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
operation,
Operation Strikeback
Exercise Strikeback was a major naval exercise of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) that took place over a ten-day period in September 1957.
As part of a series of exercises to simulate an all-out Soviet attack on NATO, Exercise S ...
in the
North Sea
The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Norway, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium. An epeiric sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian S ...
. This deployment, between 3 September and 22 October, found her visiting
Southampton
Southampton () is a port city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire built-up area, which also covers Po ...
, UK, as well as drilling in the highly important task of coordinating United States naval power with that of other NATO nations.
The next year found ''Forrestal'' participating in a series of major fleet exercises as well as taking part in experimental flight operations. During the
Lebanon Crisis of summer 1958, the carrier was again called upon to operate in the eastern Atlantic to back up naval operations in the Mediterranean. She sailed from Norfolk on 11 July to embark an air group at Mayport two days later, then patrolled the Atlantic until returning to Norfolk on 17 July.
![USS Forrestal (CVA-59) underway at sea in 1957](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b6/USS_Forrestal_%28CVA-59%29_underway_at_sea_in_1957.jpg)
On her second tour of duty in the Mediterranean, from 2 September 1958 to 12 March 1959, ''Forrestal'' again combined a program of training, patrol, and participation in major exercises with ceremonial, hospitality and public visiting. Her guest list during this cruise was headed by
United States Secretary of Defense
The United States secretary of defense (SecDef) is the head of the United States Department of Defense, the executive department of the U.S. Armed Forces, and is a high ranking member of the federal cabinet. DoDD 5100.1: Enclosure 2: a The s ...
N. H. McElroy. Returning to Norfolk, she continued the never-ending task of training new aviators, constantly maintaining her readiness for instant reaction to any demand for her services brought on by international events. Visitors during the year included
King Hussein of Jordan
Hussein bin Talal ( ar, الحسين بن طلال, ''Al-Ḥusayn ibn Ṭalāl''; 14 November 1935 – 7 February 1999) was King of Jordan from 11 August 1952 until his death in 1999. As a member of the Hashemite dynasty, the royal family of ...
.
![F-8 Crusaders fly over USS Forrestal (CVA-59) in 1962](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2a/F-8_Crusaders_fly_over_USS_Forrestal_%28CVA-59%29_in_1962.jpg)
''Forrestal'' again went to the 6th Fleet between 28 January 1960 and 31 August, visiting the ports typical of a Mediterranean deployment as well as
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enterta ...
,
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
(then part of
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
). Again she was open for visitors at many ports, as well as taking part in the patrol and training schedule of the 6th Fleet. She completed another deployment to 6th Fleet January 1961 to August 1961, after which she entered a yard period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard where the six arresting wires were replaced with four, freed 03 level spaces were converted to berthing areas, and the right side flight deck mirror landing system was replaced with a permanent Fresnel lens in the port catwalk, among other updates. She conducted a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay in January 1962 with port calls in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Port of Spain, Trinidad. She then acted as the defending carrier in an amphibious force landing exercise on Vieques Island; it was the largest assembled naval force since the Korean War. ''Forrestal'' with Vice-President Lyndon B. Johnson aboard, and ''Enterprise'' with President John F. Kennedy aboard hosted many foreign ambassadors, military attaches, and other diplomats for a Naval Air Power demonstration off the Virginia Capes in June 1962.
''Forrestal'' deployed to the Mediterranean again on 3 August 1962 to 2 March 1963 as
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically the fi ...
for
Commander Carrier Division Four (ComCarDiv 4) participating in NATO exercises in the Atlantic and western Mediterranean with , British and French carriers. Cross deck operations were conducted with . Whilst a USMC Phantom was aboard HMS Ark Royal, it developed problems and couldn't take off to return to the Forrestal before docking in Malta. US personnel were not allowed on Malta at the time so the Phantom was painted with Royal Navy tail markings to make the jet blend in with Royal Navy Phantoms.
1963–1967
![Lockheed KC-130F Hercules aboard USS Forrestal (CVA-59) on 30 October 1963](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Lockheed_KC-130F_Hercules_aboard_USS_Forrestal_%28CVA-59%29_on_30_October_1963.jpg)
''Forrestal'' made history in November 1963 when, on the 8th, 21st and 22nd, LT
James H. Flatley III and his crew members, LCDR Walter "Smokey" Stovall and Aviation Machinist's Mate (Jet). V 1st Class Ed Brennan, made 21 full-stop landings and takeoffs in a
C-130 Hercules
The Lockheed C-130 Hercules is an American four-engine turboprop military transport aircraft designed and built by Lockheed Corporation, Lockheed (now Lockheed Martin). Capable of using unprepared runways for takeoffs and landings, the C-130 ...
aboard the ship. The tests were conducted out in the
North Atlantic
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the "Old World" of Africa, Europe and ...
off the coast of
. In so doing, ''Forrestal'' and the C-130 set a record for the largest and heaviest airplane landing on a Navy aircraft carrier. The Navy was trying to determine whether the big Hercules could serve as a "Super-COD", or "
Carrier Onboard Delivery
Carrier onboard delivery (COD) is the use of aircraft to ferry personnel, mail, supplies, and high-priority cargo, such as replacement parts, from shore bases to an aircraft carrier at sea. Several types of aircraft, including helicopters, have ...
" aircraft. The problem was there was no aircraft which could replenish a carrier in mid-ocean. The Hercules was stable and reliable, and had a long cruising range and high payload.
The tests were more than successful. At , the KC-130F came to a complete stop within , and at the maximum load, the plane used only for take-off. The Navy concluded that, with the C-130 Hercules, it would be possible to lift of cargo and land it on a carrier. However, the idea was considered too risky for routine COD operations. The aircraft was also too large to fit on the carrier's elevators or in her hangars, severely hampering operations. The
C-2 Greyhound
The Grumman C-2 Greyhound is a twin-engine, high-wing cargo aircraft designed to carry supplies, mail, and passengers to and from aircraft carriers of the United States Navy. Its primary mission is carrier onboard delivery (COD). The aircraft p ...
program was developed and the first of these planes became operational in 1965. For his effort, the Navy awarded LT Flatley the
Distinguished Flying Cross. The Hercules used, BuNo 149798, was retired to the
National Naval Aviation Museum
The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...
at
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
, Florida, in May 2003.
In 1964, in what was known as
Operation Brother Sam
Operation Brother Sam was the use of the United States Navy and Air Force in support of the coup in Brazil in 1964. With the deterioration in relations with João Goulart's government and the favorable attitude of the groups conspiring against h ...
, U.S. president
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson (; August 27, 1908January 22, 1973), often referred to by his initials LBJ, was an American politician who served as the 36th president of the United States from 1963 to 1969. He had previously served as the 37th vice ...
sent ''Forrestal'' to support a military
coup d'état
A coup d'état (; French for 'stroke of state'), also known as a coup or overthrow, is a seizure and removal of a government and its powers. Typically, it is an illegal seizure of power by a political faction, politician, cult, rebel group, m ...
against
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
ian president
João Goulart
João Belchior Marques Goulart (1 March 1919 – 6 December 1976), commonly known as Jango, was a Brazilian politician who served as the 24th president of Brazil until a military coup d'état deposed him on 1 April 1964. He was considered the ...
. The coup was successful and led to a 20-year-long
military dictatorship in Brazil
The military dictatorship in Brazil ( pt, ditadura militar) was established on 1 April 1964, after a coup d'état by the Brazilian Armed Forces, with support from the United States government, against President João Goulart. The Brazilian dicta ...
.
["Brazil: The Military Republic, 1964–85, Library of Congress Country Studies"](_blank)
..''The role of the United States in these events was complex and at times contradictory. An anti-Goulart press campaign was conducted throughout 1963, and in 1964 the Johnson administration gave moral support to the campaign. Ambassador Lincoln Gordon
Abraham Lincoln Gordon (1913 – 2009) was the 9th President of the Johns Hopkins University (1967–1971) and a United States Ambassador to Brazil (1961–1966). Gordon had a career both in government and in academia, becoming a Professor of Int ...
later admitted that the embassy had given money to anti-Goulart candidates in the 1962 municipal elections and had encouraged the plotters; that many extra United States military and intelligence personnel were operating in Brazil; and that four United States Navy oil tankers and the carrier Forrestal, in an operation code-named Brother Sam, had stood off the coast in case of need during the 1964 coup. Washington immediately recognized the new government in 1964 and joined the chorus chanting that the coup d'état of the "democratic forces" had staved off the hand of international communism. In retrospect, it appears that the only foreign hand involved was Washington's, although the United States was not the principal actor in these events. Indeed, the hard-liners in the Brazilian military pressured Costa e Silva into promulgating the Fifth Institutional Act on December 13, 1968. This act gave the president dictatorial powers, dissolved Congress and state legislatures, suspended the constitution, and imposed censorship."
On March 15, 1966, Forrestal again was a witness to history when she and various other units of the Sixth Fleet made a brief stopover at Palomares, Spain, (site of an
underway nuclear disaster cleanup and H-bomb recovery effort) ostensibly to deliver personnel, material support, or both. The carrier dropped anchor at 0903, departed at 1219, and resumed flight operations.
1967 fire
In June 1967, ''Forrestal'' departed Norfolk for duty in waters off
Vietnam
Vietnam or Viet Nam ( vi, Việt Nam, ), officially the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,., group="n" is a country in Southeast Asia, at the eastern edge of mainland Southeast Asia, with an area of and population of 96 million, making i ...
. In the
Gulf of Tonkin
The Gulf of Tonkin is a gulf at the northwestern portion of the South China Sea, located off the coasts of Tonkin (northern Vietnam) and South China. It has a total surface area of . It is defined in the west and northwest by the northern ...
on 29 July, ''Forrestal'' had been launching aircraft from her flight deck. For four days, the planes of
Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 flew about 150 missions against targets in
North Vietnam
North Vietnam, officially the Democratic Republic of Vietnam (DRV; vi, Việt Nam Dân chủ Cộng hòa), was a socialist state supported by the Soviet Union (USSR) and the People's Republic of China (PRC) in Southeast Asia that existed f ...
from the ship. On 29 July 1967, during preparation for another strike, a
Zuni rocket
The Zuni 5-inch Folding-Fin Aircraft Rocket (FFAR), or simply Zuni, is a unguided rocket developed by the Hunter-Douglas Division of Bridgeport Brass Company and deployed by the United States armed forces, and the French Air Force. The rocket was ...
installed on an F-4 Phantom (#110), misfired, impacting an armed
A-4 Skyhawk
The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a single-seat subsonic carrier-capable light attack aircraft developed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps in the early 1950s. The delta-winged, single turbojet engined Skyhawk was designed a ...
(#405)'s side, parked on the port side. The rocket's impact dislodged and ruptured the Skyhawk's 400-gallon external fuel tank. Fuel from the leaking tank caught fire, creating a serious
conflagration
A conflagration is a large fire. Conflagrations often damage human life, animal life, health, and/or property. A conflagration can begin accidentally, be naturally caused (wildfire), or intentionally created (arson). A very large fire can produc ...
that burned for hours, killing 134, injuring 161, destroying 21 aircraft and costing the Navy US$72 million. On the flight deck that day was Lieutenant Commander (later Senator)
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III (August 29, 1936 – August 25, 2018) was an American politician and United States Navy officer who served as a United States senator from Arizona from 1987 until his death in 2018. He previously served two terms ...
.
1968–1975
![USS Forrestal (CVA-59) and HMS Ark Royal (R09) underway in the Mediterranean Sea c1973](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b4/USS_Forrestal_%28CVA-59%29_and_HMS_Ark_Royal_%28R09%29_underway_in_the_Mediterranean_Sea_c1973.jpg)
''Forrestal'' was deployed to Mediterranean waters four times between 1968 and 1973. She also sped to
Tunisia
)
, image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa
, image_map2 =
, capital = Tunis
, largest_city = capital
, ...
for rescue operations in the flooded
Medjerda River
The Medjerda River ( ar, وادي مجردة), the classical Bagrada, is a river in North Africa flowing from northeast Algeria
)
, image_map = Algeria (centered orthographic projection).svg
, map_caption =
, imag ...
Valley near
Tunis
''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois
, population_note =
, population_urban =
, population_metro = 2658816
, population_density_km2 =
, timezone1 = CET
, utc_offset1 ...
. The ship logged three more Mediterranean deployments between 1973 and 1975. On 22 July 1974, as a result of the
Turkish invasion of Cyprus
The Turkish invasion of Cyprus began on 20 July 1974 and progressed in two phases over the following month. Taking place upon a background of Cypriot intercommunal violence, intercommunal violence between Greek Cypriots, Greek and Turkish ...
, the U.S. Ambassador to Cyprus
Roger Davies requested the evacuation of U.S. citizens from that island nation. In a joint Navy-Marine Corps effort, HMM-162 from the
6th Fleet amphibious assault ship
An amphibious assault ship is a type of amphibious warfare ship employed to land and support ground forces on enemy territory by an amphibious assault. The design evolved from aircraft carriers converted for use as helicopter carriers (and, as ...
evacuated 466 people, 384 of them U.S. citizens, in only five hours. ''Forrestal'' provided air cover for that operation.
In October 1968, during the night recovery of a
VAW-123 E-2A, the aircraft
boltered and went off the angled deck and into the water, nose first. When it hit the water, the aircraft flipped over onto its back, breaking its radar dome off and sank within minutes. The dome floated and was recovered. Immediately, helicopters moved into the area for search and rescue operations, three crewmen were recovered, while three were lost at sea.
On 10 July 1972, while moored at Pier 12, Norfolk, ''Forrestal'' was once again the scene of a catastrophic fire. This fire, which was set by a crewmember, was in an O-3 level computer room (just under the flight deck). A hole was cut in the flight deck to reach the fire from above and hundreds of gallons of water were pumped into the space. This ruined all of the computer equipment and the ship took on an exaggerated list, prompting concern that she might capsize. The ship returned to the yards at
Portsmouth
Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council.
Portsmouth is the most dens ...
and three months later was at last able to relieve , which had to serve an extended Mediterranean deployment while the ''Forrestal'' was being repaired.
Electrician's Mate
Electrician's Mate (abbreviated as EM) is a United States Navy and United States Coast Guard occupational rating. The Electrician's Mate's NOS is B210.
History
The Navy Electrician rating was established in 1883, then promptly disestablished i ...
Robert Horan, who was aboard at the time, recalls in a memoir "
he fire didover seven million dollars in damage. The news videos...show
dthe flight deck glowing red. We went back to Portsmouth for repairs and I believe we got most of the CIC and electronics equipment that was supposed to go on board the , then under construction."
In June 1974, ''Forrestal'' sent a contingent of 34 sailors and two officers to represent the U.S. Navy at the 30th anniversary of D-Day at Normandy, France. The group marched in various parades at the Normandy Beaches on 6 June 1974 as well as Cherbourg, France and was well received by the locals. The group was passed in review by retired
General of the Army Omar Bradley
Omar Nelson Bradley (February 12, 1893April 8, 1981) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the United States Army during and after World War II, rising to the rank of General of the Army (United States), General of the Army. Bradley ...
. This contingent of sailors were flown off of ''Forrestal'' by SH-3 Sea Kings of HELANTISUBRON 3 (HS-3) onto the deck of USS ''Milwaukee'' (AOR-2), then taken to
Naval Station Rota
Naval Station Rota, also known as NAVSTA Rota ( es, Base Naval de Rota, links=no), is a Spanish-American naval base commanded by a Spanish Rear Admiral. Located in Rota in the Province of Cádiz, NAVSTA Rota is the largest American military c ...
, Spain. After a few days of refresher "marching", they were flown to Cherbourg, France in a C-130. Following the celebrations, the group reunited with ''Forrestal'' at the island of Crete in mid June.
1975–1980
![USS Forrestal (CV-59) island and masts](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/USS_Forrestal_%28CV-59%29_island_and_masts.jpg)
On 30 June 1975, ''Forrestal'' was reclassified a "Multi-purpose Aircraft Carrier", CV-59. Also in 1975 ''Forrestal'' was selected to be host ship for the
International Naval Review
A fleet review or naval review is an event where a gathering of ships from a particular navy is paraded and reviewed by an incumbent head of state and/or other official civilian and military dignitaries. A number of national navies continue to ...
in New York City on the nation's
Bicentennial __NOTOC__
A bicentennial or bicentenary is the two-hundredth anniversary of a part, or the celebrations thereof. It may refer to:
Europe
*French Revolution bicentennial, commemorating the 200th anniversary of 14 July 1789 uprising, celebrated ...
. On 4 July 1976, on ''Forrestal''s flight deck, President
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph Ford Jr. ( ; born Leslie Lynch King Jr.; July 14, 1913December 26, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 38th president of the United States from 1974 to 1977. He was the only president never to have been elected ...
rang in the Bicentennial and reviewed over 40
tall ship
A tall ship is a large, traditionally- rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or fe ...
s from countries around the world.
Shortly after the review, ''Forrestal'' participated in a special shock test. It involved the detonation of high explosives near the hull to determine if a capital ship could withstand the strain of close quarter combat and still remain operational.
In September 1977, following a nine-month overhaul, ''Forrestal'' departed Norfolk and shifted her homeport to Mayport. The carrier left Mayport on Friday, 13 January 1978 for a three-week at-sea period in the
Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility (AFWTF) of the
Roosevelt Roads Operating Area
The Vieques, Puerto Rico, Naval Training Range was a United States naval facility located on the island of Vieques, about 5 miles east of mainland Puerto Rico. Starting in November 1941, the navy used the range for military exercises. Military o ...
to complete the third phase of Type Commander's Training (TYT-3), and to undergo the Operational Readiness Evaluation (ORE). On the evening of 15 January 1978 as an
A-7 Corsair II
The LTV A-7 Corsair II is an American carrier-capable subsonic light attack aircraft designed and manufactured by Ling-Temco-Vought (LTV).
The A-7 was developed during the early 1960s as replacement for the Douglas A-4 Skyhawk. Its design w ...
from
VA-81 crashed on the flight deck, killing two deck crewmen and injuring 10 others.
The pilot was operating without communication gear due to an onboard malfunction, and as he was making his approach, he saw that the "ball" was lit (signalling that it was permissible to land). The pilot ejected safely after seeing that the deck was covered with parked and moving aircraft, by which time it was impossible to pull up. He was recovered, suffering only minor injuries, but his Corsair struck another A-7 and an
EA-6B
The Northrop Grumman (formerly Grumman) EA-6B Prowler is a twin-engine, four-seat, mid-wing electronic-warfare aircraft derived from the A-6 Intruder airframe. The EA-6A was the initial electronic warfare version of the A-6 used by the United ...
before careening across the deck in a ball of flames. A small fire on the aft portion of the deck, caused by fuel spilled during the crash, was extinguished within seconds. At the time of the accident, ''Forrestal'' was operating about off
St. Augustine, Florida. A memorial service for the dead was held on board on 19 January. The ship returned to Mayport on 3 February.
''Forrestal'' left Mayport for the Mediterranean on 4 April 1978. At 22:00 on 8 April, just minutes after the ship had finished a general quarters drill, the crew was called to G.Q. again, but this time it was not a drill; a fire had broken out in the Number Three Main Machinery Room. Freshly painted
thermal insulation
Thermal insulation is the reduction of heat transfer (i.e., the transfer of thermal energy between objects of differing temperature) between objects in thermal contact or in range of radiative influence. Thermal insulation can be achieved with s ...
in Three Main engine room had been set smoldering by hot steam lines. Watch-standers within the space activated an extinguishing system and had the fire out within seconds.
Three days later, the crew again was called to respond to another emergency G.Q. At midnight on 11 April, a fire was discovered in a catapult steam trunk in the forward part of the ship at about the
01 level, and another fire was found in an adjoining storeroom minutes later. The at-sea fire brigade, working with area repair lockers, had the fires out within the hour.
On 10 May 1978 while in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, flooding, which began in a pump room in the aft portion of the ship, rose to a height of before it was controlled. The flood spread into food storage rooms, destroying most of the ship's stocks of fresh milk and produce. Divers from the ship's Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team dropped into the pump room to plug the leak. Total damage from the flooding was estimated at $30,000.
From 19 to 29 May 1978, ''Forrestal'' participated in
Operation Dawn Patrol, the first of three NATO exercises the ship would be involved in during the deployment. Dawn Patrol involved air and ground forces and over 80 ships from six NATO countries. ''Forrestal''s role during the exercise included protecting a Turkish amphibious task group and working with and the
French aircraft carrier ''Foch'' to defend against simulated "enemy" ships and aircraft.
During this sea period, two separate air crashes on successive days left one pilot dead and another injured. On 24 June 1978, LCDR T. P. Anderson, Operations Officer for Carrier Air Wing Seventeen, was killed when his A-7E Corsair II crashed into the sea during a practice bombing mission. Before the crash, the pilot ejected while the plane was inverted in less than ideal weather conditions. On 25 June, a pilot from
VA-83, also flying an A-7E, ejected shortly after takeoff due to a catapult malfunction, suffering minor injuries. He could be seen swimming away from the side of the ship as it passed near him. A rescue crew aboard an
SH-3D Sea King helicopter from HS-3 recovered the pilot and returned to the ship within eight minutes after the crash. Both accidents occurred as the ship was operating in the
Ionian Sea
The Ionian Sea ( el, Ιόνιο Πέλαγος, ''Iónio Pélagos'' ; it, Mar Ionio ; al, Deti Jon ) is an elongated bay of the Mediterranean Sea. It is connected to the Adriatic Sea to the north, and is bounded by Southern Italy, including C ...
, east of
Sicily
(man) it, Siciliana (woman)
, population_note =
, population_blank1_title =
, population_blank1 =
, demographics_type1 = Ethnicity
, demographics1_footnotes =
, demographi ...
.
From 4 to 19 September 1978, ''Forrestal'' participated in the massive NATO exercise
Northern Wedding
Northern Wedding was a NATO Cold War naval military exercise, designed to test NATO's ability to rearm and resupply Western Europe during times of war with the Warsaw Pact. In 1978, it was described as being 'conducted every four years', but by the ...
, which included over 40,000 men, 22 submarines, and 800 rotary and fixed-wing aircraft from nine NATO countries. Northern Wedding, which took place every four years, practiced NATO's ability to reinforce and resupply Europe in times of tension or war. During the exercise ''Forrestal'' and the British aircraft carrier
HMS ''Ark Royal'' headed separate task groups, steaming in a two-carrier formation to gain sea control and deploying their aircraft in support of mock amphibious landings in the
Shetland Islands
Shetland, also called the Shetland Islands and formerly Zetland, is a subarctic archipelago in Scotland lying between Orkney, the Faroe Islands and Norway. It is the northernmost region of the United Kingdom.
The islands lie about to the no ...
and
Jutland
Jutland ( da, Jylland ; german: Jütland ; ang, Ēota land ), known anciently as the Cimbric or Cimbrian Peninsula ( la, Cimbricus Chersonesus; da, den Kimbriske Halvø, links=no or ; german: Kimbrische Halbinsel, links=no), is a peninsula of ...
, Denmark.
From 28 September to 10 October, ''Forrestal'' participated in
Display Determination, the third and final NATO exercise of the deployment. The operation, involving ships, aircraft, and personnel from eight NATO countries, was designed to practice rapid reinforcement and resupply of the southern European region in times of tension or war. ''Forrestal'' arrived in
Rota, Spain
The town of Rota is a Spanish municipality located in the Province of Cádiz, Andalusia. Its surface area is 84 km2 and is bordered by the towns of Chipiona, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María. It is located near the city of ...
, on 11 October for the last overseas port stop of the deployment.
On 13 October 1978, the ship put to sea to conduct a one-day exercise with a task group of deploying U.S. ships headed by the aircraft carrier . Air Wing Seventeen's planes conducted mock attacks on the task group to allow the ships to practice anti-air warfare. ''Forrestal'' returned to Rota late in the evening on the 13th.
Before dawn on 15 October, ''Forrestal'' departed Rota and outchopped from the Sixth Fleet, having been relieved by ''Saratoga''. On the homeward transit, ''Forrestal'' took an extreme northerly course as part of a special operation code-named Windbreak. Commander Second Fleet, Vice Adm.
Wesley L. McDonald
Wesley Lee McDonald (July 6, 1924February 8, 2009) was a United States Navy admiral and naval aviator. He led the first air strike against North Vietnam after the Gulf of Tonkin incident and was the commander in charge of Operation Urgent Fury, t ...
, embarked in ''Forrestal'' for the exercise. Windbreak was designed to introduce U.S. sailors and equipment to relatively unfamiliar waters and conditions, and to gauge
Soviet
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
interest in U.S. ships in transit to and from the Mediterranean. During the exercise, ''Forrestal'' traveled as far north as 62 degrees latitude, south of
Iceland
Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...
, encountering seas to , winds in excess of , and a wind chill factor that drove the temperature as far down as . The waves were high enough to crash over the flight deck as the ship drove west. Also participating in Windbreak were the guided missile cruiser and the destroyer .
''Forrestal'' returned to Mayport on 26 October 1978. On 13 November, ''Forrestal'' commenced a four-month period of upkeep and repair known as an Extended Selected Restricted Availability (ESRA), to be conducted as the ship was moored alongside the carrier pier in Mayport. ''Forrestal'' ended 1978 as she had started it, moored to the carrier pier in Mayport.
On 27 August 1979 ''Forrestal'' had to make an emergency deployment due to
Hurricane David
Hurricane David was an extremely deadly hurricane which caused massive loss of life in the Dominican Republic in August 1979, and was the most intense hurricane to make landfall in the country in recorded history. A Cape Verde hurricane that rea ...
. It was feared the ship could be damaged and in turn damage the carrier pier as the storm surge from the hurricane thrust inland. ''Forrestal'' traveled through the main part of the storm and emerged in the eye briefly before coming out of the opposite side as the storm moved northwest along the east coast. The ship was manned with a skeleton crew and no aircraft.
After completing her 15th Mediterranean cruise from November 1979 to May 1980 she celebrated her silver anniversary in October 1980. ''Forrestal'' got underway on her 16th Mediterranean deployment in March 1981 and return to the carrier pier in Mayport on September 15, 1981 .
1981–1987
![USS Forrestal (CV-59) aerial starboard quarter](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/USS_Forrestal_%28CV-59%29_aerial_starboard_quarter.jpg)
On 2 March 1981, ''Forrestal'' began her 17th Mediterranean deployment and second quarter century of naval service. During the
Syria/Israel missile crisis, ''Forrestal'' maintained a high state of readiness for 53 consecutive days at sea. In a
Gulf of Sidra
The Gulf of Sidra ( ar, خليج السدرة, Khalij as-Sidra, also known as the Gulf of Sirte ( ar, خليج سرت, Khalij Surt, is a body of water in the Mediterranean Sea on the northern coast of Libya, named after the oil port of Sidra or ...
exercise, two
Libya
Libya (; ar, ليبيا, Lībiyā), officially the State of Libya ( ar, دولة ليبيا, Dawlat Lībiyā), is a country in the Maghreb region in North Africa. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya bo ...
n aircraft were shot down after firing on
F-14
The Grumman F-14 Tomcat is an American carrier-capable supersonic, twin-engine, two-seat, twin-tail, variable-sweep wing fighter aircraft. The Tomcat was developed for the United States Navy's Naval Fighter Experimental (VFX) program after the ...
s from ''Nimitz'' over international waters. ''Forrestal'' aircraft made more than 60% of all the intercepts of Libyan planes. After departing the Mediterranean she operated above the
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the two polar circles, and the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. Its southern equivalent is the Antarctic Circle.
The Arctic Circle marks the southernmost latitude at w ...
as part of NATO
Ocean Venture '81.
After a repair period, ''Forrestal'' deployed for her 18th Mediterranean cruise on 8 June 1982, and operated in the eastern Mediterranean in support of the
Lebanon Contingency Force of 800 U.S. Marines in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
. On 12 September 1982, after transiting the
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
for the first time in her 28-year history, she entered the Indian Ocean. This marked the first time that ''Forrestal'' had operated with
7th Fleet
The Seventh Fleet is a numbered fleet of the United States Navy. It is headquartered at U.S. Fleet Activities Yokosuka, in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It is part of the United States Pacific Fleet. At present, it is the largest of th ...
since the 1967 Vietnam cruise.
''Forrestal'' completed the five and one-half-month deployment with a nighttime arrival at Mayport on 16 November 1982 and immediately began preparing for the Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). The ship shifted homeport to
Philadelphia Naval Shipyard
The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries.
Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the cit ...
,
Philadelphia
Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...
on 18 January 1983, and embarked on the 28-month, $550 million SLEP, designed to extend the life of U.S. aircraft carriers another 15 to 20 years.
During ''Forrestal''s SLEP, the ship was completely emptied and most major equipment was removed for rework or replacement. ''Forrestal''s successful SLEP period was completed on time when the ship left Philadelphia on 20 May 1985. After completing a four-day transit to her homeport of Mayport, ''Forrestal'' immediately began a workup cycle in preparation for her first deployment in over four years.
''Forrestal'' departed Mayport on 2 June 1986, on her 19th deployment. During this cruise, ''Forrestal'' aircraft frequently operated in the international airspace of the
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis may refer to:
Cities and other geographic units Greece
*Tripoli, Greece, the capital of Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in ...
Flight region, the international air traffic control sector of Libya. ''Forrestal'' also participated in
Operation Sea Wind
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
a joint U.S.-
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
ian training exercise and Display Determination, which featured low-level coordinated strikes and air combat maneuvering training over
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
.
In 1987, ''Forrestal'' went through yet another period of pre-deployment workups. This included refresher training, carrier qualifications, and a six-week deployment to the North Atlantic to participate in
Ocean Safari '87. In this exercise, ''Forrestal'' operated with NATO forces in the
fjord
In physical geography, a fjord or fiord () is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created by a glacier. Fjords exist on the coasts of Alaska, Antarctica, British Columbia, Chile, Denmark, Germany, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Ice ...
s of Norway.
''Forrestal'' in New Orleans
The ship and crew performed so well in Ocean Safari '87 that ''Forrestal''s commanding officer, CAPT John A. Pieno Jr., recommended that the ship be granted a special liberty call in the United States as a reward. Special liberty calls serve to reward Navy personnel with a trip to other parts of the U.S. and provides Americans who would normally never see warships and planes an up close look at life in the United States Navy. CAPT Pieno being a native of
, decided that New Orleans, during her
Mardi Gras
Mardi Gras (, ) refers to events of the Carnival celebration, beginning on or after the Christian feasts of the Epiphany (Three Kings Day) and culminating on the day before Ash Wednesday, which is known as Shrove Tuesday. is French for "Fat ...
celebration, would be the perfect location to show off his pride and joy. During her trip to New Orleans ''Forrestal'' broke another record by becoming the largest naval warship ever to come up the Mississippi River. Also during her four days in New Orleans she accommodated tours for over 40,000 visitors. The tour included viewings and descriptions of all her aircraft, damage control demonstrations, and the crowd's favorite, a ride on one of her four aircraft elevators.
1988–1993
![USS Forrestal (CV-59) Suez canal 108 days at sea](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/81/USS_Forrestal_%28CV-59%29_Suez_canal_108_days_at_sea.jpg)
''Forrestal'' departed on her 20th major deployment on 25 April 1988. She steamed directly to the North
Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
via the Suez Canal in support of America's
Earnest Will operations in the region. She spent 108 consecutive days at sea before her first liberty port. During the five and one-half month deployment, ''Forrestal'' operated in three ocean areas and spent only 15 days in port. She returned on 7 October 1988, and received the
Meritorious Unit Commendation
The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
for her superior operational performance during the deployment.
After a brief stand down period followed by local operations, ''Forrestal'' participated in New York City's
Fleet Week
Fleet Week is a United States Navy, United States Marine Corps, and United States Coast Guard tradition in which active military ships recently deployed in overseas operations dock in a variety of major cities for one week. Once the ships dock, ...
in May 1989, and then commenced preparations for her next deployment. Also in 1989, she won the
Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award
The Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award is presented annually by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations to one ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and one in the U.S. Pacific Fleet.
Generally the recipient is the ship with the highest score in ...
for the Atlantic Fleet.
![USS Forrestal (CV-59) under Verrazano-Narrows Bridge](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/USS_Forrestal_%28CV-59%29_under_Verrazano-Narrows_Bridge.jpg)
''Forrestal''s departure for her 21st major deployment was delayed when a fire caused major damage to a primary command and control trunk space. Through the efforts of the ship's crew and civilian contractors, ''Forrestal'' was able to depart for her deployment on 6 November 1989, completing the necessary repairs well ahead of projections. The 9 October 1989 fire caused around $2.5 million in damage and injured 11 sailors.
The final two months of 1989 proved exciting. Beyond the "routine" exercises and training initiatives, ''Forrestal''s crew became part of history, as they provided support to President
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker BushSince around 2000, he has been usually called George H. W. Bush, Bush Senior, Bush 41 or Bush the Elder to distinguish him from his eldest son, George W. Bush, who served as the 43rd president from 2001 to 2009; pr ...
during his
Malta Summit. The support included a three-hour Presidential visit to the ship. ''Forrestal'' participated in numerous exercises during this deployment including
Harmonie Sud,
Tunisian Amphibious and
National Week
National may refer to:
Common uses
* Nation or country
** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen
Places in the United States
* National, Maryland, ce ...
. She returned to Mayport on 12 April 1990, ending a deployment which had included nine port visits in seven different countries. After a post deployment stand down, ''Forrestal'' completed a drydocking selected restricted availability at Mayport from 14 May 1990 – 27 August 1990.
From September to November 1990, ''Forrestal'' underwent repairs at
Norfolk Naval Shipyard
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard, often called the Norfolk Navy Yard and abbreviated as NNSY, is a U.S. Navy facility in Portsmouth, Virginia, for building, remodeling and repairing the Navy's ships. It is the oldest and largest industrial facility tha ...
. Repairs included work on the catapult system, hull and other changes to accommodate the F/A-18 Hornet. ''Forrestal'' returned to Mayport 21 November 1990.
In 1989, during work up cruises to prepare for the upcoming deployment, ''Forrestal'' was diverted from an 11-day carrier task force training exercise in the Atlantic. The order came in just after midnight and the ''Forrestal'' was directed to leave the task force, and proceed West at flank speed. After 20 hours, she slowed to 2 knots and took up station keeping off the North West coast of Puerto Rico. At around 12:30 the second evening, 2 helicopters arrived, delivering
SEAL Team Six
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...
to the Forrestal's deck. The crew and its ''visitors'' cruised for 3 days to the South West Caribbean sea off the Panama and Colombian coasts, where
Seal Team Six
The Naval Special Warfare Development Group (NSWDG), abbreviated as DEVGRU ("Development Group") and commonly known as SEAL Team Six, is the United States Navy component of the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC). The unit is often referre ...
departed. It is unclear if the operation was an attempt to capture
Manuel Noriega
Manuel Antonio Noriega Moreno (; February 11, 1934 – May 29, 2017) was a Panamanian dictator, politician and military officer who was the ''de facto'' List of heads of state of Panama, ruler of Panama from 1983 to 1989. An authoritaria ...
, or if it was in support of
Operation Pokeweed to apprehend Colombian drug lord
Pablo Escobar
Pablo Emilio Escobar Gaviria (; ; 1 December 19492 December 1993) was a Colombian drug lord and narcoterrorist who was the founder and sole leader of the Medellín Cartel. Dubbed "the king of cocaine", Escobar is the wealthiest criminal in h ...
.
![Principe-de-Asturias Wasp Forrestal Invincible 1991 DN-ST-92-01129s](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Principe-de-Asturias_Wasp_Forrestal_Invincible_1991_DN-ST-92-01129s.jpg)
The year of 1991 was one of anticipation and change for ''Forrestal'' and her crew, as she spent the first five months maintaining combat readiness as the east coast ready carrier. Maintaining a hectic and challenging period of at-sea operations, ''Forrestal''s anticipated deployment in support of
Operation Desert Storm
Operation or Operations may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media
* ''Operation'' (game), a battery-operated board game that challenges dexterity
* Operation (music), a term used in musical set theory
* ''Operations'' (magazine), Multi-Man ...
was not to be, and orders to deploy were canceled twice during the conflict. The call to deploy finally came and ''Forrestal'' commenced the 22nd and final operational deployment on 30 May 1991.
No less challenging than the months of maintaining readiness for combat, ''Forrestal''s deployment was repeatedly referred to as "transitional." During the ensuing six months, ''Forrestal'' was called upon to provide air power presence and airborne intelligence support for
Operation Provide Comfort
Operation Provide Comfort and Provide Comfort II were military operations initiated by the United States and other Coalition nations of the Persian Gulf War, starting in April 1991, to defend Kurdish refugees fleeing their homes in northern ...
, and to initiate, test and evaluate a wide range of innovative
Sixth Fleet battle group tactics and new carrier roles.
The year ended with ''Forrestal'' making advanced preparations for a change of homeport to
Naval Air Station Pensacola
Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United State ...
, Florida, and the transition into a new role as the Navy's training carrier, replacing . ''Forrestal'' was redesignated AVT-59 and arrived in Pensacola on 4 February.
The ship and crew returned to New Orleans for a visit in May, 1992. ''Forrestal'' arrived in Philadelphia on 14 September 1992 to begin a 14-month, $157 million complex overhaul prior to assuming duties as a training carrier. In early 1994, however, the Navy decided to decommission ''Forrestal'' and leave the Navy without a dedicated training carrier.
Commanding officers
The following officers commanded the ''Forrestal'' from 1955 through 1993.
Decommissioning and fate
![USS Forrestal (left) and USS Saratoga (right) berthed at the Naval Station, Newport RI](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6c/USS_Forrestal_%28left%29_and_USS_Saratoga_%28right%29_berthed_at_the_Naval_Station%2C_Newport_RI.jpg)
After more than 37 years of service, ''Forrestal'' was decommissioned on 11 September 1993 at Pier 6E in Philadelphia, and was stricken from the
Naval Vessel Register
The ''Naval Vessel Register'' (NVR) is the official inventory of ships and service craft in custody of or titled by the United States Navy. It contains information on ships and service craft that make up the official inventory of the Navy from t ...
the same day. After being stricken, ex-''Forrestal'' was heavily stripped to support the rest of the carrier fleet. Two 30 ton anchors were transferred to , while the ship's four nearly new bronze propellers were installed on , then under construction. On 16 June 1999, the Navy announced that the ship would be available for donation to an eligible organization for use as a museum or memorial. The USS ''Forrestal'' Museum Inc. began a campaign to obtain the ship from the Navy via donation, for use as a museum, to be located in
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
, but this plan was not successful. No other viable applications were received and the vessel was removed from donation hold in December 2003 and redesignated for disposal.
According to the NVR, efforts were made to determine her viability to be "donated for use as fishing reef." In 2007, the ship was environmentally prepared for sinking as an
artificial reef
An artificial reef is a human-created underwater structure, typically built to promote marine life in areas with a generally featureless bottom, to control erosion, block ship passage, block the use of trawling nets, or improve surfing.
Many re ...
as was
USS ''Oriskany''. Due to elements of the ''Forrestal'' design having led directly to current aircraft carrier design, it was intended that the ship be donated to a state and sunk to become a deep water reef, for fishery propagation and not be accessible to divers.
That plan never materialized.
On 15 June 2010, ex-''Forrestal'' departed
Naval Station Newport
The Naval Station Newport (NAVSTA Newport) is a United States Navy base located in the city of Newport and the town of Middletown, Rhode Island. Naval Station Newport is home to the Naval War College and the Naval Justice School. It once was th ...
in
Newport, Rhode Island
Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
, where she had been stored since 1998, under tow for the inactive ship storage facility in Philadelphia and tied up at Pier 4, next to ex-.
![USS Forrestal at Brownsville](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c9/USS_Forrestal_at_Brownsville.JPG)
On 26 January 2012, the Navy's Naval Sea Systems Command posted a notice of solicitation for the towing and complete dismantlement of multiple CV-59/CV-63 Class aircraft carriers in the United States, to include ex-''Forrestal'' (CV-59), ex-, ex-, and ex-.
These solicitations were posted in May 2012 and subsequently awarded to three successful offerors, pending their receipt of the facility security clearance required as part of the contract award. After the initial award of one carrier to each successful offeror, this contract provides the Navy with the capability to scrap other decommissioned conventionally-powered aircraft carriers over a five-year period.
In October 2013, it was announced ex-''Forrestal'' would be scrapped by All Star Metals in
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville () is a city in Cameron County in the U.S. state of Texas. It is on the western Gulf Coast in South Texas, adjacent to the border with Matamoros, Mexico. The city covers , and has a population of 186,738 as of the 2020 census. It ...
, at a cost of 1 cent.
She left the Philadelphia Naval Yard via a team of
tugboat
A tugboat or tug is a marine vessel that manoeuvres other vessels by pushing or pulling them, with direct contact or a tow line. These boats typically tug ships in circumstances where they cannot or should not move under their own power, su ...
s at 5:00AM on 4 February 2014. She arrived at All Star Metals in Brownsville on 18 February 2014 for final scrapping. According to the Naval Vessel Register, scrapping was completed 15 December 2015.
Her stern plate was saved and restored and now is in the hands of the
National Naval Aviation Museum
The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida.
Founded in 1962 and moved to its curr ...
in Pensacola, Florida.
See also
*
List of aircraft carriers
This list of aircraft carriers contains aircraft carriers listed alphabetically by name. An aircraft carrier is a warship with a full-length flight deck and facilities for carrying, arming, deploying, and recovering aircraft, that serves a ...
*
List of aircraft carriers of the United States Navy
A ''list'' is any set of items in a row. List or lists may also refer to:
People
* List (surname)
Organizations
* List College, an undergraduate division of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America
* SC Germania List, German rugby union ...
Notes
References
Notes
Bibliography
*
*
Further reading
* Freeman, Gregory A. ''Sailors to the End: The Deadly Fire on the USS Forrestal and the Heroes Who Fought It''. New York: William Morrow, 2002. , .
* Capt Terrence Riley Medical Corps, US Navy. "Ship's Doctor" Annapolis Maryland: Naval Institute Press.
External links
USS ''Forrestal'' Association homepage*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20160304185813/http://www.virtualwall.org/units/forrestal.htm Memorial to the men who died in the ''Forrestal'' fireUSS ''Forrestal'' Construction – Youtube*
*
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forrestal (Cva-59)
Forrestal-class aircraft carriers
1954 ships
Cold War aircraft carriers of the United States
Vietnam War aircraft carriers of the United States
Ships built in Newport News, Virginia