Real shame they never preserved her as a living museum, most americans would have given their right arm to be on her decks. She is on a level equal with the Arizona. How sad, how awfully sad, and now we have perhaps a half dozen lesser deserving carriers all over the place. This is the one that should have been preserved, but alas, it was preserved as washer machines, dryers, and hood ornaments. Gasp... it is gone!!! Japanese surrender should have been on her deck!!! thanks Gianni
Real shame they never preserved her as a living museum, most americans would have given their right arm to be on her decks. She is on a level equal with the Arizona. How sad, how awfully sad, and now we have perhaps a half dozen lesser deserving carriers all over the place. This is the one that should have been preserved, but alas, it was preserved as washer machines, dryers, and hood ornaments. Gasp... We can't undo it...it is gone!!! thanks Gianni
If Enterprise was not in repairs at the time of Japanese surrender, I wonder if it's signing would have been done on her
It would have made it no problem then to turn her into a museum
But probably due to the (outdated) view of battleships by higher-ups, an obsolete class ship reaped the prize and will forever be held in great regard, yet the ship responsible for winning the war was turned into steel urinals
Just a bit of history. When I was about ten, when the Big "E" was scrapped, there was a half hour weekly docudrama show on TV called "Navy Log". One episode was about the Enterprise. At the end of the show they took you to the Carrier which was in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Their guest was Adm. "Bull" Halsey. At this point he was elderly and confined to a wheelchair but the man had presense. He made an appeal for funds to save the ship. I believe that I sent in a dollar, too little, too late.
I am absolutely sickened by this .....even though it was over 50 years ago. My late father, a retired Commander and pilot shared his love of the Navy and its ships with me. We are in a much worse recession than in 1958 when we had the world in our hands. I don't buy that story of recession forcing this horrendous scrapping of such a magnificent ship and irreplaceable piece of history. Everyone involved in the decision to destroy her should be forever shamed!
The enterprise should have been preserved, allong with the u.s.s. saratoga from WWII, because they were the only two aircraft carriers of WWII in the Pacific to survive the whole war, and the enterprise won 20 battle stars, the most any ship has ever gained
It's so sad to know that one of the most famous ships from our nations history was reduced to scrap metal and not preserved offshore like others like the USS Lexington aka The Blue Ghost. She (the ship) should have been saved and preserved as a floating museum and kept as a tribute to the many sailors lost during that horrible war. A famous man once said about his cavalry unit: "So long as the regiment stands, those we've lost will never truely die or be forgotten". RIP Enterprise and her crew.
There is no excuse for scrapping the most decorative ship. After the war, USN has no problem expended several ships as target, blew bunch of them in atomic test and scuttled many captured axis ships, otherwise could have been sold as scrap.
so how can a ship be "heroic"? the military personel who serve aboard them are the hero's. the ships,planes,tanks,trucks,jeeps, etc all are just tools for the hero's to help them do what needs to be done.
@dargonkin true but the enterprise took blows to the hull that most ship would sink from, and she still stood afloat. so that could have been how the enterprise was heroic.
I have worked in two scrapyards and scrapping a ship that big seems like a impossible challange.I heard it takes just as long to scrap them as it did to build them.
my grandfather served on a carrier during ww2 and n. kora (52). he said it is a good feeling to alot of veterans that they dont museum famous ships. he said he is glad the lucky e wasnt museums. cause it would show alot of shame and embarressment to the fine souls that served and died on her. having kids running all on it, families eating on it and etc. it was a warship not a playground.
@Stu44121 There is another way to look at it. While I agree with your Grandfather to a certain extent, keeping some of the old warships around serves a purpose: They remind us of what happened. In doing so, they remind us of the people who fought on this great ships. I have worked on 3 of the 4 Iowa Class Battleships installing decking, and doing upkeep. The old vets that go to those ships get very emotional. They say going back to them helps them remember their friends. (con't)
@Stu44121 So to me, anything I can do to help honor their friends, and them as well, is worth it to me. I would think that your Grandfather would want us to remember him, and the sacrifices he made, as well as those of the guys he fought along side of. And rightfully so. Be safe.
Well they did honor the Enterprise by naming CVN-68 after her. It's still workin hard for the navy. I believe they are decommissioning her when CVN-78 is up and running. Would be nice if they named CVN-79 Enterprise keep her memory alive, and on the seas
@macuss87 Enterprise is CVN-65, U.S.S. Nimitz is CVN-68 & the 2nd Nuclear powered aircraft carrier to enter service with the U.S. Navy. U.S.S. Lexington was the oldest serving Carrier in History, the 8th Essex class carrier laid down late in 1941 she served on active duty till 1991. her last 20 years she served as the east coast training carrier, a generation of carrier pilots made their first landing on the Lady Lex.
@kdraper2007 wow, so you read through 3 or 4 pages of comments and corrent me on a comment I made 9 months ago. You are right and I knew that must of been a numpad typo, Either way it gave me a good laugh! Thanks
You know i think they should of kept the enterprise, and I am young But I am still pissed off they took it to the shipyard and scrapted it.. As a memorial I would go on everyday or a ship just for transporting planes ect.........
There is still a chance to pick up CV-5 USS Yorktown from the bottom - the wreck is almost intact after spending over 60 years in the water. It was re-discovered in 1998. I think with today's technology it's possible to do such operation, the only problem will be the money.
@HaganDave The Yorktown is 3 miles down in the pacific was torpedoed I believed 3 times so the hull is in bad shape plus the hull hitting the bottom of ocean floor after it sank would have damaged it more. Look at photos of Yorktown hull and you can see the waves in it from the damage
In 1958 the Navy began the wholesale sell-off of it's many surplus ships. beyond the practical reasons, there was one very important psychological one. The Navy wanted to modernize both the fleet and the thinking of the Navy itself. Thus "out with the old way of thinking and into the new..."
You cannot compare the scrapping of the Enterprise in the 50,s as if it happened today, 1950,s U.S. was in recession, Eisenhower had initiated nationwide highway bill, costing fortune, the navy was building nuclear powered warships and subs also designing guided missile warships, Congress passed bill limiting navy to 15 attack carriers so many mdernized Essex class carriers were converted to ASW carriers The navy had no money to keep Enterprise in mothballs
From what I read about this, your argument is similar to that made at the time, but like anything there were other ways to get money, other ships, etc. Nimitz himself advocated for her survival. To me it is ashame that it was scraped, but value your opion also, what can you do.... it is just a sad loss.
1960,s group in New York City try to obtain carrier Franklin as museum fail due to money 1971 group in bridgeport Conn fail to raise money to obtain USS Essex, 1972 effort to make Bunker Hill museum fail 1977 carrier FD Roosevelt in NYC fails again no money all of these carriers were scrapped its not cheap to make museum out of carrier floating in water. NYC just spent 115 million to repair Intrepid and its pier Another thing there was no cities knocking on doors asking for Enterprise as museum
@jers59 The US was hardly in recession in the 1950s. It was a decade of gradual growth which was a relief to people who had lived through the Depression. The economy declined briefly in 1958-59, but money could have been found to save Enterprise if enough people wanted to do it.
@saulpaulus Late 1950,s US Navy was building expensive nuclear powearships, Enterprise, Long Beach, Bainbridge, latter Truxton + nuclear power subs, polaris missile, Talos and Terrier missiles, super carriers, the mothball fleet in Bayonne was overflowing with obsolete ships, Enterprise, Franklin, North Carolina, Washington, Alaska +many others, Halsey was giving chance to raise money to save Enterprise he failed and it was scrapped, same latter on with Franklin and Essex ,
@jers59 The US is always building new ships and other weapons. The point is that the Big E wasn't just another obsolete ship. It was the 20th century's USS Constitution. The US would simply not have survived in the Pacific in 1942 without the Big E. Money could have and should have been found to preserve her until someone could raise the fund needed to make a museum out of her.
@saulpaulus Start thinking like you are in 1950,s the vast amount of people had 0 concern with turning warships into museums they wanted consumer goods after going through depression and WW2 why do you think they built zillion 55 to 57 chevys, they wanted new housing starting with Levit town in long Island the first suburban mass building of housing, The only future for Enterprise was tow to kearny New Jersey . You can thank the GM for saving the Enterprise name plate now in River Vale
@jers59 Was born in 1956 just a few miles away from Levittown, have studied history all my life, & teach social studies. Quite familiar with post war consumerism. To suggest that because people wanted more consumer goods the Navy had to scrap the Big E. is absurd. Many other WW II ships were kept in mothballs for years after the Big E was scrapped. There was simply no good reason to scrap it.
@saulpaulus 1958 the Enterprise was long obsolete was not modernized after WW2 never could have handled jet aircraft was worn out. US had 24 Essex class carriers, 3 Midway class carriers, 4 Forrestal class carriers in service or on building ways, The Enterprise was laid down, couple light carriers and escort carriers in mothballs just how many carriers did the navy need? room was needed in Bayonne mothball fleet and Enterprise had to go.
@jers59 No one's suggesting that Big E should have been kept in active service. It could have been inactivated and mothballed as many many other WW II ships were LONG after it was scrapped. There really was no reason to scrap her.
It's a crying shame that our greatest ships, our carriers, are now named after politicians. They used to be named after famous ships, battles, etc. I guess this goes back to naming a carrier the FDR when Roosevelt died in 45. Then Forrestal took his life and they named a big one after him.
It's utter nonsense, naming these ships after politicians. Shame on the navy for allowing this great hero ship to be scrapped. I heard Admiral Halsey did everything in his power to prevent it, especially when he heard the Japanese wanted to buy her for scrap themselves. "They couldn't get her during the war, I'll be goddamned if they're going to get her now!" He shamed the U.S.N. into selling her here. It was the best he could do. He died shortly afterwards, some say of a broken heart.
Life Magazine has a site where they display photos, most never used in the magazine. They have great color pics of the navy around Hawaii in 40 and and shots of the Enterprise, her planes and her airdales moving planes. If you can't find it let me know.
@logancody07 the story that the Enterprise was sold to Japan as scrap is a myth. started by those who were trying to save the Big E from the scrapper. I believe that some of the steel from CV-6 found it's way (After being resmelted) to the Construction dock where CVN-65 was being built. the large steel Jersey.
Most of the ships we have preserved could have been replaced by more worthy ships, e.g., the Nevada, Pennsylvania, Enterprise, San Francisco, and a number of tin cans that fought across the Pacific. If any one ship should have been saved it was CV-6, the USS Enterprise.
How are you going get the Nevada to state of Nevada to make her into museum? pennsylvania was in bad condition torpedo at the end of the war never repaired, San Francisco was mothballed on the east coast too expensive to tow to west coast, They try to make museum out of destroyer Fletcher Smithsonian turned it down because it was modernized after the war scrapped 1972 in taiwan.
The USS Little Rock, a cruiser, is in Buffalo. Carriers like the Yorktown, Hornet, Intrepid, Lexington are in cities with nothing to do with their names. Yeah, that works.
Little Rock is in Buffalo because it was decommisioned on east coast and they took 2 ships little rock and sullivan at same time pacage deal, Yorktown was suppose to go yo Yorktown Virginia it was declined and orginization found patrior point to take the ship Hornet was sold for scrap sent to san fran for scrapping the company found out it would lose money scrapping it sold it to Hornet orginization as museum in nearby Alameda, Intrepid rescued by billionare living in new york
@Purrturbed Donations, entrance fee's, & proceeds from the ship's store where you buy you're I visited U.S.S. ????? bumper sticker. plus the occasional revenue to be gained by movie studios filming WWII movies. they pay to use the ship for filming scenes on ship.
@jers59 I'd love to see an old Aircraft carrier at Portage, Indiana as an Naval & air museum, if you can get one through the St. Lawerence seaway as far as Buffalo I'd think you could get it through Macanaw Michagan & down lake michagan to Portage. it isn't like they don't see Huge container ships at the port of Indiana, or Tankers for that matter so a carrier could make it. with Chicago only 35 miles away you'd have abig draw.
Because us Americans are shortsighted, have little sense of preservation, history, or truly honoring those who sacrifice, and we don't like to look back, just myopically forward.
@Truthseekerfinder I wouldn't say that, The U.S. has the most preserved Warships open to the public of any nation on earth, From the Wooden Superfrigate U.S.S. Constitution that faught in the War of 1812 through the Civil War era ships preserved, to the numerous Battleships & Carriers that fought WWII. you can find several heroic warships preserved for postarity. Poor brave Enterprise slipped through the cracks somehow.
Remember late 1950,s WW2 was over for only13 years there was no sentiment foe making large ship museums Enterprise was not worn out was completely repair but you had 24 Essex class carrier 3 Midway and 4 Forrestal class carriers Enterprise was Extra carrier not needed when navy needed funds for modernization , missiles and nuclear power
The Grand Lady of the fleet should have been spared the wrecking ball...but back in the 50's everyone was too involved with keeping up with the Joneses to care. What a shame.
She will always be remembered for holding the line when all others failed in the early part of WWII, for awhile she was the ONLY aircraft carrier in the Pacific.
Not only that...she also got an Presidential Unit Citation from Franklin D. Roosevelt *AND* a flag from the British Admiralty...I believe BIG E was the ONLY U.S. ship to get such an honor from a foreign country!
I know, I found the clip at a site on the carrier, but that was a couple years ago. So, check around, might be able to find it again. I am so impressed by the response to this, the only video I ever posted. - Paul
THANK YOU!!!!! Someone should start a campaign to rebuild/ replicate her completely and conduct tours. Like a traveling WWII, naval and naval aviation museum. Maybe even have a form of the blue angels stationed aboard to give airshows with period planes.... that could be bad ass!
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I am surprised that the Navy couldn't use the Enterprise in the Korean War like they did with the Essex class carriers. If she couldn't handle jet aircraft she could have had F4U Corsairs and other propeller aircraft.
she had a huge amount of battle damage, an inferior design and there were dozens of newer essex class carriers with far less miles on the clock to use instead. She could have had all the modfications the essex class had to operate jets but it would have been pointless.
Well then why not keep here in reserve until she finds a home? They could of kept all 4 Iowa's in reserve and maintained them, were able to find places for the Texas, Massachussets, Alabama, North Carolina and the Iowas but they couldent do the same to a ship that was the deciding factor in a war?
at least they didn't use her in nuclear tests. Enterprise was worn out, she'd seen service in the war from the beginning, fought single handedly against the Japanease. add to that hastily repaired battle damage increasing the strain on the hull, it probably would have been too expensive to maintain enterprise as a museum, she took a hell of a beating in the war.
i don't believe that, she was similar dimensions to the essex class that were all converted to post war aircraft, though she should have been preserved and had more of a reason compared to Intrepid.
Short hull essex flightdeck was 63 feet longer, long hull Essex was 79 feet longer & was 9 feet 9 inches wider. source is "The illustrated guide to Aircraft Carriers" by Bernard Ireland.
@warhawk40 it was'nt that it was she was old ,a pre war ship costrained by the naval treaties of the 1930's and had been modifed to her limits,she could'nt handle jets,and there were still the three midway class carriers and the several essex class carriers,and the other carrier the made it thru the war,the saratoga was used as an A-bomb target
I agree with you,what great thing has Ford done to have the honor of having a whole class of carriers named after him. Maybe a tug boat or something .The Enterprise was the only ship in her class ,it is only fitting they should start a whole new class of Enterprise carriers . No matter what ship it was in the past Enterprise has always been cocked and ready to go, and to name a carrier after a president who was not even elected by the American people just does not seem right . God Bless Big E.
The only thing Ford did to have the honor of having carrier named after him was he was politicians and politicians by there nature are corrupt. So one corrupt politician honors another by naming carrier or bridge or post office after another politician
They should have naver scraped the Big E(In my opinion). Why not preserve such an Iconic ship? So that our feature generations of Americans would have something to look back on, and be proud of.
Enterprise's hull was in bad shape, the beating she took in the war, battle repairs, shock damage, & months on the line with jury rigged repairs took it's toll. trying to keep her water tight would have made her too expensive to keep as a museum.
Nooo i jsut got word that the US Navey has no plans at this moment to name anouther ship the Enterprise!!! not only that but the Enterprises replacement ship is going to be named...The USS Gerald R. Ford!!!!! That sucks big time. The flagship of the united states is named the Gerald R. ford!!! NOOOOOOOO the current Enterprise will be decommisioned and replaced in 2012-2014. Ic ant belive these guys are doing this!.
Its because corrupt politicians are giving the right to name ships after each other the same as they do post offices. Uss Jimmy Carter is joke Along with the Ford, The Bush, The Reagan. They should have been Lexington, Hornet and America. Until americans grow some cojones and take back there country this will keep going on
The Enterprise is the most famous ship in WW2 and in the pacific fleet. I think its even greater than the USS Constitustion. It should be a tradition to rename the most state of the art vessel comming out as soon as its decommisioned. .The name Enterprise needs to continue on in history. And would it kill them to name a USS Voyeger? One stupid satalite and there never going to name anouther vessel Voyedger? The only reason they scrapped the old Enterprise was the demand for metal. God bless it
According to Combat Aircraft Magazine, U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford has officially been funded (5.1 Billion). The ships keel is scheduled to be laid early this year & delivered to the fleet in 2015. U.S. Navy planns on building 11 Ford class carriers by 2058. maybe U.S.S. Enterprise CVN-79?
I hope U.S.S. Enterprise (CVN-65) is preserved as a museum, my personal dream would be to bring her throught the St. Lawrence seaway, through Lake Erie, Lake Superior, & Into Lake Michigan to be berthed at Michigan City, Indiana As an air & space museum. hope they build a CVN-21 class U.S.S. Enterprise, The Navy without a big E would not be the same.
The Big E is planned to be de-commissioning sometime around 2012. USS Ford (CVN-78) will take Enterprise's slot in 2015.
CVN-79 (unnamed) should begin construction about 2012. Work on a new carrier at the same time Enterprise is being taken out of service? Seems like a good time to transfer the name.
Hell, for one, we've run out of Presidents to name carriers after. :)
If not CVN-79... CVN-80 is the third new "Ford-class" carrier on order. Also "unnamed." Maybe Enterprise!
Yes , we'll need a new Enterprise, also Hornet. I imagine there is a Ticonderoga class cruiser named Yorktown, we could use a new Saratoga, America, Midway, & Ranger.
this maybe sad but after this happiness came again when they made a new USS enterprise now it carries jets it maybe bigger but it can still go 35 knots in under 2 minutes the new USS enterprise is the first aircraft carrier to go nuclear
This was incredibly sad, Enterprise was the most higly decorated US Navy ship of WWII. She participated in all but two of the major sea engagements during the Pacific War. She should be a floating museum somewhere, like Hornet, instead of just a memory. Very sad indeed.
The ships were obsolete. Many of them were scrapped and a lot were used for atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll. You cant save every single one of them. At least the IOWA has been saved and is required to be maintained in case we need a heavy battleship again... Phasing out the big battleships in the early 90's was a mistake.
the USS Enterprise had 20 Battle Stars, more than any other US Navy Ship.
and yes, the Battleships are very, very valuable. i would favor a nuke battlecrusier design, 6 12 inch guns, modern ammo, modern armor as strong as the Iowas, 300+ VLS canisters, use a sub reactor for silent operations.....
The Big E was gone five years before I was born. I learned about her greatness and fame from the many books I read about the Pacific War. To this day I can't believe what a loss this nation has suffered from not having her as monument and museam to the many brave men who fought and died to keep the United States free. USS Enterprise like HMS Warspite can only visited by reading. One word sums these great ships best. Legends.
hey believe me in a ideal world where mountains of money was free to do that, great. But to be honest i would have loved to see warspite in the way she looked during the battle of jutland, the greatest ever battleship v battlship stand off ever.
i can understand that but hey you have battleships left from both world wars to appreciate which is extremely rare not to mention aircaft carriers, cruiser and destroyers so i'm extremly jealous. I for one would love to see HMS New Zealand (ww1 battlecrusier paid by the people of new zealand, crewed by nzers and battle of jutland survivor) back here moored in wellingon. But she was scrapped after the washington treaty was signed. All we have left of her is a barrel of one of her turrets, sad.
you guys have done a better job of keeping and restoring your old ships than any navy in the world and i'd be grateful you still have so many left to appreciate.
nope, the current enterprise is a new ship powered by nuclear power. they gave it enterprise as a namesake. the old one unfortunely was sold to a private owner who scrapped just about every part save for a few items like the bells and etc.
the steel from Enterprse's scrappng was sold to a Japanease company ronically enough, Enterprise helped build post war Japan. The Current Enterprise was origanally powered by 8 nuclear reactors. Admiral Hymen G. Rickover the director of Naval reactors decreed 1 reactor for every boiler a conventional carrier had, as a resault Enterprise was incredibly overpowered. & use of full power would cause Damage to the ship. During refit Enterprise was equiped with 4 new reactors.
I was a Nuclear Electrician onboard Enterprise. I would like to correct some of your info.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) still has all 8 nuclear reactors. All reactors have been refueled 4 times (1965, '70, '80, '90). Perhaps that's where your 4 comes from.
"Damage to the ship" due to full-power? In her early days, they replaced the "high-speed" props with "high-torque" props. Lower top-end speed, but better acceleration characteristics. :)
Thank you for correcting me, I had read about those "facts" in a book about soviet submarines. told by a soviet sub captain. I had assumed since the soviets had an excellent spy service that the russian knew what he was talking about. you would obviously know better having been in Enterprise's engineering dept. I hope Enterprise is saved as a museum after decomm. having visited U.S.S. Massachusetts several years ago I have an appreciation for the worth of historic conservation.
Even though I would love to see Enterprise as a museum, I truly doubt it will come to pass. The conversion would be prohibitely expensive. With all that nuclear power (50 years) comes lots of nuclear contamination.
Basically, the entire Enginnering section would have to be ripped out.
I have heard of a proposal to transition Enterprise to a training platform after her Full Service obligation expires. I think that's the most likely resolution out there now, other than the scrap yard.
I remember reading "The Big E" in high school and becomming so interested in the Enterprise. Much to my surprise and excitement I had the honor of servering aboard her successor CVN-65 in 2001. The Big E deserved better then the scrap heap but her memory lives on.
To the US Navy, carrying on a name is a sign of deep respect. It's also a tradition. The name Enterprise will continue be in the Navy well after we're all dead and gone.
I know what you are trying to say but here me out. If you name evey ship USS Enterprise CV-whatever, thats kinda Corny. PArticularly for a ship that has never seen ferocious combat. Yes i could understand a few ships, but 8? but yah. Its a tradition. Its still a powerfull name
As an example "Hornet" was one of the very first ships of the Continental Navy. "Wasp" was another one along with Constellation, Bon Homme Richard and Enterprise. The second Hornet took part in the First Barbary War. The other Hornets were minor ships until CV-8. The Navy is a service of tradition and that is something I can appreciate. When I board CV-12 each weekend I walk the same pier she was at for Doolittle on CV-8 and the same pier she was at after the war. That is history and tradition.
Not really. The Navy has always used previous names to honor the new ships' predecessors. Hornet (CV-12) is the eight ship to bear that name. Far better to be called Hornet than Gerald Ford or George Bush. Now as long as the ship still floats there will never be another Hornet, Intrepid, Yorktown, Lexington, Midway or Enterprise. As an example,to pay homage to the Hornet, the F-18 was named the Hornet.
I grew up across the river from kearny in jersey city was not around to see the Enterprise scrapped but while she was there Admiral Halsey stopped by for one last visit. Saw Essex Antietam Randolph and FDR scrapped have photos of Essex being scrapped, Essex ranked behind Enterprise in battlestars 20 for CV6 and 17 for CV9
Some of the most famous ships in history were scrapped in Kearny, Uss Enterprise, Essex, Randolph, Wasp, Antietam, Boxer, Lake Champlain, FDR, Battleship South Dakota, Washington, Battle cruiser Alaska.
So True, I guess they live in our memories now. I posted this video over a year ago and am touched knowing so many out there feel as I do about the loss of this great ship.
(or one of the only) aircraft carrier during world war 2 to fight in every major carrier battle in the pacific. Today, there are no pre-war carriers excisting today and the ealiest carrier is the USS Lexington. (Essex class)
Ah, the USS Enterprise, the first Navy ship I became aware of after Old Ironsides. That being in 1959 when 6 years old. Whether she could be a viable museum in 1958, so soon after the war is hard to say. Yet my fascination with CV-6 lead to other carriers over the years. So when I saw CV-12 tied up on rainy May day in 1998 I had to find out what was up. One week later I volunteered and have spent 2 days a week on her ever since. May take my lifetime to restore but it is the least I can do.
My grandpa served on The Big E!
bodyandspirit224 1 month ago
This has been flagged as spam show
America doesn't care about it's own history. Then or now.
600joe 2 months ago
We must carry her name she is and will be the embodiment of the us navy
strikers1944 3 months ago
Seeing this video was sad enough. Listening to the clueless narrator and the annoying music making her scrapping sound like progress was worse.
saulpaulus 3 months ago
A tear lost in the oceans of time. The last of her kind. The lone survivor
pigwigpa 4 months ago
Real shame they never preserved her as a living museum, most americans would have given their right arm to be on her decks. She is on a level equal with the Arizona. How sad, how awfully sad, and now we have perhaps a half dozen lesser deserving carriers all over the place. This is the one that should have been preserved, but alas, it was preserved as washer machines, dryers, and hood ornaments. Gasp... it is gone!!! Japanese surrender should have been on her deck!!! thanks Gianni
giannivee1 4 months ago
Real shame they never preserved her as a living museum, most americans would have given their right arm to be on her decks. She is on a level equal with the Arizona. How sad, how awfully sad, and now we have perhaps a half dozen lesser deserving carriers all over the place. This is the one that should have been preserved, but alas, it was preserved as washer machines, dryers, and hood ornaments. Gasp... We can't undo it...it is gone!!! thanks Gianni
giannivee1 4 months ago
"What if,..."
If Enterprise was not in repairs at the time of Japanese surrender, I wonder if it's signing would have been done on her
It would have made it no problem then to turn her into a museum
But probably due to the (outdated) view of battleships by higher-ups, an obsolete class ship reaped the prize and will forever be held in great regard, yet the ship responsible for winning the war was turned into steel urinals
Nightdare 6 months ago
@Nightdare Signing on the deck of the Missouri under the 16" guns was Mcarthers idea. It was a show of force
pigwigpa 4 months ago
@Nightdare Signing on Missouri doubtless had something to do with who was President at the time.
saulpaulus 3 months ago
I believe about the only thing left of her is her mast which is at the Navy Stadium in Annapolis.
Imnomensa 6 months ago
Only ship EVER in the world outside of the Royal navy to get the British Admiralty Pennant, the Royal Navy highest award for a ship.
She should have been saved.
cirian75 7 months ago 3
Just a bit of history. When I was about ten, when the Big "E" was scrapped, there was a half hour weekly docudrama show on TV called "Navy Log". One episode was about the Enterprise. At the end of the show they took you to the Carrier which was in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Their guest was Adm. "Bull" Halsey. At this point he was elderly and confined to a wheelchair but the man had presense. He made an appeal for funds to save the ship. I believe that I sent in a dollar, too little, too late.
skt171 9 months ago
I am absolutely sickened by this .....even though it was over 50 years ago. My late father, a retired Commander and pilot shared his love of the Navy and its ships with me. We are in a much worse recession than in 1958 when we had the world in our hands. I don't buy that story of recession forcing this horrendous scrapping of such a magnificent ship and irreplaceable piece of history. Everyone involved in the decision to destroy her should be forever shamed!
likepatsandGTOs 9 months ago 2
Hwy did we save some ships thatdid not much if anything big when they scrapped possibly the one of the most important ships in naval history?
PlanesCoinsandMusic9 1 year ago
Why do so many people here referring to scrapping as scraping?
Squarerig 1 year ago
@Squarerig Because poor literacy is kewl!
getsomelead 11 months ago
The enterprise should have been preserved, allong with the u.s.s. saratoga from WWII, because they were the only two aircraft carriers of WWII in the Pacific to survive the whole war, and the enterprise won 20 battle stars, the most any ship has ever gained
Davis4037 1 year ago
she had 20 battle stars last i seen it.
USSWISCONSIN64 1 year ago
they could have gave her an honourable burial and sank her this was the biggest travesty in us naval history!!!!!!!!
ryan1977ify 1 year ago
It's so sad to know that one of the most famous ships from our nations history was reduced to scrap metal and not preserved offshore like others like the USS Lexington aka The Blue Ghost. She (the ship) should have been saved and preserved as a floating museum and kept as a tribute to the many sailors lost during that horrible war. A famous man once said about his cavalry unit: "So long as the regiment stands, those we've lost will never truely die or be forgotten". RIP Enterprise and her crew.
centurion205 1 year ago
There is no excuse for scrapping the most decorative ship. After the war, USN has no problem expended several ships as target, blew bunch of them in atomic test and scuttled many captured axis ships, otherwise could have been sold as scrap.
jbrian80 1 year ago
Travesty. The Enterprise, the West Virginia, The California, the list is endless.
vonrenouard 1 year ago
What a sad way to end its life..... Might as will go out fighting to the very end.....
Big E fight on!!!!
4g63attack 1 year ago
so how can a ship be "heroic"? the military personel who serve aboard them are the hero's. the ships,planes,tanks,trucks,jeeps, etc all are just tools for the hero's to help them do what needs to be done.
dargonkin 1 year ago
@dargonkin true but the enterprise took blows to the hull that most ship would sink from, and she still stood afloat. so that could have been how the enterprise was heroic.
feedkiller55 1 year ago
@feedkiller55 that is a tribute to the hero's that knew how to build really strong tools for other hero's to get the job done :)
dargonkin 1 year ago
i remember popular mechanics edition 1960 last voyage in hackensac river
aviao2 1 year ago
Banzai!
sentagorian 1 year ago
Banzai!
sentagorian 1 year ago
I have worked in two scrapyards and scrapping a ship that big seems like a impossible challange.I heard it takes just as long to scrap them as it did to build them.
Mlwtca 1 year ago
my grandfather served on a carrier during ww2 and n. kora (52). he said it is a good feeling to alot of veterans that they dont museum famous ships. he said he is glad the lucky e wasnt museums. cause it would show alot of shame and embarressment to the fine souls that served and died on her. having kids running all on it, families eating on it and etc. it was a warship not a playground.
Stu44121 1 year ago
@Stu44121 There is another way to look at it. While I agree with your Grandfather to a certain extent, keeping some of the old warships around serves a purpose: They remind us of what happened. In doing so, they remind us of the people who fought on this great ships. I have worked on 3 of the 4 Iowa Class Battleships installing decking, and doing upkeep. The old vets that go to those ships get very emotional. They say going back to them helps them remember their friends. (con't)
devildoc225 1 year ago
@Stu44121 So to me, anything I can do to help honor their friends, and them as well, is worth it to me. I would think that your Grandfather would want us to remember him, and the sacrifices he made, as well as those of the guys he fought along side of. And rightfully so. Be safe.
Ed
Chief Petty Officer
USN
devildoc225 1 year ago
Well they did honor the Enterprise by naming CVN-68 after her. It's still workin hard for the navy. I believe they are decommissioning her when CVN-78 is up and running. Would be nice if they named CVN-79 Enterprise keep her memory alive, and on the seas
macuss87 1 year ago
@macuss87 Enterprise is CVN-65, U.S.S. Nimitz is CVN-68 & the 2nd Nuclear powered aircraft carrier to enter service with the U.S. Navy. U.S.S. Lexington was the oldest serving Carrier in History, the 8th Essex class carrier laid down late in 1941 she served on active duty till 1991. her last 20 years she served as the east coast training carrier, a generation of carrier pilots made their first landing on the Lady Lex.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
@kdraper2007 wow, so you read through 3 or 4 pages of comments and corrent me on a comment I made 9 months ago. You are right and I knew that must of been a numpad typo, Either way it gave me a good laugh! Thanks
Gave you a thumbs up
macuss87 1 year ago
You know i think they should of kept the enterprise, and I am young But I am still pissed off they took it to the shipyard and scrapted it.. As a memorial I would go on everyday or a ship just for transporting planes ect.........
wyo13 2 years ago
There is still a chance to pick up CV-5 USS Yorktown from the bottom - the wreck is almost intact after spending over 60 years in the water. It was re-discovered in 1998. I think with today's technology it's possible to do such operation, the only problem will be the money.
HaganDave 2 years ago
@HaganDave The Yorktown is 3 miles down in the pacific was torpedoed I believed 3 times so the hull is in bad shape plus the hull hitting the bottom of ocean floor after it sank would have damaged it more. Look at photos of Yorktown hull and you can see the waves in it from the damage
jers59 1 year ago
In 1958 the Navy began the wholesale sell-off of it's many surplus ships. beyond the practical reasons, there was one very important psychological one. The Navy wanted to modernize both the fleet and the thinking of the Navy itself. Thus "out with the old way of thinking and into the new..."
Bullettube 2 years ago
I'm standing hat off at attention...
slappymcgroundout 2 years ago
You cannot compare the scrapping of the Enterprise in the 50,s as if it happened today, 1950,s U.S. was in recession, Eisenhower had initiated nationwide highway bill, costing fortune, the navy was building nuclear powered warships and subs also designing guided missile warships, Congress passed bill limiting navy to 15 attack carriers so many mdernized Essex class carriers were converted to ASW carriers The navy had no money to keep Enterprise in mothballs
jers59 2 years ago
From what I read about this, your argument is similar to that made at the time, but like anything there were other ways to get money, other ships, etc. Nimitz himself advocated for her survival. To me it is ashame that it was scraped, but value your opion also, what can you do.... it is just a sad loss.
paulpsyche 2 years ago 6
1960,s group in New York City try to obtain carrier Franklin as museum fail due to money 1971 group in bridgeport Conn fail to raise money to obtain USS Essex, 1972 effort to make Bunker Hill museum fail 1977 carrier FD Roosevelt in NYC fails again no money all of these carriers were scrapped its not cheap to make museum out of carrier floating in water. NYC just spent 115 million to repair Intrepid and its pier Another thing there was no cities knocking on doors asking for Enterprise as museum
jers59 2 years ago
@jers59 The US was hardly in recession in the 1950s. It was a decade of gradual growth which was a relief to people who had lived through the Depression. The economy declined briefly in 1958-59, but money could have been found to save Enterprise if enough people wanted to do it.
saulpaulus 3 months ago
@saulpaulus Late 1950,s US Navy was building expensive nuclear powearships, Enterprise, Long Beach, Bainbridge, latter Truxton + nuclear power subs, polaris missile, Talos and Terrier missiles, super carriers, the mothball fleet in Bayonne was overflowing with obsolete ships, Enterprise, Franklin, North Carolina, Washington, Alaska +many others, Halsey was giving chance to raise money to save Enterprise he failed and it was scrapped, same latter on with Franklin and Essex ,
jers59 3 months ago
@jers59 The US is always building new ships and other weapons. The point is that the Big E wasn't just another obsolete ship. It was the 20th century's USS Constitution. The US would simply not have survived in the Pacific in 1942 without the Big E. Money could have and should have been found to preserve her until someone could raise the fund needed to make a museum out of her.
saulpaulus 3 months ago
@saulpaulus Start thinking like you are in 1950,s the vast amount of people had 0 concern with turning warships into museums they wanted consumer goods after going through depression and WW2 why do you think they built zillion 55 to 57 chevys, they wanted new housing starting with Levit town in long Island the first suburban mass building of housing, The only future for Enterprise was tow to kearny New Jersey . You can thank the GM for saving the Enterprise name plate now in River Vale
jers59 3 months ago
@jers59 Was born in 1956 just a few miles away from Levittown, have studied history all my life, & teach social studies. Quite familiar with post war consumerism. To suggest that because people wanted more consumer goods the Navy had to scrap the Big E. is absurd. Many other WW II ships were kept in mothballs for years after the Big E was scrapped. There was simply no good reason to scrap it.
saulpaulus 3 months ago
@saulpaulus 1958 the Enterprise was long obsolete was not modernized after WW2 never could have handled jet aircraft was worn out. US had 24 Essex class carriers, 3 Midway class carriers, 4 Forrestal class carriers in service or on building ways, The Enterprise was laid down, couple light carriers and escort carriers in mothballs just how many carriers did the navy need? room was needed in Bayonne mothball fleet and Enterprise had to go.
jers59 3 months ago
@jers59 No one's suggesting that Big E should have been kept in active service. It could have been inactivated and mothballed as many many other WW II ships were LONG after it was scrapped. There really was no reason to scrap her.
saulpaulus 3 months ago
Go to google. Click images. You will see the Life photo archive. Lots of good color images of the US Navy around Hawaii in 1940.
Purrturbed 2 years ago
It's a crying shame that our greatest ships, our carriers, are now named after politicians. They used to be named after famous ships, battles, etc. I guess this goes back to naming a carrier the FDR when Roosevelt died in 45. Then Forrestal took his life and they named a big one after him.
Purrturbed 2 years ago
It's utter nonsense, naming these ships after politicians. Shame on the navy for allowing this great hero ship to be scrapped. I heard Admiral Halsey did everything in his power to prevent it, especially when he heard the Japanese wanted to buy her for scrap themselves. "They couldn't get her during the war, I'll be goddamned if they're going to get her now!" He shamed the U.S.N. into selling her here. It was the best he could do. He died shortly afterwards, some say of a broken heart.
logancody07 2 years ago
Life Magazine has a site where they display photos, most never used in the magazine. They have great color pics of the navy around Hawaii in 40 and and shots of the Enterprise, her planes and her airdales moving planes. If you can't find it let me know.
Purrturbed 2 years ago
Many thanks for the info. I'll give it a try.
logancody07 2 years ago
@logancody07 the story that the Enterprise was sold to Japan as scrap is a myth. started by those who were trying to save the Big E from the scrapper. I believe that some of the steel from CV-6 found it's way (After being resmelted) to the Construction dock where CVN-65 was being built. the large steel Jersey.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
What remains of Big E today? I'll tell you:
1. Her Stern Nameplate
2. A porthole
3. Her bell
frankydman 2 years ago 2
what a waste
dearchap 2 years ago
Most of the ships we have preserved could have been replaced by more worthy ships, e.g., the Nevada, Pennsylvania, Enterprise, San Francisco, and a number of tin cans that fought across the Pacific. If any one ship should have been saved it was CV-6, the USS Enterprise.
Purrturbed 2 years ago 9
How are you going get the Nevada to state of Nevada to make her into museum? pennsylvania was in bad condition torpedo at the end of the war never repaired, San Francisco was mothballed on the east coast too expensive to tow to west coast, They try to make museum out of destroyer Fletcher Smithsonian turned it down because it was modernized after the war scrapped 1972 in taiwan.
jers59 2 years ago
The USS Little Rock, a cruiser, is in Buffalo. Carriers like the Yorktown, Hornet, Intrepid, Lexington are in cities with nothing to do with their names. Yeah, that works.
Purrturbed 2 years ago
Little Rock is in Buffalo because it was decommisioned on east coast and they took 2 ships little rock and sullivan at same time pacage deal, Yorktown was suppose to go yo Yorktown Virginia it was declined and orginization found patrior point to take the ship Hornet was sold for scrap sent to san fran for scrapping the company found out it would lose money scrapping it sold it to Hornet orginization as museum in nearby Alameda, Intrepid rescued by billionare living in new york
jers59 2 years ago
package deal
jers59 2 years ago
I appreciate the information. I enjoy visiting these ships but, for the life of me, I don't see how they make enough to keep them afloat.
Purrturbed 2 years ago
@Purrturbed Donations, entrance fee's, & proceeds from the ship's store where you buy you're I visited U.S.S. ????? bumper sticker. plus the occasional revenue to be gained by movie studios filming WWII movies. they pay to use the ship for filming scenes on ship.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
@jers59 I'd love to see an old Aircraft carrier at Portage, Indiana as an Naval & air museum, if you can get one through the St. Lawerence seaway as far as Buffalo I'd think you could get it through Macanaw Michagan & down lake michagan to Portage. it isn't like they don't see Huge container ships at the port of Indiana, or Tankers for that matter so a carrier could make it. with Chicago only 35 miles away you'd have abig draw.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
I live in Buffalo and it is nice to have the Little Rock and Sullivans here, but I hear you.
paulpsyche 2 years ago
the public saved the uss constitution from being scrapped why not the uss enterprise cv6?
cheifbrownface 2 years ago
Because us Americans are shortsighted, have little sense of preservation, history, or truly honoring those who sacrifice, and we don't like to look back, just myopically forward.
The USS Constitution is a most fortunate ship.
What we did to the USS Enterprise was criminal.
Truthseekerfinder 2 years ago 22
yep I totally agree with that statement.
MrHoppers002 1 year ago
@Truthseekerfinder I wouldn't say that, The U.S. has the most preserved Warships open to the public of any nation on earth, From the Wooden Superfrigate U.S.S. Constitution that faught in the War of 1812 through the Civil War era ships preserved, to the numerous Battleships & Carriers that fought WWII. you can find several heroic warships preserved for postarity. Poor brave Enterprise slipped through the cracks somehow.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
@Truthseekerfinder Specifically, Criminal Negligence.
iowa61 4 months ago
Remember late 1950,s WW2 was over for only13 years there was no sentiment foe making large ship museums Enterprise was not worn out was completely repair but you had 24 Essex class carrier 3 Midway and 4 Forrestal class carriers Enterprise was Extra carrier not needed when navy needed funds for modernization , missiles and nuclear power
jers59 2 years ago
A crime. Literally. And the clowns who allowed should be prosecuted if they're still alive...
iowa61 2 years ago
I thought the enterprise ended up a museum in New york. If you ever watch the history channel you know how great that ship was.
mikehoable 2 years ago
@mikehoable You are thinking of the Essex class U.S.S. Intrepid.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
The Grand Lady of the fleet should have been spared the wrecking ball...but back in the 50's everyone was too involved with keeping up with the Joneses to care. What a shame.
She will always be remembered for holding the line when all others failed in the early part of WWII, for awhile she was the ONLY aircraft carrier in the Pacific.
growitlikegranddad 2 years ago
How sad the Navy choose to scrap it's most decorated vessel!
How moving it would be to walk on her flight deck, imaging the chaos of a full battle with the Imperial Japanese Navy back in the 40's!
Remembering the BIG E and her valiant crew!!!
ncphotog 2 years ago
noooooooo that was my faviorit WWll
ship
AJFA23 2 years ago
Twenty battle stars and she gets scrapped. What WERE they thinking back in the 50's?
longlakeshore 2 years ago
I completely agree, see my comment for why she should have been preserved
frankydman 2 years ago
Not only that...she also got an Presidential Unit Citation from Franklin D. Roosevelt *AND* a flag from the British Admiralty...I believe BIG E was the ONLY U.S. ship to get such an honor from a foreign country!
ncphotog 2 years ago
Comment removed
frankydman 2 years ago
It would be interesting to see the reaction of those on the CV-6 Enterprise learning what the name would come to mean in present popular culture.
DeathscytheRick 2 years ago
USS ENTERPRISE fought the battle of midway
76BLADERUNNER 2 years ago 3
How can anybody scrap something so valuable?
EliteRanger 2 years ago
I personally think this video should be downloadable so others may learn about this honorable ship.
Spacebar95 2 years ago
most that want to, will find a way, there are plenty of books out there about her and the battles she fought.
pramboy74 2 years ago
I know, I found the clip at a site on the carrier, but that was a couple years ago. So, check around, might be able to find it again. I am so impressed by the response to this, the only video I ever posted. - Paul
paulpsyche 2 years ago
@Spacebar95 google the youtube to Ipod converter, this free program coverts youtube videos to MP4 & saves it to the harddrive of you're computer.
kdraper2007 1 year ago
Total BS what they did to the Enterprise. How hard would it of been to turn her into a museum ship?
BlackBirdZGTR 2 years ago 4
THANK YOU!!!!! Someone should start a campaign to rebuild/ replicate her completely and conduct tours. Like a traveling WWII, naval and naval aviation museum. Maybe even have a form of the blue angels stationed aboard to give airshows with period planes.... that could be bad ass!
stvbom 2 years ago
they wanted the name for CVN 65
pramboy74 2 years ago
I agree with scape321.
matapan50 2 years ago
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Raonaxx 2 years ago
I am surprised that the Navy couldn't use the Enterprise in the Korean War like they did with the Essex class carriers. If she couldn't handle jet aircraft she could have had F4U Corsairs and other propeller aircraft.
warhawk40 2 years ago 2
she had a huge amount of battle damage, an inferior design and there were dozens of newer essex class carriers with far less miles on the clock to use instead. She could have had all the modfications the essex class had to operate jets but it would have been pointless.
pramboy74 2 years ago
Well then why not keep here in reserve until she finds a home? They could of kept all 4 Iowa's in reserve and maintained them, were able to find places for the Texas, Massachussets, Alabama, North Carolina and the Iowas but they couldent do the same to a ship that was the deciding factor in a war?
BlackBirdZGTR 2 years ago
at least they didn't use her in nuclear tests. Enterprise was worn out, she'd seen service in the war from the beginning, fought single handedly against the Japanease. add to that hastily repaired battle damage increasing the strain on the hull, it probably would have been too expensive to maintain enterprise as a museum, she took a hell of a beating in the war.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
Enterprise was too small for conversion to jet aircraft.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
i don't believe that, she was similar dimensions to the essex class that were all converted to post war aircraft, though she should have been preserved and had more of a reason compared to Intrepid.
pramboy74 2 years ago
Essex was much larger, though they owed alot to the Yorktown class in design.
here's the demension's:
Displacement: Yorktown class-19,875 tons. Essex-27,500 tons. Length: Yorktown-809ft 6 in. Essex-872ft
long hull Essex-888ft
Beam: yorktown-83ft 3in Essex-93ft
Draft: yorktown-26ft Essex-27ft 6in
Short hull essex flightdeck was 63 feet longer, long hull Essex was 79 feet longer & was 9 feet 9 inches wider. source is "The illustrated guide to Aircraft Carriers" by Bernard Ireland.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
I guess she was still battle damaged from WWII prior to Korea.
paulpsyche 2 years ago
@warhawk40 it was'nt that it was she was old ,a pre war ship costrained by the naval treaties of the 1930's and had been modifed to her limits,she could'nt handle jets,and there were still the three midway class carriers and the several essex class carriers,and the other carrier the made it thru the war,the saratoga was used as an A-bomb target
snakestomper 1 year ago
@warhawk40 Why? 1950 The US Navy had 24 Essex class carriers +3 Midway class carrier, Enterprise was obsolete and worn out no need for it off Korea
jers59 1 year ago
I agree with you,what great thing has Ford done to have the honor of having a whole class of carriers named after him. Maybe a tug boat or something .The Enterprise was the only ship in her class ,it is only fitting they should start a whole new class of Enterprise carriers . No matter what ship it was in the past Enterprise has always been cocked and ready to go, and to name a carrier after a president who was not even elected by the American people just does not seem right . God Bless Big E.
fortyagain 2 years ago
The only thing Ford did to have the honor of having carrier named after him was he was politicians and politicians by there nature are corrupt. So one corrupt politician honors another by naming carrier or bridge or post office after another politician
jers59 2 years ago
Simply the GREATEST naval carrier in history. Live long the Enterprise!!
Thelittleking1980 2 years ago
They should have naver scraped the Big E(In my opinion). Why not preserve such an Iconic ship? So that our feature generations of Americans would have something to look back on, and be proud of.
scape321 2 years ago 2
Enterprise's hull was in bad shape, the beating she took in the war, battle repairs, shock damage, & months on the line with jury rigged repairs took it's toll. trying to keep her water tight would have made her too expensive to keep as a museum.
kdraper2007 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Id vote for the USS Barack Obama
thegamerman7 3 years ago
Nooo i jsut got word that the US Navey has no plans at this moment to name anouther ship the Enterprise!!! not only that but the Enterprises replacement ship is going to be named...The USS Gerald R. Ford!!!!! That sucks big time. The flagship of the united states is named the Gerald R. ford!!! NOOOOOOOO the current Enterprise will be decommisioned and replaced in 2012-2014. Ic ant belive these guys are doing this!.
thegamerman7 3 years ago
Its because corrupt politicians are giving the right to name ships after each other the same as they do post offices. Uss Jimmy Carter is joke Along with the Ford, The Bush, The Reagan. They should have been Lexington, Hornet and America. Until americans grow some cojones and take back there country this will keep going on
jers59 2 years ago 2
They should bring back the name USS Hornet. I know they named the F/A-18 Hornets after her, but that is a step down from an aircraft carrier.
Blaze3124 2 years ago
I posted this awhile ago and am always proud of the comments you all have made here. In our heart, the Enterprise!
paulpsyche 3 years ago
Good old piece of steel.....
Alchrat 3 years ago
No doubt!
paulpsyche 3 years ago
The Enterprise is the most famous ship in WW2 and in the pacific fleet. I think its even greater than the USS Constitustion. It should be a tradition to rename the most state of the art vessel comming out as soon as its decommisioned. .The name Enterprise needs to continue on in history. And would it kill them to name a USS Voyeger? One stupid satalite and there never going to name anouther vessel Voyedger? The only reason they scrapped the old Enterprise was the demand for metal. God bless it
thegamerman7 3 years ago
I agree completely!!! God Bless it!!!
paulpsyche 3 years ago
According to Combat Aircraft Magazine, U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford has officially been funded (5.1 Billion). The ships keel is scheduled to be laid early this year & delivered to the fleet in 2015. U.S. Navy planns on building 11 Ford class carriers by 2058. maybe U.S.S. Enterprise CVN-79?
kdraper2007 3 years ago
I hope U.S.S. Enterprise (CVN-65) is preserved as a museum, my personal dream would be to bring her throught the St. Lawrence seaway, through Lake Erie, Lake Superior, & Into Lake Michigan to be berthed at Michigan City, Indiana As an air & space museum. hope they build a CVN-21 class U.S.S. Enterprise, The Navy without a big E would not be the same.
kdraper2007 3 years ago
The Big E is planned to be de-commissioning sometime around 2012. USS Ford (CVN-78) will take Enterprise's slot in 2015.
CVN-79 (unnamed) should begin construction about 2012. Work on a new carrier at the same time Enterprise is being taken out of service? Seems like a good time to transfer the name.
Hell, for one, we've run out of Presidents to name carriers after. :)
If not CVN-79... CVN-80 is the third new "Ford-class" carrier on order. Also "unnamed." Maybe Enterprise!
IaoGawd 3 years ago
Yes , we'll need a new Enterprise, also Hornet. I imagine there is a Ticonderoga class cruiser named Yorktown, we could use a new Saratoga, America, Midway, & Ranger.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
And Voyager, Reliant, Excelsior, Excalibur
OchrismongrelO 2 years ago
The Navy named a new amphibious assault ship U.S.S. America.
kdraper2007 2 years ago
God Bless her! Thank you Big E!
AlliedSoulsofWW2 3 years ago
do not mourn her, for she will always live on. there will always be a us navy ship to bear the name ENTERPRISE
sheacd1 3 years ago
I just found out that this classic vessel was scrapped! wow thats sad man!
should be at the museum in SC or something like that.
arbnranger72 3 years ago
this maybe sad but after this happiness came again when they made a new USS enterprise now it carries jets it maybe bigger but it can still go 35 knots in under 2 minutes the new USS enterprise is the first aircraft carrier to go nuclear
gtcj13 3 years ago
just to bad the owners hated the ship so much
smartestinUSA 3 years ago
This was incredibly sad, Enterprise was the most higly decorated US Navy ship of WWII. She participated in all but two of the major sea engagements during the Pacific War. She should be a floating museum somewhere, like Hornet, instead of just a memory. Very sad indeed.
libsarelaughable 3 years ago 3
That this glorious ship, the most decorated in U.S. navy history,was scrapped, is the one of the greatest debacles in American history.
olentangy74 3 years ago 2
Well as long they dont do the same with her name sake the CVN-65.
honshu 3 years ago
it won't(scrapping)but the "new" Enterprise is on borrowed time...plans to retire her in 2013-2015 time range.
eodfan 3 years ago
Damn the cheap bastards that scrapped Her!!!!!!!!!
wargammer2005 3 years ago
The ships were obsolete. Many of them were scrapped and a lot were used for atomic bomb testing at Bikini Atoll. You cant save every single one of them. At least the IOWA has been saved and is required to be maintained in case we need a heavy battleship again... Phasing out the big battleships in the early 90's was a mistake.
BrynMawrYamBag 3 years ago
the USS Enterprise had 20 Battle Stars, more than any other US Navy Ship.
and yes, the Battleships are very, very valuable. i would favor a nuke battlecrusier design, 6 12 inch guns, modern ammo, modern armor as strong as the Iowas, 300+ VLS canisters, use a sub reactor for silent operations.....
it will never happen....
wargammer2005 3 years ago
planes after WW2 like jets would have not been able to use the enterprise because of her wooden deck and short flight deck
DangerofDeath2 3 years ago
The Big E was gone five years before I was born. I learned about her greatness and fame from the many books I read about the Pacific War. To this day I can't believe what a loss this nation has suffered from not having her as monument and museam to the many brave men who fought and died to keep the United States free. USS Enterprise like HMS Warspite can only visited by reading. One word sums these great ships best. Legends.
cmtmj2006 3 years ago
hey believe me in a ideal world where mountains of money was free to do that, great. But to be honest i would have loved to see warspite in the way she looked during the battle of jutland, the greatest ever battleship v battlship stand off ever.
pramboy74 3 years ago
i can understand that but hey you have battleships left from both world wars to appreciate which is extremely rare not to mention aircaft carriers, cruiser and destroyers so i'm extremly jealous. I for one would love to see HMS New Zealand (ww1 battlecrusier paid by the people of new zealand, crewed by nzers and battle of jutland survivor) back here moored in wellingon. But she was scrapped after the washington treaty was signed. All we have left of her is a barrel of one of her turrets, sad.
pramboy74 3 years ago
you guys have done a better job of keeping and restoring your old ships than any navy in the world and i'd be grateful you still have so many left to appreciate.
pramboy74 3 years ago
this is shit. its a muesum now.
addacdd 3 years ago
the cv-65 might be a museum but the cv-6 was scrapped
wheelholder12 3 years ago
and the cv-65 is still in active service
archangel670 3 years ago
nope, the current enterprise is a new ship powered by nuclear power. they gave it enterprise as a namesake. the old one unfortunely was sold to a private owner who scrapped just about every part save for a few items like the bells and etc.
MingTongPang54 3 years ago
the steel from Enterprse's scrappng was sold to a Japanease company ronically enough, Enterprise helped build post war Japan. The Current Enterprise was origanally powered by 8 nuclear reactors. Admiral Hymen G. Rickover the director of Naval reactors decreed 1 reactor for every boiler a conventional carrier had, as a resault Enterprise was incredibly overpowered. & use of full power would cause Damage to the ship. During refit Enterprise was equiped with 4 new reactors.
kdraper2007 3 years ago
I was a Nuclear Electrician onboard Enterprise. I would like to correct some of your info.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65) still has all 8 nuclear reactors. All reactors have been refueled 4 times (1965, '70, '80, '90). Perhaps that's where your 4 comes from.
"Damage to the ship" due to full-power? In her early days, they replaced the "high-speed" props with "high-torque" props. Lower top-end speed, but better acceleration characteristics. :)
She can, and will (9/11), go balls-to-the-walls.
IaoGawd 3 years ago
Thank you for correcting me, I had read about those "facts" in a book about soviet submarines. told by a soviet sub captain. I had assumed since the soviets had an excellent spy service that the russian knew what he was talking about. you would obviously know better having been in Enterprise's engineering dept. I hope Enterprise is saved as a museum after decomm. having visited U.S.S. Massachusetts several years ago I have an appreciation for the worth of historic conservation.
kdraper2007 3 years ago
Even though I would love to see Enterprise as a museum, I truly doubt it will come to pass. The conversion would be prohibitely expensive. With all that nuclear power (50 years) comes lots of nuclear contamination.
Basically, the entire Enginnering section would have to be ripped out.
I have heard of a proposal to transition Enterprise to a training platform after her Full Service obligation expires. I think that's the most likely resolution out there now, other than the scrap yard.
IaoGawd 3 years ago
no shit cv-6 was scrapped all that remains of her is her decorative stern nameplate
archangel670 3 years ago
read a book, the world war two enterpise was scrapped.
pramboy74 3 years ago
I remember reading "The Big E" in high school and becomming so interested in the Enterprise. Much to my surprise and excitement I had the honor of servering aboard her successor CVN-65 in 2001. The Big E deserved better then the scrap heap but her memory lives on.
JoeyLeafRunner 3 years ago
funny you say, its actually the 8th ship to carry the name. There over exploiting the name (disrespecting it)
JuggaloTheRolla 3 years ago
To the US Navy, carrying on a name is a sign of deep respect. It's also a tradition. The name Enterprise will continue be in the Navy well after we're all dead and gone.
JoeyLeafRunner 3 years ago
I know what you are trying to say but here me out. If you name evey ship USS Enterprise CV-whatever, thats kinda Corny. PArticularly for a ship that has never seen ferocious combat. Yes i could understand a few ships, but 8? but yah. Its a tradition. Its still a powerfull name
JuggaloTheRolla 3 years ago
As an example "Hornet" was one of the very first ships of the Continental Navy. "Wasp" was another one along with Constellation, Bon Homme Richard and Enterprise. The second Hornet took part in the First Barbary War. The other Hornets were minor ships until CV-8. The Navy is a service of tradition and that is something I can appreciate. When I board CV-12 each weekend I walk the same pier she was at for Doolittle on CV-8 and the same pier she was at after the war. That is history and tradition.
tbm3fan 3 years ago
Not really. The Navy has always used previous names to honor the new ships' predecessors. Hornet (CV-12) is the eight ship to bear that name. Far better to be called Hornet than Gerald Ford or George Bush. Now as long as the ship still floats there will never be another Hornet, Intrepid, Yorktown, Lexington, Midway or Enterprise. As an example,to pay homage to the Hornet, the F-18 was named the Hornet.
tbm3fan 3 years ago
I grew up across the river from kearny in jersey city was not around to see the Enterprise scrapped but while she was there Admiral Halsey stopped by for one last visit. Saw Essex Antietam Randolph and FDR scrapped have photos of Essex being scrapped, Essex ranked behind Enterprise in battlestars 20 for CV6 and 17 for CV9
jers59 3 years ago
Hornet CVS 12 is in Alameda California
jers59 3 years ago
Well said!
paulpsyche 3 years ago
Some of the most famous ships in history were scrapped in Kearny, Uss Enterprise, Essex, Randolph, Wasp, Antietam, Boxer, Lake Champlain, FDR, Battleship South Dakota, Washington, Battle cruiser Alaska.
jers59 3 years ago
So True, I guess they live in our memories now. I posted this video over a year ago and am touched knowing so many out there feel as I do about the loss of this great ship.
paulpsyche 3 years ago
half on these ships were hardly the most famous ships in history
pramboy74 3 years ago
It's sad because it is the only
(or one of the only) aircraft carrier during world war 2 to fight in every major carrier battle in the pacific. Today, there are no pre-war carriers excisting today and the ealiest carrier is the USS Lexington. (Essex class)
youloser432 3 years ago
Ah, the USS Enterprise, the first Navy ship I became aware of after Old Ironsides. That being in 1959 when 6 years old. Whether she could be a viable museum in 1958, so soon after the war is hard to say. Yet my fascination with CV-6 lead to other carriers over the years. So when I saw CV-12 tied up on rainy May day in 1998 I had to find out what was up. One week later I volunteered and have spent 2 days a week on her ever since. May take my lifetime to restore but it is the least I can do.
tbm3fan 3 years ago