Trial by Fire: A Carrier Fights For Life (1973)

[belleisfat]

watched this in boot, February 2009

[nofear785]

yes they still do even in our advanced firefighting schools they do

[zeph9305]

I saw it in 81 when I was a 'Great Mistakes" boot camp...LOL

[myteepatriot]

They showed this when I was in greatlakes in 1973 then they took us all out to the mock ship put us inside gave us some hoses and firesuits and lit it on fire and said fight your way out. was a great lesson the sad part is it took 134 lives for the Navy to learn it but our guys are trained well now i'm sure of it.

[mgwilliams1000]

30 year Naval Aviation vet, recently retired in 2007. This incident and the Nimitz disaster changed how we did business on the flight deck. The people up there failed to realize that you WERE in a combat area each and evey time you were working there. Complacency and and lack of respect for your surroundings would kill you and your shipmates quick.

[shootist338]

We watched this film in 1970. After this it was called the USS Forestfire!

[legslikewhoa]

i remember this video from bootcamp. my mom asked why we all had to have firefighting training, so i pulled up this sad video to show her.

[wildcard621]

Watched this in boot camp and every fire fighter school training in Norfolk.

[Bloo0969]

Yeah, civilian firefighters call themselves "heroes" These are the real heroes.

[phil1002010]

I saw this video in 1982 in HMS Pembroke during my basic Cook's training in the Royal Navy. It was used as part of our course. I never forgot it.

[mrjohnnyboy65]

I saw this in bootcamp back in 1983. 44 years since the fire today.

[jupirer]

Darn I think everybody went into the Navy in 77 , I went to Great Lakes NTC in Janurary

[art2va]

@jupirer: I also got to boot camp in Jan of '77. The worst winter weather I ever experienced! I started out in Co 35 or 37 (can't remember) but graduated in Co 53.

[o7jimmy]

At frame 03:21 the time mentioned is wrong because I was there and the was 10:51 in the morning and not 13:51 in the afternoon.

[o7jimmy]

Thanks. I was there in squadron RVAH 11 out of NAS Sanford Fl.

Ski AN

[bladerunnerkw]

As a former Aviation Boatswain's Mate (Fuels) 2nd Class Petty Officer in the fleet I often checked this film out from the Training Aids Library for my fuel crews to watch again and again beginning in 1975. "Trial By Fire" is of indispensable value to all Navy men on any type of vessel, the courage of the crew is remarkable & outweighs their compounded errors due to lack of proper training. Many thanks for posting this film, I have been trying to locate it for many years.

[cdnarcher1959]

I joined in 1977 and they showed that during our firefighting trg also, fire is a fire and this show not only the courage of the crew but also its mistakes. so remember that when you are posted to your first ship, learn the firefighting gear, it just may save your life one day.

[C2BN181]

We watched it back when I joined in '77, good to see it still has some value! :)

[LandSnipe415]

This vid was why our DCA said "F**k it!! We're getting the Battle DC!" We trained like hell for 1.5 yrs onboard USS EXCEL (MSO-439) home ported @t Naval Station Treasure Island, circa '87-'89. Minesweepers have wooden hulls & small crews. This was why I was lucky enough to get to go to Advance Fire Fighting @ D.C. A-School on T.I., though I was an SM3. I was later a Scene Leader in Repair 3. Any late '80s Exellieres out there?

Wooden Ships/Iron Men. They drop 'em, we pop 'em! MineSweeps!

[wisemasterchief]

check the video closely and you will see the tie down chains still attached to the aircraft, wing tips up.. aircraft was not going anywhere so why would a pilot be in the cockpit  ... navy bootcamp san diego 1972 .. watched this film many times during my 21yr career. BTCM(SW) Retired. peace

[thiobunny]

Thank you so much for posting this terrifying documentary. I saw it in boot camp this year.A situation like that is the "ultimate nightmare."

[bwild61]

The one thousand pound bombs that exploded one after another were old ordnance that had been stored in huts in the Philippines since the mid 1930's. Some were left over from WW2. The bombs were delivered to the ship the night before and the ordnance teams were very leery of them.

[eddiepism]

We were shown this film in basic training.(Navy) RTC San Diego. Early 1974. Anyone from Company 026? Chief Lohman's Lads? I'm SA Eddie Lyn Peterson. Contact me if you see this ok?

[unxknownxorigin]

and 2009



[stphnchlmrs]

I remember seeing this in boot camp in 1990. I wonder if they still show it to recruits.

[zacturner77]

@stphnchlmrs Yep, saw it in 2008,

[somethingtough]

@stphnchlmrs They do, I remember seeing this when I went through bootcamp 2 years ago

[cthultu1]

@stphnchlmrs

Just got out of navy boot camp a coulpe of months ago, and they still show

this video during firefighting training.

[jddrums]

@stphnchlmrs

Yes they do.

[silver02wagon]

@stphnchlmrs I just graduated from bootcamp almost a month ago (May 2011) and they showed this video to us during firefighting training.

[harobmxer87]

@stphnchlmrs Yep, they still show it.

[chodemonster85]

@stphnchlmrs the answer is yes, i just graduated bootcamp on 05aug11

[ScrewDriver0692]

@stphnchlmrs i got out of bootcamp october 29th, 2010 and i saw this video



[manutd12us]

@stphnchlmrs They still show it. I saw it in 2002 at boot camp. And I just showed it to my wife in 2011.

[TheNDW123]

@stphnchlmrs Just got out of Basic and yes they do. The first class of firefighting training they make you watch this to show the importance of everyone In the navy to know basic firefighting skills. Kind of like not putting AFFF on the fire and spraying water on, completely negating the effect.

[jjh36ls]

@stphnchlmrs i watched this in boot camp, september in 2011.

[housetaboo]

what ship is this ? USS Forrestal ?

[spunebil]

I was an HT2 the last 3 years I was in of 5 and also a US navy Firematial (they hadn't split it up to HT and DC yet) got out in late 1983 after the carl Vinson completed its world cruise (nov. 1983) ! And this film was shown as boring then as it is NOW !

[Davio87]

Does anyone have a copy of "The Seven Deadly Shipmates?"

[Davio87]

I used to show this to Navy Chaplains going through chaplains school in Newport, RI in the early 90's as part of their shipboard damage control training. While the movie scared the crap out of them as they'd never been shipboard before, they always LOVED the ending, "Learn or Burn, Baby. Learn or Burn!" (obviously, they saw another meaning in this!)

[jsc1215]

I saw this video in boot camp as well.  It's still an intense film even now.

[Daginni1]

I watched this very same video in Boot Camp about a month ago.  It was very.... interesting.

[73XBFalcon]

I remember watching this in bootcamp back in 1988. But, I was already familiar with the fire. My father was serving on Forrestal when this fire occured. He made it ok, but lost alot of friends and shipmates. He passed away in 1998. I still have all his cruise books, including the one from this ill-fated cruise.

[cmmolthr]

Yup, they used it for training when I was in Basic here in San Diego in 1984

[DeVore911]

I saw this video when I entered bootcamp at Great Lakes. It scared the "Hell" out of me to see this. I was in the Navy to become a firefighter. I became an HT and served on the U.S.S. Midway. The Midway had two major fires and several small ones when i was on board and a member of the "Flying Squad". The point is this video is vital for anyone to view that may want to be a Damage Control Man or ABH Crash Rescue. This is real and most thought provoking. A must see and review.

[Gatorbobpa]

I transferred from the Forrestal Dec.1967, 7 months before the fire. Wish I was there to help in this tragedy. The is a great book out there named " Sailors to the End"

Great book about the fire and some of the men

[jazzbo1974]

Why was the light blinking within a few seconds the explosen happen erary ..

[bbser]

I used to play this movie on the first day of each of my Submarine School (Damage Control School, Groton) classes. I was an instructor there for 3 years in the mid 80's during the interim fire fighting trainer era. Those were good times and this film brings back many memories. Learn or burn, baby... learn or burn!

[Riyun72]

Wasn't McCain responsible for that?

[bwild61]

@Riyun72 , Alot of ppl now think so!

[Witechawklit]

@Riyun72 He wasnt responsible for it, but he is pictured jumping from the cockpit of his aircraft after a missile hit one beside him. He got lucky; he was almost killed.

[vector150]

MY wifes father was onboard when this happen. Up he never talks about it and when he hears this ships name...he gets up and leaves to his room or leaves and goes home.

[blucoralkis]

Oh man does this bring it back. When I joined the Navy, I didn't think twice about it.....then they showed me this in boot camp! My thoughts then changed....What the H*** was I thinkin??? Seriously, the USN was the best decision I ever made. May all the sailors on the Forrestal and all others who have lost their lives Rest in Peace. GO NAVY!

[bwild61]

Wow, I have not seen this since boot camp! RTC Great Lakes, 1984.

[WanderingFerret]

@bwild61 And they're still using this video today in RTC. That's some intense stuff.

[Chicken57]

In 1976, I went from NTC Great Lakes to USS FDR in Mayport Fla. Thanks for sharing! I found the man from LOX on the internet also.

[netsurferx1]

I wondered when someone was going to post this!

[katbulooo]

Wow! I remember this from boot camp at RCC Orlando Fla. In 1977. three weeks later I recieved orders to an aircraft carrier! Thanks for the memories! It did not take long to find out why sailors, call them air crash carriers!