Friday, February 12, 2010

The Blue Ghost "USS Lexington"














I arrived today in the city of Corpus Christi. It is a very nice place to be. I went to visit the USS Lexington today. I must say I was moved and enjoyed the experience very much. This historic aircraft carrier, is truly the pride and joy of the American Navy. It served in the cause of freedom from 1943 to it's retirement in 1991. This post is to honor and remember all those who fought and served on this great ship. Because of there sacrifice and great efforts. It gave us, the opportunity to live our lives. Hope everyone enjoys the pictures I took today.

Here is the history of this historic ship:
USS Lexington (CV/CVA/CVS/CVT/AVT-16), known as "The Blue Ghost", is one of 24 Essex-class aircraft carriers built during World War II for the United States Navy. The ship, the fifth US Navy ship to bear the name, is named in honor of the Revolutionary War Battle of Lexington. She was originally to have been named Cabot, but she was renamed while under construction to commemorate USS Lexington (CV-2), lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. [1]

Lexington was commissioned in February 1943, and served in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, receiving the Presidential Unit Citation and 11 battle stars for World War II service. Like many of her sister ships, Lexington was decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, but was modernized and reactivated in the early 1950s, being reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA), and then an antisubmarine carrier (CVS). In her second career, she operated both in the Atlantic/Mediterranean and the Pacific, but spent most of her time, nearly 30 years, on the east coast as a training carrier (CVT).

She was decommissioned in 1991, remaining active longer than any other Essex-class ship, and was donated for use as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas. Lexington was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.

2 comments:

  1. Love the shots! Awesome find there Donny.

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  2. Yes Al! I got a chance to enjoy and pay my respects to a real piece of war history today!

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