USS America

Retired Carrier Sunk Off Atlantic Coast

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050521/...s/carrier_sunk

Made the 1970 World Cruise. VA-146 line crew. I hope they learned alot by
sinking her. Sad.

"Dave in San Diego" wrote in message
. ..
Retired Carrier Sunk Off Atlantic Coast

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050521/...s/carrier_sunk

"Jimmy G" wrote in message
news
Made the 1970 World Cruise. VA-146 line crew. I hope they learned alot by
sinking her. Sad.

It is a sad day.

I made a Med Cruise with the "Rooks" of VAQ-137 under the exceptional
leadership of CDR Ewell. We had a real tight Chiefs Mess and lot's of good
times.

Somehow it does not do her justice to be sitting on the 1,000 fathom line!

It makes you wonder. doesn't it? Why the America and not one of the
othere retired carriers. I'll bet real money that the same doesn't
happen to the JFK when she's retired.
I was on the America for the '81 cruise to the Med and IO We were the
first carrier to transit the Suez Canal since, what 1956? We made the
entire cruise without losing a plane. Should have gotten the battle E
for that cruise. But the powers that be thought it was politically
incorrect that a non-nuke was a better at its job than a nuke. I did
the subsequent '83 cruise also. A fine ship with a fine crew.

Walt
ISC, USN (RET)

Sun, 22 May 2005 05:23:36 GMT, Dave in San Diego
wrote:

Retired Carrier Sunk Off Atlantic Coast

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20050521/...s/carrier_sunk

I made the Nam cruise in 1972 and also am saddened that the ship was
sunk. But since when did things in the Navy make sense? Why is the
Kitty still in service? Why are people fighting over decom of the
Kennedy? Why are Forrestal and Saratoga on the donate to museum list
while the America was denied that status? Why was America decommed
before other ships that were older?

Mac wrote:

snip

Why was America decommed
before other ships that were older?

IIRR, it was because America was next in line to be SLEPed while the
others had already gotten theirs. So when either Stennis or Truman (I
forget which) commissioned, America was the obvious choice to
decommission, saving a bundle of money that would otherwise have to have
been spent on a SLEP refit.

Guy

Mac wrote:

I made the Nam cruise in 1972 and also am saddened that the ship was
sunk. But since when did things in the Navy make sense? Why is the
Kitty still in service?

The America was the next ship on the list awaiting her SLEP when the
call came down decommission a CV to save money in the 1990's. The Kitty
Hawk had already been through it's SLEP by then.

Why are people fighting over decom of the Kennedy?

That's not so much a battle to save the Kennedy, but a fight to keep a
CV/CVN homeported in Jacksonville. I'm sure the local officials would
be just as happy if the JFK were retired and a CVN was moved to JAX as a
replacement so the base could stay open.

Why are Forrestal and Saratoga on the donate to museum list
while the America was denied that status?

That I don't know. Maybe they were in a better material condition?
Unfortunately their isn't enough public interest or money out there to
save every retired CV for museum duty.

Why was America decommed before other ships that were older?

Aside from the SLEP issue, I remember their was a bit of a scandal in
the news over the America's poor material state towards the end of her
service. The cost of fixing those problems on top of the standard SLEP
costs at might have also played a factor in the decision.

ALV

Mac wrote:
Why is the Kitty still in service?

Perhaps the material condition overall? Attributable to the rotten XO's
we had over the years doing their jobs.

Recall once when pierside at NORIS the Enterprise was tied up there as
well. Looked like a rust bucket. Word had it that AIRPAC felt the same.

If the same standards are still being maintained it wouldn't be any
surprise. I'm sure the aircrew here who've served on several boats can
provide many comparisons.



ACC USN ret.
NKX, BIKF, NAB, CV-63, NIR
67-69 69-71 71-74 77-80 80-85
&
74-77

Founder: rec.aviation.military.naval
RAMN

Jim wrote:
Mac wrote:
Why is the Kitty still in service?

Perhaps the material condition overall? Attributable to the rotten
XO's
we had over the years doing their jobs.

Recall once when pierside at NORIS the Enterprise was tied up there
as
well. Looked like a rust bucket. Word had it that AIRPAC felt the
same.

If the same standards are still being maintained it wouldn't be any
surprise. I'm sure the aircrew here who've served on several boats
can
provide many comparisons.



ACC USN ret.
NKX, BIKF, NAB, CV-63, NIR
67-69 69-71 71-74 77-80 80-85
&
74-77

Founder: rec.aviation.military.naval
RAMN

My first hand knowledge stopped in 1972 when I left the America.
During 1971 and 72 I visited Saratoga, Forrestal, Kitty Hawk, Oriskany,
and Hancock. Being a typical sailor all the other carriers seemed
better than America - but that was a very subjective opinion.
I, too, heard rumors of unacceptable condition just prior to
decommissioning. There were (are) persistant rumors that the America
was to be a Nuc but was pushed out as a conventional carrier with parts
borrowed from many other decommissioned vessels.
I do know that there were many problems with major systems during the
'72-73 cruise.
Most of my earlier questions were more retorical that actual. I
realize why America was decommed and then blown up but it still give me
pause.

""There were (are) persistant rumors that the America
was to be a Nuc but was pushed out as a conventional carrier with parts
borrowed from many other decommissioned vessels.""

Not true. the America was always intended to be conventionally powered.

The JFK however was orignally designed to be a nuke. During
construction Robert McNamara, in a cost cutting move, had the JFK
changed to a conventional powered ship.

I served on the JFK in '72 & '73 and the Nimitz in '91. From the Hangar
deck to the flight deck up to the flight deck they are about 85%
identical.