Submittion by NAVETSUSA Founder, Edward C. Reese (navetsusa@earthlink.net)
Find a Ship or Shipmate
Here
|
|
USS
Forrestal
|
USA
|
In the closing months of World War II, Admiral
Mark Mitscher, at the time the Commander of the Fast Carrier Task Force
in the South Pacific, made the first recorded suggestion for a carrier
with the general characteristics of the Forrestal Class. Other military
and civilian leaders agreed with him. In the years following the war, the
need for aircrait carriers larger than the Midway Class became increasingly
apparent. Advances in aviation, particularly the advent of the heavier,
faster jet aircraft, could be exploited fully only by the construction
of a large modern carrier, designed specifically for compatibility with
these high performance aircraft.
On July 12, 1951, the Navy announced that the
Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company had been awarded a contract
to build CVA-59. The keel for the new ship was laid July 14, 1952. Less
than 30 months later, the first of the postwar carriers was launched. Mrs.
James V. Forrestal, widow of the first Secretary of Defense, christened
her USS FORRESTAL.
Commissioning ceremonies were October 1, 1955,
at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on the same day. Captain Roy Johnson became
the first commanding officer of FORRESTAL. Commander Ralph L. Werner, commander
of the air group, recorded the first arrested landing on January 3, 1956.
Since then, FORRESTAL has recorded well over 225,000 landings.
Following a ten week shakedown cruise to Guantanamo
Bay, Cuba, and summer operations off the Atlantic coast with the US Second
Fleet, FORRESTAL was called to bolster US forces in the Mediterranean during
the Suez crisis in the fall of 1956.
The new carrier returned to Norfolk for Christmas,
but on January 23, 1957 she sailed for her first regularly scheduled deployments
as a unit of the Sixth Fleet, this time because of civil strife in Lebanon.
When the crisis ended, she returned to Norfolk.
From 1958 through 1966, FORRESTAL alternated
between the Second Fleet in the Atlantic and the US Sixth Fleet in the
Mediterranean.
In June of 1967, FORRESTAL departed Norfolk
for her first combat cruise in the Western Pacific as a member of the US
Seventh Fleet. She took up her station on Yankee Station off the coast
of North Vietnam on July 23, 1967. A tragic fire on the fifth day of combat
operations brought FORRESTAL'S part in the war to a sudden end. The fire
killed 134 men, and sent FORRESTAL back to Norfolk for repairs.
Following seven months in Norfolk Naval Shipyard,
FORRESTAL deployed for the Mediterranean in July 1968. With Air Wing Seventeen
embarked, she recorded the longest CVA deployment in the Sixth Feet up
to that time, more than nine months.
Upon returning to Norfolk in April 1969, the
ship's engineering spaces were overhauled for three months. This was followed
by six weeks refresher training at Guantanamo Bay.
On December 2nd, 1969, FORRESTAL deployed to
the Mediterranean for her eighth Sixth Fleet deployment which she completed
on July 8, 1970. Following a minor overhaul period at the shipyard, the
ship celebrated her 15th birthday by putting to sea for sea trials.
|
Following operations off the Virginia Capes area,
and a Christmas and New Year's holiday leave period, FORRESTAL left her
homeport of Norfolk for her ninth deployment with the US Sixth Fleet.
FORRESTAL returned from the Mediterranean on
July 2, 1971, and entered the shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia, on July
16 for a ten month overhaul.
After completion of her yard period, she began
type training, carrier qualification of Attack Carrier Air Wing Seventeen
and operational readiness evaluation off the eastern coast of the US.
In the early morning of July 10, fire broke
out on the 03 level in flag country. The damage was heavy and forced FORRESTAL
into the yards again at Norfolk Naval Shipyard.
FORRESTAL left the shipyard on August 18 and
resumed preparation for her 10th deployment to the Mediterranean for which
she departed on September 22, 1972.
On March 28th, 1973, FORRESTAL sped to Tunisia
to participate in rescue operations in the flooded Medjerda River valley
near Tunis. FORRESTAL helicopters from Anti-submarine Helicopter Squadron
THREE transported thousands of pounds of food, water and medical supplies
and rescued hundreds during the three-day operation.
After returning from the Sixth Fleet on July
6, 1973, FORRESTAL entered the shipyard for a three-month overhaul. On
November 2nd, the overhaul was completed and the carrier began qualifications
of the east coast.
On March 11, 1974, FORRESTAL departed Norfolk
for the Mediterranean. During this deployment with the Sixth Fleet, operations
in the eastern Mediterranean in the vicinity of Cyprus assured a great
deal of sea time for FORRESTAL crew members.
Following her return to the US in mid-September
and a brief yard period, she steamed back into the Mediterranean in March,
1975.
Another yard period followed the return of
FORRESTAL to the US in September, keeping her in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard
until January 1976. Routine operations were conducted but excitement quickly
grew aboard her when the ship learned that the FORRESTAL was chosen to
play Host Ship at the International Naval Review in New York City Harbor
in July, 1976.
On July 4th, FORRESTAL gained national exposure
by hosting President Ford and over 100 VIPs and news media who reviewed
the arrival of the 40-odd "Tall Ships" participating in the International
Naval Review from various countries around the globe.
Another "first" was experienced by FORRESTAL
when on September 13th she was selected to undergo a Shock Test, a demolition
of high explosives near the hull to test whether a ship of capital size
could withstand the strain of full close-quarter combat and still remain
fully operational.
After the successful testing of FORRESTAL and
her crew, the ship returned to Norfolk, and on October 1, 1976 began yet
another in a long line of "firsts" an attempt to compete an extensive overhaul,
which usually takes 14 to 18 months, in only 9 months again she was successful
and steamed out of the shipyard on June 14, 1977.
NAVETSUSA Founder, Edward C.
Reese, NCCS, USN Ret, who served on the USS Forrestal from 1975 - 1978.
Reprinted from the USS FORRESTAL Handbook (1977)
USS
Forrestal Print Shop 1977
Print
Shop Supervisor LIC, Edward C. Reese
Send comments to NAVetsUSA
Sign
the NAVetsUSA Ship's Log
View
the NAVetsUSA Ship's Log
Sign
the Forrestal's Log 
View the Forrestal's Log
Last updated 1 Feb 2008
Founded by Edward C. Reese,
NCCS, USN Retired
