The End of an Era

[BarryBobPosthole]

The Enterprise has finally been decommissioned. She's been inactive for a couple of years but I guess they've been getting her ready for decommissioning. My Uncle Bob served aboard her in Viet Nam. I remember when she was commissioned with much fanfare in 1962 (I was eight) and she was the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier in the service. I think this ship is the eighth to be named Enterprise. It was a big deal when the Navy put her into service.

Pretty cool! She gave her anchor to the USS Abraham Lincoln which is a Nimitz class carrier.

Stand tall Niner and all you squids! Saaaaaaaaaaalute!

BKB

[DeputyDog]

I thought that I saw somewhere that they were going to name one of the new Ford Class carriers Enterprise to keep the name going.

[Buckrub]

It's a LOONNNGGG way
gettin' from there to here
It's a LOOoonng way
and my time is finally here........

[Niner]

Here's a tidbit of trivia.
They used 4 submarine reactors on that boat. ALL the rest of the nuc carriers used 2 much larger ones.

[BarryBobPosthole]

Deputy, I think you are right, they are naming another ship Enterprise to keep the name going on an active commissioned ship. The carrier Enterprise before this nuclear powered one was the most decorated ship in WWII and fought all over the Pacific.

BKB

[DeputyDog]

Here is the press release about it. This was announced at the deactivation ceremony for CVN-65, the current Enterprise. It's going to be the third ship in the class and the first carrier since the USS America, which was commissioned in 1966, not named for a person.


http://www.defense.gov/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=15708