Comments on: Outside the U.S.S. Lexington

By: Ch Boarts

Ch Boarts — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:00:17 +0000

Well, now I’m exploring your blog. I noted the push pins on the map near where I was a pastor at my last civilian congregation (Rockport, TX). One of the members at my church was a docent on the Lex. Through him, I made a contact that let me go out on the Harry S. Truman for two days! We flew out on a COD (Carrier Onboard Delivery) which was a C-2 so we got to experience a deck landing and catapault take off.

We also got a full tour of the working ship–including the flight deck during F/A-18 operations.

Anyone can request such an experience (and many are granted!) Just contact Navy Public Affairs. Their big thing is that the experience gets publicized–you could use this blog as evidence that you’d be able to publicize the trip.

The young sailors working on the ships don’t get much press because no one gets to see what they do, so the Navy has this program to help America see them hard at work.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:17:25 +0000

Hey… was looking at your pictures form the Rockies. Some are close to my old stomping grounds. {sigh}

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 17:12:51 +0000

Ya know, now that you made all these changes… if anyone is confused by the ‘/50′ it would be just as correct to simply note “3in”. The 3in deck gun came in two barrel versions. The second was called 3in/50 to distinguish it from the original 3in gun, which was 55 calibers long. I must not be very busy today…

By: Dan

Dan — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:52:26 +0000

Fixed, thanks.

By: Lawrence

Lawrence — Wed, 14 Feb 2007 16:49:26 +0000

I see we have the gun picture definition is updated to “3in/50″. Don’t forget to update the text above the pictures.

By: Dan

Dan — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:27:15 +0000

Very cool, Pastor. Thanks.

By: Paul T. McCain

Paul T. McCain — Thu, 08 Feb 2007 21:05:43 +0000

The “Lady Lex” replaced the USS Lexington that was sunk during the Battle of Coral Sea. She had an amazing tour of duty during WW II. Wikipedia gives the highlights: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Lexington_%28CV-16%29 . I grew up with the USS Lexington which ended her distinguished career as the training carrier for the US Navy. She was stationed in Pensacola, Florida. I spent many an hour on her, and in her, as a guest at numerous functions hosted by her officers. My dad, a Lutheran school principal, in Pensacola, had many Navy kids and we got invited out to the carrier a lot. I also got to go on two dependents day cruises on her and watch launch and recovery operations from her deck. Amazing.

Now, get this. Imagine that ship submerged 600 meters underwater and that is the size of a nuclear submarine today.