The USS Hornet ... yellow and black will always attract

Jaz had wanted to go see the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier that had retrieved the Apollo space capsule.  So off we went.  It was going to be another fascinating excursion. 

 

As we arrived at the dock, there were lots of ships in the water around the USS Hornet.  They are there for emergencies and can be deployed to carry supplies or other items.  These types of ships are located around the U.S. and in other countries.

This is the eighth Navy ship to be named the USS Hornet, the first one traced back to a sailing ship launched in 1775.  This one is more than 41-tons of steel.  It’s powered by 4 sets of steam turbines, a high-pressure one and a low-pressure one for each set, has four propellers and can travel about 35 mph which seems pretty fast to me.

The USS Hornet was decommissioned in 1970.

In 1942 this ship dispatched 16 B-25 bombers on Tokyo, Yokohama and other Japanese cities.  It was damaged in a typhoon in 1945 and sent for repairs.  By then the war was over and it was used to transport troops.  But she was also used to look for enemy subs during the Cold War with Russia and was deployed to Southeast Asia three times during the Vietnam War.  This ship certainly got around.

This pretty much tells the story of the place in history this ship has just during war.  But the ship and it's crews have accomplished so much more.

There were a number of planes and helicopters both below and above deck. 

This plane is just the right color and the expression is priceless.

Even some of the equipment is just the right color.

I had to use the powder room.

This ship also recovered the Apollo 11 space capsule used by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, the  first men to walk on the moon.  Prior to the landing and recovery a quarantine area was set up, an Airstream trailer.  The crew walked from the capsule to the trailer and were quarantined, along with any waste products, for 21 days. 

This is not the actual capsule used by Armstrong and Aldrin, but is a recovered one.

 

I thought it was interesting that they used an Airstream travel trailer for their quarantine unit.  The steps show the path walked from the capsule to the trailer where the astronauts would be quarantined.

 Then we wandered below deck and found the sleeping area for the regular guys.  They were all packed into bunks and I imagine the snoring would more than keep some awake on their sleep shift.

The bunks are packed in like sardines into a not-very-large area.

 

The mattresses are not especially thick, and therefore, not particularly comfortable unless you're really tired.  Then, I expect, you could sleep anywhere and on anything.

 

There was a medical area with all types of medical accoutrements. 

These look as though they were well used.

 

One area had different types of torpedoes

The torpedoes were of interest as different colors and paint schemes mean different things.

 

A favorite for me was the area set up for the POW / MIA white table. 



While the explanation is long, I think it should be explained as each item on the table has a special meaning.  I would not have known any of this if I had not read the poster.

POW / MIA white table

The display is small, a setting for one reflecting the vulnerability of one prisoner against his enemy.

The tablecloth is white, symbolic of the pure intentions with which the comrades honored have served.

The single rose signifies the blood they may have shed in sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our beloved United States of America.  The rose also reminds us of the family and friends of our missing comrades who keep faith while awaiting their return.

The red ribbon represents the red ribbon worn on the lapels of the thousands who demand with unyielding determination, a proper account of our comrades who are not among us.

A slice of lemon on the plate reminds us of their bitter taste.

The salt sprinkled on the plate reminds us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait.

The glass is inverted, they cannot toast with us at this time.

The chair (not shown) is empty.  They are not here.

The candle is reminiscent of the light of hope, which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home, away from their captors, to open arms of a grateful nation.

The American flag reminds us that many of them may never return and have paid the supreme price to insure our freedom.

Let us remember and never forget their sacrifice.

Many carriers had a deck with straight lines painted so the planes would come down and go from one end to the other, where other planes were parked.  And accidents happened.  Then came the idea to angle the track so they would go to the side toward the sky and, if necessary, could go around.

Can you imagine trying to land a plane on the deck of a carrier with a short runway and a landing strip that is possibly going up and down due to heavy wave action?

The deck of the carrier is a bit more than two acres.

 Each plane required 175-180 feet for takeoff or landing.  When prop planes were used, they could accelerate to the speed needed to get off the deck.  As jets came into use, they accelerated slower and couldn’t manage the 140-150 mph needed to get into the air.  A catapult was then necessary to get them up to speed and off the carrier.  The catapults are able to get a plane into the air every 30 seconds, pretty impressive.  During the times when there were a lot of planes being used, there would be a launch and then recovery, or return, every 90 minutes, for 12-hour shifts.  In good weather a plane could land every 45 seconds. 

Seems to me it is just a big slingshot.

 We left the ship after walking from bow to stern, top to bottom, stopped for a bite to eat, ran some last minute travel errands and headed back to the house.  Jaz’s mom was preparing to leave for the weekend to go with her other daughter to see her granddaughter, leaving us on our own.  We were old news to her by then.