The USS Enterprise is being retired today.
USS Enterprise
CVN-65
End of the line for USS Enterprise
The USS Enterprise, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, crosses the Suez Canal near the Egyptian port of Ismalia on Oct. 12, 2012. STR/AFP/Getty ImagesThe Navy expected the world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to last about 25 years running on reactors developed in West Mifflin.
Instead, the USS Enterprise sailed the globe for nearly 52 years, serving in conflicts from the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962 to Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan.
“To be an Enterprise sailor is very hard, since the ship is so old, lots of things break, and there aren’t parts to repair it,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Brian Lippert, 21, of Duquesne Heights, who served on “The Big E” for 11 months over two deployments. “You have to be able to jury-rig things together to work.”
On Saturday, the Navy will deactivate its oldest operational ship in Norfolk during a ceremony expected to attract thousands of the estimated 250,000 people who served on her. Afterward, the Navy will decommission the ship. It expects to scrap the vessel within the next couple of years.
“It was a bitter pill to swallow,” Dennis Traeger, 65, of Murrysville said about the ship’s retirement. He served aboard the Enterprise from August 1966 to February 1970. “But I’d just hate to see it just rust away in some harbor somewhere. I don’t want to see it go down in disgrace. I’d rather see it reborn into something else.”
Traeger had what he described as “more of a city-slicker job,” performing clerical duties in the ship’s personnel office. One of his most vivid memories goes back to Jan. 14, 1969, when the ship was outside Pearl Harbor. About 8 a.m., he was sitting at his desk with his feet up when the ship suddenly rocked.
He asked his chief, “What are they doing, landing planes without landing gear?”
A rocket had exploded because of overheated equipment, setting off blasts that killed 27 and injured more than 300.
“For four, five, six hours, there was a lot of uncertainty,” said Traeger, a safety specialist for Davey Tree Service. Repairs to the ship in Pearl Harbor took about six weeks.
The Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin was involved in the design and support of the ship’s nuclear reactors. The reactors were built at another Bettis facility in Idaho, according to the National Nuclear Security Administration.
Bettis officials said its commitment included research and development, design of the reactors, test procedures, training of sailors and safe disposal of the ship’s nuclear material.
“The long life of USS Enterprise, which supported our nation’s Navy in many critical moments throughout history, provides perspective on the importance of the work we do,” said spokesman Anthony Bradfield.
Many referred to the ship as a floating city because of its size and ability to make electricity and water to be self-sustaining.
“The biggest thing that stands out to me is the sheer amount of work we did there,” Lippert said.
It wasn’t unusual to work an 18- or 19-hour day inspecting and maintaining aircraft, he said.
Stan Martin Sr., of Elkview, W.Va., served aboard the vessel during the Cuban Missile Crisis, said his son, Stan Martin Jr. of Hopewell.
The elder Martin was acting chairman of the ship’s alumni association — the USS Enterprise CVAN/CVN-65 Association — before his death in May.
Martin said his father told him the ship’s crew “worked 12-hour shifts.”
“There were airplanes constantly in the air. They did their duty, did their job, ate and slept. My father said he could see cargo ships with missiles under tarps on the decks,” he said.
Thanks to his father, Martin said, he visited the Enterprise several times.
“It’s enormous,” Martin said. “You can look at pictures all day long and watch movies, but until you’re actually on board one of those things, you just can’t imagine.”
Please See the official USS Enterprise page here to review her history and service.
It appears that William Shatner will be in attendance as previously planned.
Here’s a pic of the Enterprise alongside my old ship, the Hassampa (AO145) during an unrep in ’73 that I found. I spent ’73 board “the Hass” on WestPac, so I’m somewhere in that pic. Can you see me?
That’s Hassayampa…
@ MacDuff:
i see ya!
hmmm…makes ya wonder why both sides of the aisle just ADORE the muslim brotherhood, but those more democratic minded in egypt despise them. makes me want to put on a tinfoil hat
coldwarrior wrote:
Good eyes!
The Enterprise occupies a special place in the Navy, The Captain announce the Enterprise was coming alongside the day before and the crew cheered. It’s a travesty that we’re going to have a Navy without an Enterprise.
MacDuff wrote:
even as an army guy i can see that the navy without a big E is just flat out wrong
coldwarrior wrote:
Change just a few words and that could be describing the situation we find ourselves in, but without the people having the balls to do anything about it. I salute their will/balls to stand-up! Wonder if our people (those seeing the fall on the horizon) will ever do the same, or will we all try to keep our heads hung low hoping it only hurts someone else (the rich) and we keep our piece of the pie!
@ coldwarrior:
Don’t put on a tinfoil hat -- follow the money instead. Look for lobbyists, MB front organizations, campaign contributors, stuff like that. You can bet your bottom dollar that foreign money a/k/a petrodollars have been laundered and used for campaign contributions.
coldwarrior wrote:
Geez, we’re going to have a “Gerald R. Ford” but no Enterprise? Each of the branches of our military have traditions and many seem to be vanishing. Thanks for honoring “The Big E” with a post.
@ 1389AD:
guaranteed
Tanker wrote:
indeed. at what point do the real protests start here.
@ coldwarrior:
The Muslim Brotherhood is a mostly secular organization, right? That is the Obama Administration’s position on it. Obama loves him some Mohammedans, the more radical the better.
Drone follies.
Talk about waste, numerous drone crashes resulted primarily from pilot error… inexperienced pilots.
MacDuff wrote:
the navy without a big E is like the army without the 1 ID ‘the big red one’
Iron Fist wrote:
so does mccain and his ilk.
this fish stinks from the head down
huckfunn wrote:
video gamer gone pro
@ coldwarrior:
Only when the burn (make no mistake, the burn has started) starts effecting their daily lives. They have to feel the heat, but with bandages being applied, people don’t feel it personally yet unless they are without work or income. Thus my approach of let’s get it over with. The pain now will be less now than when the whole collapse happens.
I don’t want to see people hurt physically or otherwise, but it’s coming and I don’t see anything but delay happening now!
@ coldwarrior:
I really count McCain as a Democrat. He votes with the Democrats more than he does with the Republicans , at any rate. Neither Party will really take on the Mohammedans, though. They can’t really believe the Religon of Peace bullshit, so I figure it is either money or treason. Or a little bit of both.
my first trip down to VA Beach, I came over the bridge and right there below us to our right was the USS Eisenhower putting along toward it’s birth…I ’bout shit my pants, I’d never seen such a sight…so huge and so powerful…Norfolk is a very cool place to visit if you are into stuff that floats
coldwarrior wrote:
That’s my take. One would think the “adults” in charge would vet the gamers just a little more rigorously.
@ Tanker:
give the dems everything they want, let the place burn.
if we fight for lower taxes / decreased spending we are just prolonging the inevitable because we really dont have the guts to really win the fight anyway at this point.
@ Tanker:
The longer the delay, the worse the eventual collapse will be. I don’t see anything that can stop it. They are going to tax and spend and borrow and spend until we are in the same shape as Greece. And there won’t be anyone to bail us out.
@ Iron Fist:
the gop is well infested with the MB disease as well. it can be both money and treason.
@ heysoos:
the biggest ship i was on was the uss iowa for a tour.
BIG!!!
Iron Fist wrote:
indeed, it isnt worth the effort because we will not win in the long run under these circumstances. any gains made by the right just push the pain farther down the road and end up costing more anyway.
time to let it collapse.
coldwarrior wrote:
we toured the Navy area at Norfolk…next day visited the Wisconsin, deck only…then a few days later toured the old Alabama in Mobile…I just love that stuff
coldwarrior wrote:
I toured the Alabama in Mobile and the North Carolina in Wilmington. Now THOSE were some old-school warships that struck fear in the hearts of our enemies! It’s a shame we can’t afford to keep just one of the ol’ battle wagons operational, they could come in handy now and then.
coldwarrior wrote:
I agree, I also know that the thought of doing that upsets some and I really understand their concerns.
The Republicans let themselves get set up or they are just f__king stupid (you decide) on this whole crisis crap.
heysoos wrote:
I used to fly into Norfolk every couple of weeks. The high point of my trip was always flying ofer the shipyards and the berths. I definitely share your love of that stuff!
Tanker wrote:
the problem is that without real an serious spending cuts we end up at greece no matter what we do, it will just take longer and cost more if only a few cuts are made.
let the dems raise the taxes and max out the debt. then after the collapse we can let the adults back in to run the family business.
MacDuff wrote:
I remember asking some guy, what are those huge buildings out there across the way?…drydocks, so huge I just could not fathom all of it…barges and gantrys, cranes, subs, F-18s all over the place
@ cold warrior:
It’s debatable, but I’m not at all convinced that Republicans could have done anything to change the path we’re on. The American People are like substance abusers, they’re going to have to either hit bottom or otherwise WANT to change before they’ll accept any assistance from “the adults” as you so aptly put it.
As it’s said, to paraphrase “change the things you can change, accept the things you cannot change and have the wisdom to know the difference”
@ coldwarrior:
@ heysoos:
I love the Navy’s big iron. I’ve been on the battleships Texas, Alabama and North Carolina and the carrier Lexington, all after they were de-commissioned. The Texas was launched in 1912 and it is of the same class (and essentially a sister ship of) the Maine which was blown up in Havana at the start of the Spanish-American War. I believe it is the only one of that class surviving.
heysoos wrote:
Norfolk is an amazing place. I was lucky in my late teens to have had a BIL (Senior Chief) stationed at Norfolk. Got to see some amazing things up close. I think my favorite was the Big E. I was able go into the guts and see just how much it operated as a city.
huckfunn wrote:
A lot of the really good gamers probably can’t pass the security clearances.
@ MacDuff:
That is essentially the way I see it. The American people think that they are getting something for free, when we are really simply borrowing on the country’s credit card. Ultimately we are broke. We already owe more than our entire GDP in debt. That is simply unsustainable in the long run. Collapse is inevitable. I just want to get my house in order to weather the storm when it comes.
Bumr50 wrote:
I don’t think many in the WH could pass the back ground check for a security clearance, but they have their hands in every aspect of our lives.
Tanker wrote:
I wonder how much of a security clearance the Top-Turd-in-Chief ever got.
@ huckfunn:
Clinton was the same way. He couldn’t have gotten a clearance, but he was elected so he could see everything.
Iron Fist wrote:
I’ve got a thread in the hopper about the “more flexibility” thing.
huckfunn wrote:
He isn’t required to have one because of his position!
@ huckfunn:
.
He never needed one. According to Jayz Obama is Our
Lord & Savior. So he knows everything anyway.
@ Tanker:
@ RIX:
Strange daze indeed.
@ Iron Fist:
I believe a security clearance should be the first prerequisite to run for any office! That would be the easiest way to clean out the whole political system!
I know we talk about this a lot, but has anyone else noticed that television shows are on a full-court liberal agenda press lately?
Even MORE so, I mean?
I was watching an episode of ‘Leverage,’ and they basically made it about card check.
Bumr50 wrote:
As if it were a good thing.
huckfunn wrote:
Nothing stirs my heart quite like a Navy warship. I look back and cherish my time at sea, alongside such legendary warships as the Enterprise and the Hornet for unreps. My only regret is that I think I was just too damned young to fully appreciate it, but at least I have the memories. I still have the salt in my veins, though.
I get warm fuzzes and just a little choked up when I hear “The Navy Hymn” and a charge of adrenaline with “Anchors Aweigh”.
Another Finnish politician showed his true nature as fellow traveller of David Duke, when Pertti Salolainen made the classical antisemitic charge of Jewish control of media and power in USA (here’s literal translation):
Link 1
Link 2
The usual suspects are circling wagons around the bastard. I used to vote that party (National Coalition Party… sorta rightist party in Finland), but in last election I jumped ship to True Finns as they at least recognized the horrible state of EU economy and the direction it has been going to -- and because it is most pro-Jewish and pro-Israeli party in Finland. That second reason stems from my own (weak, but still) personal contacts in Israel and because I am full of the antisemitic crap hurled by other paries’ politicians.
huckfunn wrote:
Most peculiar.
Bumr50 wrote:
…..much less the drug test.
Tanker wrote:
The guy running to fill Jesse Jackson, Jr.’s vacant seat is a convicted felon sex offender. In Chicago, that’s a golden resume.
huckfunn wrote:
Oh, I thought piloting a drone is as easy as playing with some toys//////
@ MacDuff:
I think they should drug test the Legislature, the upper level Executive branch, and all judges, and put the results on the Web. That’s bring a quick shift in drug policy, I suspect.
huckfunn wrote:
Pardoned by that other great women’s rights advocate Billy Boy Clinton!
@ Tanker:
Hey, he was just doing underage little girls. Democrats don’t have a problem with that.
[/spit]
MacDuff wrote:
I salute your service. My brother was in the Navy for 5 years. He was aboard the U.S.S. White Plains when it caught fire off the coast of China. 7 or 9 guys were killed. At any rate, Rob can still recite most of the Barnacle Bill prose.
Regarding security clearances for top WH officials, check out the new Special Report. If it doesn’t piss you off, nothing will.
@ Iron Fist:
He passed the one test that was required: he’s black.
@ Bumr50:
Yep. I’ve been saying that he’d be a formidable candidate. I don’t know that any Republican could have beat him this year. The free shit army was just too powerful .
@ Iron Fist:
I was talking about the pedophile that want’s Jackson Jr.’s seat, but yeah, still holds true.
BREAKING:
KC Chiefs player kills woman, self.
The USS Enterprise was the only ship of her class. An astounding run for a great lady. Sad day indeed.
I used to stand at the portside aft catwalk (left rear corner of the ship, opposite the Island) and since the catwalk was lower than the flightdeck, I could look down the length of the flightdeck and see it twist and bend as Enterprise cruised along.
It was only inches in many hundreds of feet but it was moving.
There are all sizes of waves in the ocean the little ones you see at the beach travel on the surface of waves that are much further apart from crest to crest.
Thanks to the many thousands who served on the Enterprise over the years.
Without this one you wouldn’t have the other one.
If people talk about a environmentally ‘green fleet’ they should look at the ships like the USS Enterprise CVN-65. Think about the MILLIONS of gallons of bunker fuel it DIDN”T have to use.
Now we have an administration that wants the Navy to use super-expensive bio-bunker fuel to power the ships to ‘show’ the world we care.
The nuclear fuel spent was worth it, many times over, both environmentally and monetarily!
Peter wrote:
We can now slaughter our enemies in an environmentally friendly manner. You gotta problem with that? //
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