USN Veterans - Which ships did you serve on?

[Dave in the basement]

Hello all,

My dad recently celebrated a milestone birthday, and I was able to track down quite a few pictures of the ships he was on and put them in a nice frame for him. He hadn't seen the ships in quite some time, and the gift was a home run.

Hit the web if you haven't done so already; you may be surprised at the information you find.

My Dad served on the USS Brown for a very brief time, and then spent the rest of his service time on the USS Brinkley Bass.

So what ships did you call home while you were in the service? As always, thank you for your service and sacrifice!

Dave

 

[Inked Daddy]

I served on the USS Phoenix (SSN-702). It was a Fast Attack Submarine. I was part of the decommissioning crew.

 

[The Nid Hog]

I wasn't a sailor, but I served on the USS Midway (CV-41). As I recall, there were some Navy guys on board too. The old girl is a museum in San Diego now.

 

[damooshki]

I wasn't in the military but my uncle was in the Navy and served on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) AKA "The Love Boat".

 

[cigarjim]

USS JUNEAU LPD-!0 1972-1974

USS WORDEN DLG/CG-18 1974-1978

USS MONTiCELLO LSD-35 1980-1981

USS ROARK FF-1053 1987-1990

 

[cigarjim]

A funny thing happened today. First this thread came up asking what ships USN vets served, then just today I received a letter from a shipmate that I served with on the USS JUNEAU my first ship, he was looking for me for a possible reunion. I have not had any contact since 1974. Is that a coincidence.

 

[Crixus]

The aircraft carrier shown below. The USS ORISKANY CVA-34. It was de-commissioned in the mid-1970s and several years ago was purposefully sunk off the Florida coast to become a diver's playground.

The destroyer WILLIAM C. LAWE DD-763 shown below. My battle station was as projectileman in that forward gun mount. The ship was de-commissioned in the early 1980s and in 1999 was used for target practice and sunk.

 

[jakespoppy]

I wasn't in the Navy, but my brother was for 9 years. He was assigned to the nuclear submarine USS Woodrow Wilson, based in Guam, for about 6 of those years in the 1970's.

My best friend was assigned to the carrier the USS Independence in the mid to late 1970's. When I go to antique stores and flea markets, I look for Navy Blue Jacket Hand Books for him.

 

[GFlanagan3]

My dad was a rarity. He was a Marine 'Plank Owner" aboard the USS Guadal Canal LPH-7 from 1963-?. Anyway I thought it was interestting

 

[oc_in_fw]

My best friend was assigned to the carrier the USS Independence in the mid to late 1970's.

My father was on her 68-70. She is going to become an artificial reef soon.

 

[luvmysuper]

USS Mars (AFS-1)
View attachment 141301

USS Wabash (AOR-5)
View attachment 141302

USS Horne (CG-30)
View attachment 141303

 

[dpm802]

I wasn't in the military but my uncle was in the Navy and served on the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) AKA "The Love Boat".

I was a Plankowner on the IKE, 1977~1979.

I don't know when your uncle was aboard, but we had other nicknames for it. "The Love Boat" wasn't one of them.

 

[jakespoppy]

My father was on her 68-70. She is going to become an artificial reef soon.

It's pretty sad what happens to some of these great ships. I like going onboard those that have been preserved. Been on the Midway in San Diego twice.

 

[RayH]

I spent time on the USS Kitty Hawk CV 63 and the USS John F. Kennedy CV 67.

 

[Crixus]

It's pretty sad what happens to some of these great ships. I like going onboard those that have been preserved. Been on the Midway in San Diego twice.

Although it's wonderful to have some of our historical ships preserved and on display for the people who collectively "own" them, it is just impractical to try and keep them all around far after their useful life is over.

Once they are de-commissioned from active duty, they usually serve at least a decade and sometimes longer as part of the reserve fleet. Occasionally one may be brought back into active duty, but that is rare. The government has several ways to dispose of the old ships, including sell them for scrap, give them to other countries with fledgling navies, or use them for either target practice or increasingly, artificial reefs. They will periodically turn them over to a city or municipality who has show they have the means to maintain the vessel as a museum, but the expense of that makes it impractical for most governments.

The photo below is of my first ship, the aircraft carrier USS ORISKANY. It is shown here in 2006 (thirty years after being removed from active duty) being detonated with charges to sink it in place in the Gulf of Mexico off Pensacola, Florida to begin its new life as a reef foundation. I would rather have that than have it rust away from neglect moored to some storage pier.

 

[oc_in_fw]

It's pretty sad what happens to some of these great ships. I like going onboard those that have been preserved. Been on the Midway in San Diego twice.

Supposedly, her port anchor chain lives on aboard the Bush.

 

[SeattleSparky]

I only remember one that my father was on , CVA-14, the USS Ticonderoga during WWII. I myself was on the USS Texas (CGN-39).

 

[Shane]

I did not serve but my grandfather served on the USS Coral Sea during the Korean War.

 

[KeithS]

I served aboard USS Corry DD817 out of the Philadelphia Navy Yard and went to USS John F Kennedy CV-67 when Corry was decommissioned, I think in 1980.
Still waiting on my Veteran Tag, patiently.

 

[patrisVII]

USS Sculpin SSN 590 - Tour ended just prior to decommissioning

USS Simon Lake AS33 - Crewed with her in Holy Loch, Scotland through the closure of that base and the following refit in Norfolk/Newport News. Tour ended just prior to her deployment to Italy.