Warbird Information Exchange

Video:
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/video/player.aspx?aid=93316&bw=

USS John F. Kennedy Completes Final Voyage

MAYPORT, FL -- After nearly 40 years of service, Saturday marked a very special moment for the USS John F. Kennedy. The ship completed its final voyage and pulled back into its port on the First Coast for the last time. It was a sight to see and bittersweet for those who have a history with the aircraft carrier. Watch the video clip above.

The USS John F. Kennedy will be decommissioned on March 23rd. The ceremony will take place at Naval Station Mayport.



Shay
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Semper Fortis

What are the plans for her?

John

For now my understanding is that she'll be mothballed.

Here is a link to one of the JFK's former pilots time aboard the "Big Juan"

http://instapinch.com/?p=324


Anyone know why the JFK was the only USN aircraft carrier to have the lower half of her superstructure paint black?

Shay
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Semper Fortis

The Forestal and Lexington also had the lower half of the island painted black. But why did Cv-60 had a vetical black stripe on the island
Any guesses

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Don't touch my junk!!

I had a chance last weekend to see the ship in Boston. I didn't have the time to wait and go on board, but it sure was neat to see the JFK before it's cold and dead.
Jerry

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"Always remember that, when you enter the ocean or the forest, you are no longer at the top of the food chain."

Jack,
The stripe on Sara's funnel was a mark of respect for the orginial Sara. The first Sara had the stripe down her funnel as a marker for her pilots that she was their "homeplate". At least that is what I am told.
As for the black paint, that is fairly simple, they used to paint the lower part of the island so that it did not need to be washed. Harder to see the build up of jet exhaust on black then on gray.

The correct word is tradition. The original carrier Saratoga CV-3 had the strip to differenciate herself from her sister ship Lexington.

Saratoga anchored off Naples, Italy 1977

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Don't touch my junk!!

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-Bill
B-17E 41-2595 "Desert Rat" Restoration Team

In addition in war games ie fllet problems Adm Reeves (the most air minded non-aviator the Navy ever had) order the Saratoga's strip removed to confuse the 'enemy'.

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Don't touch my junk!!

Hmmm....Is there any room for her at Battleship Cove in Mass.?

I live on a lake just south of Akron, I've got a dock!

Also on the USS America as well.

What time frame was this done?

Shay
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Semper Fortis

Other boats I served aboard or went aboard for other reasons that I know had black on the inside of the island to hide jet exhaust stains were Independence (CV-62) and Forrestal (CV-59), and Constellation (CV-64). The first two were like that in '77 or so, and the Connie was like that just before decommissioning a few years ago. But in general, it was pretty common. Saratoga (CV-60) was not painted black, though, as it had the aforementioned black stripe for tradition instead. The old Lexington (CV-2) which was sunk at Coral Sea had a horizontal black stripe on the big funnel before the war to differentiate her from the original Saratoga (CV-3), which as mentioned, had the vertical stripe. Yorktown (CV-5) at one time back then (30's) had a huge "Y" on the outside of the funnel before the practice was discontinued.

--Tom

It's still hard to believe the Navy actually sank the USS AMERICA.