Task Force 72

Big E turns 50 this month just spotted this news item on the net....http://news.cnet.com/2300-13639_3-10010 ... 7-1_3-0-20

Cheers Bruce (B2)

CVN65 was decommissioned yesterday at Norfolk Naval base, apparently the SecNav announced that CVN80 will be named 'Enterprise'

Bruce (B2)

It would have been a travesty if the USN did not keep the name Enterprise operational.

CV6 had an incredible battle record,20 Battle Stars, the most of any ship of the US Navy, she only missed Coral Sea by a day and the occupation of Japan. Her failure to be preserved after WW2 was a national disgrace.

Battle Record

20 Battle Stars

Pearl Harbor
Pacific Raids
- Marshall-Gilbert Islands (February 1, 1942)
- Wake Island (February 24, 1942)
- Marcus Island (March 4, 1942)
Battle of Midway (June 4-6, 1942)
Battle of Guadalcanal
Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal (August 10-25, 1942)
Battle of the Eastern Solomons (August 24, 1942)
Battle of Santa Cruz (October 26, 1942)
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal (November 13-15, 1942)
Battle of Rennell Island (January 29-30, 1943)
Gilbert Islands Operations
- Invasion of Makin Island (November 19 - December 4, 1943)
Marshall Islands Operations
- Invasion of Kwajalein (January 28 - February 8, 1944)
- Maloelap/Taroa Raid
Asiatic-Pacific Raids
- Truk Islands (February 16-17, 1944) Palau, Yap, Ulithi, Woleai (March 30 - April 1, 1944) Truk Islands (April 29 - May 1, 1944)
Hollandia (New Guinea) Operations (April 21-24, 1944)
-Invasion (April 22, 1944)
Marianas Islands Operations
- Capture and Occupation of Saipan (June 11-24, 1944)
- Mariana Turkey Shoot (June 19, 1944)
- First Battle of the Philippine Sea (June 20, 1944)
Western Pacific Operations
- Raids on Bonin Islands, Chichi Jima (August 31 - September 2, 1944)
- Raid on Caroline Islands, Yap (September 6, 1944)
- Raid on Palau Islands (September 10-16, 1944)
- Invasion and Capture of Peleliu (September 16, 1944)
- Raid on Okinawa (October 10, 1944)
- Raid on Formosa (October 12, 1944)
- Raid on Manila (October 15-18, 1944
Invasion of Leyte Island/3rd Fleet Operations
- Luzon Attacks (October 15 and 17-19, 1944)
- Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 24-26, 1944)
Luzon Operations
- Invasion of Luzon (January 6-7, 1945)
- Formosa Raids (January 3, 4, 9, 15, 1945)
- South China Sea Attacks (January 12-16, 1945)
Night Carrier Group 90/5th Fleet Raids
- Tokyo and Honshu Raids (February 15-16, 1945)
Assault and Occupation of Iwo Jima (February 23 - March 12, 1945)
Okinawa Operations
- Pre-Invasion Raids on Kyushu (March 18-20, 1945)
- Invasion and Capture of Okinawa (April 7 - May 15, 1945)
- Kyushu and Shikoku Raids (May 11-16, 1945)

Presidential Unit Citation
Navy Unit Commendation
American Defense Service Medal ("Fleet" clasp)
American Campaign Medal
Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Medal (20 stars)
World War II Victory Medal
Philippine Presidential Unit Citation
Philippine Liberation Medal (1 star)
British Admiralty Pennant

The only positive of the failure to save her was the fact that her scrapping released the name for the first nuclear powered carrier.

CVN65 Military Record

Cuban Missile Crisis
Vietnam Operations (6 Deployments)
Operation Frequent Wind
Operation El Dorado Canyon (Libyan Operation)
Operation Earnest Will (Persian Gulf Tanker Operations)
Operation Praying Mantis (Strikes against Iranian Navy)
Operation Joint Endeavor (Bosnia)
Operation Southern Watch (Iraqi No Fly Operations)
Operation Desert Fox (Strikes against Iraq)
Operation Enduring Freedom (Invasion of Afghanistan)
Operation Iraqi Freedom (Invasion of Iraq)