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PHILADELPHIA
The Navy plans to give away the retired aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy for a museum or memorial.
The ship is docked in Philadelphia with other retired warships.
The deadline for submitting initial applications is Jan. 22, and bidders must be a government or nonprofit group that pledges to use the ship as a museum or memorial, according to the Navy. The winner gets the ship for free but will be responsible for moving the 1,050-foot vessel from Philadelphia to its new home.
Known as "Big John," the ship was the last conventionally powered aircraft carrier built by the Navy. It once carried a crew of about 4,600 and 70 combat aircraft. It entered Navy service in September 1968 and was decommissioned in 2007.
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Boston Harbor
I'm not a Democrat, and don't care much for the whole Kennedy clan, including "Teddy the Responsible Chauffeur". However, I do believe the best honor that could be bestowed on the JFK would be to put her in Boston Harbor alongside the USS Constitution in honor of JFK's home state. Maybe Mitt Romney could make this happen and garner some liberal Democrat votes in his 2012 run for the White House.
I hope they save her
It would be good to save one of the modern carriers. It is disappointing they didn't save the America: she had a grand history too. The JFK could be one the last carrier to be turned into a museum piece. The cost of trying to clean up and safe one of the nuclear powered carriers will probably make it prohibitive from making any of them into museums. I really don't care what city gets her so long as they're able to save her so people can go aboard and see what it is like on a modern aircraft carrier.
I hope they save her
You can save a Nuke Carrier, just like a conventonal carrier. Yes, it will have its reactor compartments removed, but that is all that is "contaminated". If you want you can call the Naval Tours office and get a tour of one today! My cub scouts did and they had a blast! Whether conventional or Nuke, the Navy or whomever operates, is NOT going to let you into the engine rooms.
Big John Will Make Some City Proud. Prob "Mass"
I was stationed on-board the JFK from 90-93 and I can tell you although we were not in great shape we never missed a commitment. We Steamed for 9 1/2 months during the Gulf War with air ops 16-20 hrs a day non stop. Yes we had a few major fuel oil leaks and some other issues but we kept that ship steaming and fighting without any interruption (except to pull S.A to have the flight deck non-skidded (as we wore it slick). The ships down fall was sending it to Philadelphia Naval Yard which was forced to close BRAC) Then sent to Florida to become a training Carrier with a budget that allowed for little maintenance. I was very proud to serve " Capt Bad News "Brown" was great, later promoted to ADM Brown). Anyone who served on-board Big John will tell you she was the Pride of the fleet in her Glory. I would think any city would be proud to give her a new home.
Other cities with an aircraft carrier museum...
...in addition to the ex-USS Midway, the ex-USS Lexington is in Corpus Christi, Texas. http://www.usslexington.com/ And who can forget the ex-USS Intrepid museum in New York City??? http://www.intrepidmuseum.org/ Charleston, SC has the ex-USS Yorktown. http://www.patriotspoint.org/exhibits/yorktown/ All good places to visit if you're in those cities!
The U.S.S. Yorktown
A dear friend of mine made a large (6 feet long) scale model of the U.S.S. Yorktown (CV-10) from scratch that is now displayed at Pearl Harbor. He worked on it for years. Many magazines wrote articles about it. It is good that the old ships get such respect.
USS KENNEDY
Do you really think that the USS John F. Kennedy will go anywhere but Boston, Massachussetts. I am sure a group was already in the works to that end before the ship was decommissioned.
Carriers are a dime a dozen
but a Battleship....there will never be anything that will ever compare to one of those puppies.
Mobile Bay
Mobile Alabama has their own. The Alabama.
Name a city which has a John F. Kennedy though.
No city has their own aircraft carrier, yet.
Who gets the "Big John"?
Cities already own Battleships, but none has an Aircraft Carrier!
Charleston
has the Yorktown, a WW II carrier. They even allow youth groups like scout troops to stay aboard overnight which is a really cool way to experience the ship.