USS Oriskany – The Mighty O
By James Donahue
The Oriskany was a post-World War II aircraft carrier commissioned by the Navy in 1950. The ship saw action during the Korean and Vietnam Wars then was decommissioned in 1976. After sitting idle for the next 40 years and old carrier was sunk off the Florida coast, in the Gulf of Mexico to serve as an artificial reef.
There are two events that occurred on the Oriskany that have gone down in naval history.
Lt. Commander John McCain flew off Oriskany in October, 1967 for his fateful mission over Vietnam. His A-4 Skyhawk was shot down and McCain became a prisoner of war. McCain survived the ordeal and currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Arizona.
One of the worst shipboard fires in peacetime broke out on the carrier in 1966. Forty-four men died in that fire caused by a defective magnesium parachute flare that exploded in a forward flare locker. The fire erupted on the starboard side of the forward hanger bay and burned through five decks before it was brought under control.
Oriskany completed 122 days of combat operations over North Vietnam. Its pilots flew over 9,500 missions, including 181 air strikes in the deadly Hanoi-Haiphong corridor. The ship lost about half of its aircraft, 20 pilots were killed and McCain was just one of nine pilots taken prisoner.
During her years in mothballs, Oriskany was used for various Hollywood films and a unique dance performance on deck by the American Ballet Theatre. Photos of prima ballerina Mary Ellen Maylan, shot on the ship’s decks by well-known photographer Louis Faurer appeared in Life Magazine.
At 911 feet, the carrier is the largest U.S. vessel to ever be sunk for use as an artificial reef. This ship was launched at New York Shipyard in 1945. It was not commissioned for another five years.
By James Donahue
The Oriskany was a post-World War II aircraft carrier commissioned by the Navy in 1950. The ship saw action during the Korean and Vietnam Wars then was decommissioned in 1976. After sitting idle for the next 40 years and old carrier was sunk off the Florida coast, in the Gulf of Mexico to serve as an artificial reef.
There are two events that occurred on the Oriskany that have gone down in naval history.
Lt. Commander John McCain flew off Oriskany in October, 1967 for his fateful mission over Vietnam. His A-4 Skyhawk was shot down and McCain became a prisoner of war. McCain survived the ordeal and currently serves as a U.S. Senator from Arizona.
One of the worst shipboard fires in peacetime broke out on the carrier in 1966. Forty-four men died in that fire caused by a defective magnesium parachute flare that exploded in a forward flare locker. The fire erupted on the starboard side of the forward hanger bay and burned through five decks before it was brought under control.
Oriskany completed 122 days of combat operations over North Vietnam. Its pilots flew over 9,500 missions, including 181 air strikes in the deadly Hanoi-Haiphong corridor. The ship lost about half of its aircraft, 20 pilots were killed and McCain was just one of nine pilots taken prisoner.
During her years in mothballs, Oriskany was used for various Hollywood films and a unique dance performance on deck by the American Ballet Theatre. Photos of prima ballerina Mary Ellen Maylan, shot on the ship’s decks by well-known photographer Louis Faurer appeared in Life Magazine.
At 911 feet, the carrier is the largest U.S. vessel to ever be sunk for use as an artificial reef. This ship was launched at New York Shipyard in 1945. It was not commissioned for another five years.