USS John F. Kennedy
The USS John F. Kennedy was a supercarrier in the US Navy from her launch in 1967 at Newport News Shipyard until decommissioning in 2007. She was named for the 35th President of the United States and fondly called “Big John.” She was originally ordered as a nuclear powered craft but was switched to conventional power after construction began. The Kennedy is considered to be in a carrier class of her own.
Her first voyages in the early 1970’s were in the Mediterranean Sea where she was part of the effort to bring peace to the Middle East. She was refurbished during this period to accept the F-14 Tomcat and S-3 Viking aircraft. In 1975, she was involved in a collision with a smaller vessel, the UUS Belknap, during night maneuvers, and caused considerable damage to the other ship. The incident earned her another nickname: “Can Opener.”
Throughout the early 1980’s, the Kennedy was sent on various missions in the Indian Ocean, and acted as peacekeeper off the shore of Beirut, Lebanon. In 1984 the Kennedy received extensive maintenance work in dry-dock in Norfolk. By 1986 she was ready to participate in the rededication of the Statue of Liberty in New York where she was designated the flagship for the armada. In 1988, while off the coast of Lebanon, Tomcats from the Kennedy were involved in a firefight with two MIG’s seen approaching the ship. Although the goal was to escort the fighters safely away from the Kennedy, the MIG’s began firing and were both shot down during the altercation.
In the 1990’s the Kennedy was part of both Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm. She launched 114 air strikes and almost 2900 sorties against Iraq. She returned home in 1991 and received a huge welcome: the largest such celebration since WW II.
In 2002, aircraft from the Kennedy were successful in bombing several Taliban and Al Qaeda targets. She was retired from duty in 2005 and visited several US ports as a farewell gesture before being decommissioned in 2007.
Regrettably, when the Kennedy was built in 1967, the hazards of asbestos were not well known and it was used extensively as an insulator in the construction of the vessel. Crewmen were therefore exposed to a dangerous material without their knowledge. Asbestos is now known to increase the risk of mesothelioma and other respiratory problems in people who work near it. Anyone who may have been exposed to asbestos while aboard the Kennedy or in another workplace should see a respiratory specialist for evaluation.
Last modified: December 28, 2010.
