USS Oriskany
The USS Oriskany, a naval aircraft carrier, was built in the New York Navy Yard beginning in 1945. By 1947, construction was almost complete, but was then put on hold in order to revise the final design plans for the ship. She was put into a modernization program and received major reinforcement to become stronger, more stable and able to carry more weight. The ship also received added storage facilities for fuel that would be used in the airplanes it carried. The ship was finally completed and commissioned to the US Navy on September 25, 1950 under the command of Captain Percy H. Lyon.
Over the next two years The Oriskany received even more modifications and joined the Pacific Fleet in 1952. Later that year she became involved in the Korean War and helped the troops of the United Nations in their battles. Aside from a short detour to receive some general maintenance and upkeep, she remained on the Korean Coast until April 22nd, when she finally departed back home to the United States.
The Oriskany was sent back to Korea for another brief mission to help keep the peace when the peace treaty was being signed. After she left Korea again, she was utilized at Iwo Jima to provide air support for the troops battling there. On April 22, 1954, the ship journeyed to the US again, this time landing at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. By October, she was finished and ready to sail again. She was used in California to help qualify pilots to land on aircraft carriers.
In 1963 The Oriskany returned to Vietnam to provide support for the troops in the Saigon area. She remained there until March 10, 1964, but even then had not seen the last of her days in Vietnam. She went back again in 1965 to aid the US Navy presence off and on until 1966.
On October 27, 1966, a parachute flare blew up inside a locker and started a large fire which encompassed five decks of the ship. 44 men lost their lives in this tragedy. The fire was the result of a flare that had been ignited and then tossed into a locker with other flares, causing them all to ignite into a tremendous blaze. Following this incident the crew members who had been injured returned to the United States and The Oriskany went in for repairs. She was ready to sail again on March 23, 1967 and was back in Vietnam that July.
By 1976 The Oriskany had been decommissioned, but was maintained for possible reactivation. This did not happen and in 1989 the ship was officially recognized as being obsolete. The future of the ship was uncertain for many years, until 2004 when it was decided that The Oriskany would be taken to Florida, sunk and used as an artificial reef.
The Oriskany received fame and notoriety from being mentioned in the book The Right Stuff, used for the movie The Bridges at Toko-Ri and for being the ship that John McCain flew from during the mission in which his plane was shot down and he was taken as a POW. While the ship was well known and highly regarded, it also faced the serious issue of having products made from asbestos on board. Anything that is made from asbestos may crack or break apart, allowing tiny asbestos fibers to infiltrate the air and be inhaled. Such exposure to asbestos can lead to diseases such as mesothelioma, a life threatening cancer. The brave soldiers who served on this ship should be aware of this potential danger, and have this health concern examined by a physician as soon as possible.
