USS Princeton
1943 saw the creation of the fifth ship that would be named The Princeton, although it was originally going to be called the Valley Forge. This version of The Princeton would be a United States Navy Essex-Class Aircraft Carrier, and she was launched on July 8, 1945 and then commissioned by the US Navy on November 18, 1945 under the command of Captain John M. Hoskins.
When the ship had been tested and deemed ready for action, she joined the 8th Fleet in the Atlantic and remained there until June of 1946, before making the transfer to the Pacific Fleet. The Princeton was used to transport the body of Manuel Quezon, former Philippine President, to Manila where he would be buried. After leaving Manilla, The Princeton joined the 7th Fleet, where she became the flagship of the TF77.
From there she performed maneuvers in Hawaii as well as the Western Pacific until 1948, when she was decommissioned and remained among the Pacific Fleet Reserve for the next 15 months.
The Princeton was reactivated to duty for the Korean War. Her crew underwent an extensive training course and on December 5, 1950 they made their way to the Korean coast. She carried a large number of planes which were used to bomb specific targets and provide support to the troops on the ground. The planes provided a great number of small victories for the troops during their missions over Korea. The Princeton remained on the Korean coast until the area was evacuated later that month.
After a brief respite in San Diego, The Princeton was back in action on April 30, 1952. She was in place for 138 days providing a landing base for attacking aircraft. By September 7 of 1952, a truce had been made and there was peace once again. The Princeton returned to America.
In 1954, The Princeton underwent serious modifications and was reclassified to be an Anti-Submarine / Hunter Killer vessel. She served in this capacity until 1958, when she was again reclassified as an Amphibious Assault Carrier, capable of transporting helicopters instead of airplanes. Her new classification brought her to service in the Vietnam War in 1962. The helicopters she carried would be used to get Marines behind enemy lines where they would have the element of surprise and could do extensive damage.
The Princeton became the flagship for Joint Task Force 8 from September to November of 1962. She would be utilized in missions in Vietnam up until 1967, when she returned to the US for another overhaul. When this was completed, it was right back to Vietnam where she served as the flagship for Amphibious Ready Group Alpha and was involved in many important missions.
In 1969 The Princeton returned to America and became the recovery ship for the lunar shuttle Apollo 10. In 1970 she was decommissioned, and the following year she was sold for scrap. The Princeton had a long history, but one of the most difficult aspects of that history former crew members may now have to face is the fact that the ship contained products made from asbestos. These products can be very hazardous to the health of anyone who is exposed to them. Asbestos is a toxic substance that is comprised of tiny fibers that are easy to breath in. It can lead to cancer and other respiratory diseases, so anyone who has been exposed to asbestos should seek immediate medical attention to find out if they are at risk.
