Description: Up for sale is a great vintage item, a book commemorating a 1969-1970 Mediterranean cruise undertaken by the United States' first super aircraft carrier. It is loaded with photos. This book measures 11.25 inches tall by 8.75 inches wide. There are 360 numbered pages. Some photos of ports of call are in color. The on board photos of the ship and the photos of the officers and crew are in black and white. This book was printed and published by The Walsworth Publishing Company of Marceline, Missouri. The USS Forrestal was commissioned in 1955 as the largest aircraft carrier ever built (surpassing Japan's WWII Shinano) and the first to be able to support jet aircraft. Named after the first US Secretary of Defense (James W. Forrestal), she was the lead ship of the supercarrier class. (Other class members included the USS Saratoga, the USS Ranger, and the USS Independence.) In 1967, while stationed in the Gulf of Tonkin as part of the Vietnam War, the ship experienced a severe fire, caused by an electrical malfunction that allowed a plane's Zuni rocket to launch, striking another plane and igniting its fuel tank. 134 sailors died and 161 others were injured; future Senator John McCain was among the survivors. The disaster was the worst onboard loss of life on a US Navy ship since World War II. (In addition 61 of 73 aircraft on board were destroyed or damaged.) Subsequently, the Forrestal was colloquially known as the "USS Zippo", "Forest Fire", or "Firestall", rather than by its official nickname of "FID" ("First in Defense", see photo #4). During the specific focus of this book (the "Med Cruise" of 1969 - 1970), the Commanding Officer of the Forrestal was Captain James Wilson Nance, assisted by Executive Officers Commander E. T. Wooldridge Jr. and Commander D. F. Kirkpatrick. The ship's home port was Portsmouth, Virginia. On July 13, 1969, a fire in the aircraft tire locker was a scary reminder of the 1967 disaster and left eight sailors injured. During the subsequent months of training, maneuvers, and deployment to the Mediterranean, the Forrestal was visited by VIP's including Admiral E. R. Zumwalt Jr and a delegation of no less than 16 United States Senators and Congressmen. (In this book, Zumwalt is identified by the acronym "PCNO", or "Prospective Chief of Naval Operations". He was nominated for the post by President Nixon in April, 1970.) NOTE: With the exception of several top brass, the officers and sailors who are listed in this volume are identified by last name and initials (and rank) positioned next to, or underneath, their individual photos. I would be happy to look up the name of your ancestor or loved one and to let you know whether he appears, prior to your placing a bid. Please contact me through e-Bay with the person's name (and rank). Attention US Buyers: I will ship by USPS Media Mail or USPS Priority Mail, your choice. Please note that if you have a Military Mail address (e.g. APO), I must ask that you choose USPS Priority Mail as it is my understanding that USPS Media Mail is not reliable to Military Mail addresses. Attention International Buyers: I am exclusively using e-Bay International Shipping. If you win this auction, I will ship it to an e-Bay facility in the United States. e-Bay will be responsible for sending it to your international address. Please familiarize yourself with e-Bay International Shipping before bidding. Thank you. .
Price: 50 USD
Location: Metairie, Louisiana
End Time: 2024-11-12T01:33:20.000Z
Shipping Cost: 8.38 USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
All returns accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
Theme: Militaria
Type: Book
