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Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 12:06 pm

Just saw in the latest Aeroplane Monthly that the Lexington's TBD's and the F4F are to be salvaged. Does anyone have any more information?

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 1:12 pm

Here is the full proposal from A&T Recovery (warning - it's 251 pages).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dVvjSz ... WJ2cy/view

And here's the website for the proposed recovery: https://usslexingtonaircraftrecoveryproject.com/.

I haven't seen the Aeroplane report but if the recovery has been approved, that is a new development. Hopefully A&T has gotten the approval to proceed!

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 1:30 pm

kalamazookid wrote:Here is the full proposal from A&T Recovery (warning - it's 251 pages).

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1dVvjSz ... WJ2cy/view

And here's the website for the proposed recovery: https://usslexingtonaircraftrecoveryproject.com/.

I haven't seen the Aeroplane report but if the recovery has been approved, that is a new development. Hopefully A&T has gotten the approval to proceed!


Looking forward to reading this: I hope that at least one of the TBDs will be conserved 'as is' and not restored. I think the warbird community is gradually coming round to this way of working.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 1:33 pm

It would be something to see two of them in Pensacola; one conserved as is, and one fully restored. Could you imagine...

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 3:04 pm

I hope they get them all and not just a few of them.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 4:01 pm

Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:00 pm

quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...

Genuine question, why is THAT a problem?

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:18 pm

RyanShort1 wrote:
quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...

Genuine question, why is THAT a problem?

I think because the award is simply "Medal of Honor". It was established by Congressional action but is purely a military honor. Congress plays no part in awarding it. To call it a "Congressional Medal of Honor" indicates a certain inaccuracy of knowledge which may taint the rest of the information given.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 7:36 pm

junkman9096 wrote:
RyanShort1 wrote:
quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...

Genuine question, why is THAT a problem?

I think because the award is simply "Medal of Honor". It was established by Congressional action but is purely a military honor. Congress plays no part in awarding it. To call it a "Congressional Medal of Honor" indicates a certain inaccuracy of knowledge which may taint the rest of the information given.

I mean, if an intern was asked to write that up, that is far less of an issue than the typos the "professional" media puts out.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 10:58 pm

quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...


that irked me as well, and in a historically based proposal.

Some great history on those airframes, the Wildcat especially. If Paul Allen were still alive i think they may have been recovered by now.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Tue Feb 14, 2023 11:52 pm

junkman9096 wrote:
RyanShort1 wrote:
quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...

Genuine question, why is THAT a problem?

I think because the award is simply "Medal of Honor". It was established by Congressional action but is purely a military honor. Congress plays no part in awarding it. To call it a "Congressional Medal of Honor" indicates a certain inaccuracy of knowledge which may taint the rest of the information given.


That covers it. I guess I shouldn't be so edgy, but that kind of thing worries me when we're talking about something so historically important. The Air Zoo stuff was interesting and insightful, so I probably don't need to worry.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Wed Feb 15, 2023 7:42 am

Dan Jones wrote:It would be something to see two of them in Pensacola; one conserved as is, and one fully restored. Could you imagine...

I'm not trying to start an argument here, but they need to go someplace that the general public will be able to appreciate them. How about the Lady Lex?

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:43 pm

quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...



I know it's fun to be a pedant here...
but you are making a mountainous of a molehill.

Yes, the name of the medal is the Medal of Honor.

But that does seem a bit generic....might there be other Medals of Honor bestowed by various organizations?
I'm sure the Polish American League of New Jersey has a medal of honor. :D

I have always looked at it as the word Congressional in this case, as an adjective, rather than part of the name itself.

And is using the word really that egregious?
Witness the Congressional Medal of Honor Society
https://www.cmohs.org/

Its membership consist of those who have won/earned the medal.
I don't know about you, but in my opinion, they can call the medal whatever they want to.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Wed Feb 15, 2023 12:58 pm

JohnB wrote:
quemerford wrote:Mmm. I hadn't even finished page 1 before I encountered the term. "Congressional Medal of Honor". Not a promising start...



I know it's fun to be a pedant here...
but you are making a mountainous of a molehill.



Not being pedantic: and I obviously was not alone in being a tad concerned about a 'media' type of reference. You also need to read my subsequent comment, rather than being selective (or pedantic) about your comment.

Re: Lexington's TBD Devastators and F4F to be Salvaged

Wed Feb 15, 2023 1:44 pm

maradamx3 wrote:
Dan Jones wrote:It would be something to see two of them in Pensacola; one conserved as is, and one fully restored. Could you imagine...

I'm not trying to start an argument here, but they need to go someplace that the general public will be able to appreciate them. How about the Lady Lex?



The National Naval Aviation Museum I think qualifies. A TBD and (someday) an F2A would essentially complete the collection.
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