THE "MIGHTY O" IS GONE

[Robbie Stuart]

FROM THE PENSACOLA NEWS JOURNAL

Published - May, 17, 2006

UPDATE 11 a.m.: Oriskany has sunk
Larry Wheeler

11 a.m.: Oriskany has sunk. The last tip of the Oriskany's hurricane bow disappeared into the Gulf at approximately 11 a.m., approximately 36 minutes from the first explosions. It did not go down the way the Navy engineers had hoped. It went down stern first. Charter boats marked the sinking by sounding their horns.

The bow is sticking up, straining the heavy metal anchor lines. The port side bow line apears to be submerged. Clouds of debris can be seen moving out of the hangar deck. The stern is totally submerged. Large bubbling frothy water at the stern. The bow is heavily inclined upward. Clouds of smoke and debris. The ship is halfway submerged. Towlines are straining at the bow. Stern totally submerged. Air is rushing to the surfance. Oriskany is almost three quarters submerged.

The 50-foot boat with the explosive generator and electronics gear remains intact on the flight deck surface. The boat is expected to float away from the carrier after the Oriskany is fully submerged.

Acrid smoke from the explosion deep in Oriskany's hull has drifted away, revealing the old carrier's silhouette. The former warship's stern now appears to be lower than its bow.

Large openings in the portside hull, below the hangar deck level appear to be very close to the water line. Seas and winds have picked up slightly.

A Navy H3 helicopter is now hovering very close to the water near the ship.

There is an unconfirmed report on the radio of a capsized boat. There is neither official nor visual confirmation of that at this time, however.

Florida and local officials expressed relief that the aircraft carrier's scuttling is under way.

"I'm doing real well now that this is finally happening," said Robert Turpin, Escambia County marine resources chief, over the radio.

The 10:24 a.m. explosions that are sending Oriskany to the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico could be heard and felt clearly a mile away. Light was visible and smoke billowed from the hangar deck.

After the second of the flashes, the carrier appeared to be in the same relative position, not moving in anyway.

The horizon was dotted with white charter vessels, sailboats, law enforcement vessels, all ringing the ship, waiting and watching. A Navy jet flew overhead, while an H3 helicopter hovered within a mile of the carrier. The small vessle that had been tucked at the stern had long since left.

Oriskany's port side was brightly illuminated by the morning sun, revealing large holes cut in the hull below the hangar deck.

The carrier's bow was clearly leaning lower than the stern, the result of pre-flooding several forward tanks.

The decommissioned aircraft carrier appeared to be riding low in the water. Her hangar deck was wide open, showing just the steel frame where plates were formerly attached.
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Rest In Peace Old Gal
Robbie

[Shay]

A believe a moment of silence is order for the "Mighty O", her crews over the years and for those who never returned to her flight decks........................




Mighty O

Ay, tear her tattered ensign down!
Long has it waved on high,
And many an eye has danced to see
That banner in the sky;
Beneath it rung the battle shout,
And burst the cannon's roar;
The meteor of the ocean air
Shall sweep the clouds no more.

Her deck, once red with heroes' blood,
Where knelt the vanquished foe,
When winds were hurrying o'er the flood,
And waves were white below,
No more shall feel the victor's tread,
Or know the conquered knee;
The harpies of the shore shall pluck
The eagle of the sea!

Oh, better that her shattered bulk
Should sink beneath the wave;
Her thunders shook the mighty deep,
And there should be her grave;
Nail to the mast her holy flag,
Set every threadbare sail,
And give her to the god of storms,
The lightning and the gale!

OLD IRONSIDES
By Oliver Wendell Holmes
September 16, 1830


The Oriskany was my Uncle's 2nd Flattop that he flew from during his tenure over Vietnam. It would have been nice to make it out to see her before now. But I dive so maybe I will one day. I think it is a better fate for her than to be stripped done to her keel in a scrapyard.

"Attention to Quarters"

CV/CVA-34 U.S.S. Oriskany

You have upheld the highest traditions of the United States Navy

Bravo Zulu on you, for your many years of Service and heroic accomplishments.

The Watch has been assumed and you will be missed

Fair Winds and Following Seas......

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

Last edited by Shay on Wed May 17, 2006 1:28 pm, edited 4 times in total.

[Warbirdnerd]

Here is what she looked like on April 22, 2006.
Took a SunCountry day charter from MSP to P-cola and caught her out my window...

[Aircraft Mech Paul]

Sad indeed,

on a soley personal note personal note. I was born in the town, in Upstate New York that the ship was named after. I hate to see such things left to the scrappers torch and ministrations. Such is the cycle of life I guess. Be it aircraft or ships....their demise is always a sad chapter in their life.

Paul

[k5083]

By any chance, was a Hollywood film crew on hand to film the sinking, as they often are when large buildings are imploded? It just occurs to me that this might be good footage to have in the can for future movies, and for those who know what the footage is, it would serve as sort of a euology for the old girl.

[Shay]

By any chance, was a Hollywood film crew on hand to film the sinking, as they often are when large buildings are imploded?

I believe there was group of folks working with the Discovery Channel.

Shay
____________
Semper Fortis

[Owen Miller]

There was a Canadian crew that filmed the scuttling for a future
Discovery program. The article I read said they had four cameras
fixed to the ship to record the sinking. It should be interesting.

[Flat 12x2]

Its just been shown on the BBC news here in the UK,
Sad but impressive at the same time.
As Shay said, I think a more fitting end than to be scraped

[Roger Cain]

Here's a sad picture I took of her back in 1998 being stripped at Mare Island in Vallejo CA. I too am glad she became a reef and not totally scrapped. Next to her was the USS Oklahoma City (Cruiser)

[tom d. friedman]

from the sound of the physical description of the "O" going down it seems as if somebody didn't make sure she was scuttled in an ecological manner, re: acrid smoke, floating debris etc!!

[tom d. friedman]

thanks for the pic!!! wow what an ignominious ending to a proud war veteran!!!

[chico]

from the sound of the physical description of the "O" going down it seems as if somebody didn't make sure she was scuttled in an ecological manner, re: acrid smoke, floating debris etc!!

Well, like my great-great-grand pappy Jebbadiah McClintock Kennedy used to always say, "You can't scrap a pre-Vietnam era aircraft carrier without making some acrid smoke and leaving some floating debris. You can only stripe her to the bare bones and make sure you have as little of an environmental impact as possible."

He was a strange guy for the 1820's.

[tom d. friedman]

[m50a1ontos]

Here's a link to photos taken as she went down...

http://ussoriskanyonline.com/photo/rec/rec3/index.php

[Roger Cain]

Here's a link to photos taken as she went down...

http://ussoriskanyonline.com/photo/rec/rec3/index.php

and the video: http://www.tampabays10.com/news/local/a ... ryid=31398