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CV 34 / CVA 34 Oriskany

Oriskany (CVA-34), an attack aircraft carrier, was laid down 1 May 1944 by the New York Naval Shipyard, launched 13 October 1945; and sponsored by Mrs. Clarence Cannon. While still incomplete, her construction was suspended 12 August 1947. She remained in a state of preservation until after the outbreak of hostilities in Korea in June 1950, then was rushed to completion. She commissioned in the New York Naval Shipyard 25 September 1950, Capt. Percy H. Lyon in command.

Oriskany departed New York 6 December 1950 for carrier qualification operations off Jacksonville, Fla. followed by a Christmas call at Newport, R. I. She resumed operations off Jacksonville through 11 January 1951, when she embarked Carrier Air Group 1 for shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

After major modifications at New York Naval Shipyard 6 March through 2 April, she embarked Carrier Air Group 4 for training off Jacksonville, then departed Newport 15 May 1951 for Mediterranean deployment with the 6th Fleet.

For the next few months she added her far-reaching air arm to the strength of the 6th Fleet, the silent, flexible, and controlling weapon of deterrence to overt Soviet aggression in the Mediterranean and the Near East. The mobile 7th Fleet was deeply committed to a shooting war to help restore the independence and freedom of South Korea. Oriskany was part of the affirmative answer to the crucial question as to whether the Korean War would have an affect upon the Navy's ability to maintain the status quo in the Mediterranean.

Having swept from ports of Italy and France to those of Greece and Turkey, thence to the shores of Tripoli, Oriskany returned to Quonset Point, R. I. 4 October 1951. She entered Gravesend Bay, New York 6 November 1951 to offload ammunition and to have her masts removed to allow passage under the East River Bridges to the New York Naval Shipyard. Overhaul included the installation of a new flight deck, steering system, and bridge. Work was complete by 15 May 1952 and the carrier steamed the next day to take on ammunition at Norfolk 19-22 May. She then got underway to join the Pacific Fleet, steaming via Guantanamo Bay, Rio de Janeiro, Cape Horn, Valparaiso, and Lima, arriving San Diego, Calif. 21 July.

Following carrier qualifications for Air Group 102, Oriskany departed San Diego 15 September 1952 to aid UN forces in Korea. She arrived Yokosuka 17 October and joined Fast Carrier Task Force 77 off the Korean Coast 31 October. Her aircraft struck hard with bombing and strafing attacks against enemy supply lines and coordinated bombing missions with surface gunstrikes along the coast. Her pilots downed two Soviet-built MIG-15 jets and damaged a third, 18 November.

Strikes continued through 11 February, heaping destruction upon enemy artillery positions, troop emplacements, and supply dumps along the main battlefront. Following a brief upkeep period in Japan, Oriskany returned to combat 1 March 1953. She continued in action until 29 March, called at Hong Kong, then resumed air strikes 8 April. She departed the Korean Coast 22 April, touched at Yokosuka, and then departed for San Diego 2 May, arriving there 18 May.

Following readiness training along the California coast, Oriskany departed San Francisco 14 September to aid the 7th Fleet watching over the uneasy truce in Korea, arriving Yokosuka 15 October. Thereafter she cruised the Sea of Japan, the East China Sea, and the area of the Philippines. After providing air support for Marine amphibious assault exercises at Iwo Jima, the carrier returned to San Diego 22 April 1954. She entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard for modernization overhaul; completed 22 October when she stood out to sea for the first of a series of coastal operations.

Oriskany arrived at Yokosuka from San Francisco 2 April 1955, and operated with the Fast Carrier Task Force ranging from Japan and Okinawa to the Philippines. This deployment ended 7 September and the carrier arrived Alameda, Calif. 21 September.

The attack carrier cruised the California Coast while qualifying pilots of Air Group 9, then put to sea from Alameda, 11 February 1956, for another rigorousWestpac deployment. She returned to San Francisco 13 June and entered the shipyard for overhaul, 1 October. She decommissioned there 2 January 1957 for modernization work that included a new angled flight deck and enclosed hurricane bow. New, powerful steam catapults were installed by the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Wash.

Oriskany recommissioned at the San Francisco Naval Shipyard, 7 March 1959, Capt. James Mahan Wright in command. Four days later, she departed for shakedown out of San Diego with Carrier Air Group 14 embarked. Operations along the west coast continued until 14 May 1960, when she again deployed to Westpac, returning to San Diego 15 December. She entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard 30 March 1961 for a five-month overhaul that included the first aircraft carrier installation of the Naval Tactical Data System (NTDS).

Oriskany departed the shipyard 9 September for underway training out of San Diego until 7 June 1962 when she again deployed to the Far East with Carrier Air Group 16 embarked. She returned to San Diego 17 December 1962 for operational readiness training off the west coast.

The carrier again stood out of San Diego 1 August 1963 for Far Eastern waters, with Carrier Air Group 16 embarked. She arrived Subic Bay 31 August 1963; thence to Japan. She stood out of Iwakuni, Japan the morning of 31 October enroute the coast of South Vietnam. There, she stood by for any eventuality as word was received of the coup d'etat taking place in Saigon. When the crisis abated, the carrier resumed operations from Japanese ports.

Oriskany returned to San Diego 10 March 1964. After overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, she steamed for refresher training out of San Diego, followed by qualifications for Carrier Wing 16. During this period her flight deck was used to test the E-2 A "Hawkeye," the Navy's new airborne early warning aircraft. She also provided orientation to senior officers of eight allied nations.

Oriskany departed San Diego 5 April 1965 for Westpac, arriving Subic 27 April. By this time more United States troops had landed in South Vietnam to support Vietnamese troops against increased Viet Cong pressure to destroy the independence of that nation. Oriskany added her weight to the massive American naval strength supporting the freedom of South Vietnam. In combat operations that brought her and embarked Carrier Wing 16 the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service between 10 May and 6 December 1965, she carried out over 12,000 combat sorties and delivered nearly 10,000 tons of ordnance against enemy forces. She departed Subic Bay 30 November and returned to San Diego 16 December.

Oriskany again stood out of San Diego for the Far East 26 May 1966, arriving Yokosuka 14 June. She steamed for "Dixie Station" off South Vietnam 27 June. Wearisome days and nights of combat shifted to "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin 8 July. In the following months there were brief respites for replenishment in Subic Bay. Then, back into the action that saw her launch 7,794 combat sorties.

The carrier was on station the morning of 27 October 1966 when a fire erupted on the starboard side of the ship's forward hanger bay and raced through five decks, claiming the lives of 44 men. Many who lost their lives were veteran combat pilots who had flown raids over Vietnam a few hours earlier. Oriskany had been put in danger when a magnesium parachute flare exploded in the forward flare locker of Hanger Bay 1, beneath the carrier's flight deck. Her crewmen performed fantastic feats in jettisoning heavy bombs which lay within reach of the flames. Other men wheeled planes out of danger, rescued pilots, and helped quell the blaze through three hours of prompt and daring actions. Medical assistance was rushed to the carrier from sister aircraft carriers Constellation (CVA-64) and Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42).

Oriskany steamed to Subic Bay 28 October, where victims of the fire were transferred to waiting aircraft for transportation to the United States. A week later, the carrier departed for San Diego, arriving 16 November. San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard completed repairs 23 March 1967 and Oriskany, with Carrier Air Wing 16 embarked, underwent training. She then stood out of San Francisco Bay 16 June to take station in waters off Vietnam. Designated flagship of Carrier Division 9 in Subic Bay 9 July, she commenced "Yankee Station" operations 14 July. While on the line, 26 July, she provided medical assistance to the fire-ravaged attack carrier Forrestal (CVA-59).

Oriskany returned to the Naval Air Station pier at Alameda Calif., 31 January 1968, and entered San Francisco Bay Naval Shipyard 7 February for an eight month overhaul. Upon completion of work, the carrier underwent refresher training and flight qualifications before deploying to the Far East in April 1969.

Redesignated as a multi-mission aircraft carrier (CV 34) 30 June 1975, but role did not change. USS ORISKANY began her last cruise on September 16, 1975. Significantly she celebrated her silver anniversary during the second week of the cruise, marking 25 years of service. She also recorded her 200,000th arrested landing during the deployment. Decommissioned to reserve 15 May 1976; was last Essex in commission as a warship.

USS ORISKANY pilots were well rewarded for their efforts during their combat deployments. Among the rewards won by the pilots who flew off the ship: 4 Navy Crosses, 6 Silver Stars, 2 Legions of Merit, 96 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 6 Bronze Stars, 146 Air Medals, 192 Navy Commendation Medals, 127 Navy Achievement Medals, 10 Purple Hearts, 65 CINCPACFLT Letters of Commendation and 77 COMSEVENTHFLT Letters of Commendation. In addition, 832 Air Medals were recommended and approved under the Strike/Flight system.

Oriskany received two battle stars for Korean Service and five for Vietnamese service. The ship was also twice awarded the Navy Unit Commendation.

Ex-ORISKANY was decommissioned on September 30, 1976, and retained as a mobilization asset until stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on July 25, 1989.

Ex-ORISKANY

The ship was initially designated for use as a ship museum. Congressional legislation was initiated by a US non-profit organization to transfer the ship to the "City of America" project, however the project failed due to lack of financing. No other donation interest was expressed in ex-ORISKANY. Four other ships of the class are already preserved as ship museums: ex-YORKTOWN (CVS 10) in Charleston, SC; ex-INTREPID (CVS 11) in New York City; ex-HORNET (CVS 12) in Alameda, CA; and ex-LEXINGTON (CV/AVT 16) in Corpus Christi, TX. Further efforts to donate ex-ORISKANY were determined not viable and the ship was redesignated by OPNAV for scrapping.

Ex-ORISKANY was evaluated by the Naval Historical Center in 1995, along with other ships in the Navy inactive ships inventory, for determination of eligibility for listing on the National Register of Historic Places. A Naval Historical Center letter of November 3, 1995, discusses the eligibility of those ships for listing on the National Register (considering association with historic events or persons, distinctive characteristics, and likelihood to yield information important in history) and provides a list of those vessels considered eligible. Ex-ORISKANY was not included on that list. As part of the ship's inactivation process, items of historic value were removed and transferred to the Curator of the Navy. Additionally, the ORISKANY Museum, Oriskany, NY, removed numerous items from this ship in the 1990s.

She was sold for scrapping 26 January 1993; scrapper defaulted and ship was repossessed without having left Navy custody. On 29 September 1995 the Defense Reutilization and Marketing Service (DRMS) sold the scrapping rights to the ship to Pegasus International, Inc., for dismantling in Vallejo, CA. The ship was towed to San Francisco 1 May 1996; subsequently moved to Mare Island for scapping, but scrap contract revoked. The DRMS sales contract was terminated for default 1 July 1997 due to non-performance, and physical custody of the ship reverted back to the Navy. DRMS unsuccessfully attempted to sell the scrapping rights two additional times.

The Navy towed the ship to the Maritime Administration's (MARAD) Beaumont, TX, NDRF in 1999 due to a lack of inactive ships storage capacity on the West Coast and the inability to dispose of the ship at little or no cost to the Navy. The estimated cost to dismantle ex-ORISKANY under a Navy ship disposal contract is $12M, however, scrapping of aircraft carriers remains unfunded. Dismantling and recycling of ex-ORISKANY is a cost-prohibitive option.

The ship remained in Beaumont, TX, for four years and continued to deteriorate despite the expenditure of funds to maintain the ship in a safe stow condition. Ex-ORISKANY was the Inactive Ships Program's highest ship disposal priority. There is an essential need for the cost-effective disposal of this ship, to continue the reduction of the inactive ships inventory and to reduce expenses associated with maintaining ships that are pending disposal.

Artificial Reef

In mid October 2003 the Navy awarded a contract to clean the Oriskany in preparation for her sinking as an artificial reef. The Maritime Administration began accepting bids from states interested in having the carrier sunk off their coasts. Florida has earmarked a spot 24 miles off the Pensacola coast. Oriskany was towed from Beaumont TX to Corpus Christi on 21 January 2004 for her environmental cleanup. The decision on which state would receive her for sinking was scheduled for February 2004.

The Navy announced 05 April 2004 that it will transfer the former aircraft carrier ex-Oriskany to the State of Florida for use as an artificial reef. The Navy was granted authority to transfer obsolete warships to states for artificial reefing purposes under the fiscal 2004 National Defense Authorization Act (Public Law 108-136).

Since 1972, the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD) has had the authority to transfer obsolete vessels for artificial reefing purposes. Recognizing that both agencies have an inventory of vessels appropriate for such use, the Navy and MARAD recently joined in a cooperative effort for making suitable obsolete Navy warships and MARAD merchant-type vessels available for use as artificial reefs.

The Navy's decision to transfer ex-Oriskany to the State of Florida is the culmination of many hours of hard work on the part of the Navy and MARAD. Four applications were submitted by five states (one each from the states of Florida, Mississippi and Texas, and a joint proposal from Georgia and South Carolina). After a thorough Navy/MARAD review and analysis of these applications, the Navy concluded that the State of Florida proposal for using ex-Oriskany as an artificial reef provides the best value to the US government. Before transfer of ex-Oriskany can occur, the Navy's contractor will perform work necessary to environmentally prepare the ship for sinking as an artificial reef. Once this work and other details are complete, the Navy will execute a transfer agreement with the State of Florida and expects the ship to be sunk for use as an artificial reef before the end of the summer 2004.

A Navy contractor began towing ex-Oriskany from Corpus Christi, TX, to Pensacola, FL., in December 2004, in preparation as the Navy's first aircraft carrier to be sunk as an artificial reef, in June 2005. An original departure date was set for Dec. 13, but that time was impeded by inclement weather. The carrier finally was able to get under way Dec. 15 at 7:45 a.m. The commercial tug Dolphin I towed Oriskany for the five-to-six-day transit. The ship was scheduled to remain berthed at the Port of Pensacola pending completion of the risk assessment products, issuance of sink approval and completion of final sinking preparations.

The 888-foot former aircraft carrier Oriskany (CVA 34) - a combat veteran of Korea and Vietnam - made the transit from its remediation site of Corpus Christi, Texas, and arrived at the Port of Pensacola, Fla., 20 December 2004, to undergo final preparations for eventual sinking. A firm sink date has not been established.

In preparation for this, the Navy completed a comprehensive 11-month remediation effort on ex-Oriskany in accordance with the draft Best Management Practices for Preparing Vessels Intended to Create Artificial Reefs. The remediation prepared the ship to be sunk as an artificial reef by removing fuels and oils, loose asbestos-containing material, capacitors, transformers or other liquid polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) components, batteries, HALON, mercury, antifreeze, coolants, fire extinguishing agents, black and gray water, and chromated ballast water. Additionally, the wood flight deck and underlayment were removed due to high PCB concentrations found after the asphalt protective coating had been removed from the flight deck. These measures are intended to ensure that the ex-Oriskany reef is environmentally safe.

Because of the precedent-setting implications of this project, the Navy's risk assessment model and the resulting risk assessments was to undergo a broad-based internal review by EPA, followed by an external peer review. Once these reviews are complete, EPA was expected to prepare a draft approval for ex-Oriskany and initiate the public participation process. A final permit decision would be made after the clsoure of the public comment period and EPA would then prepare a response to comments.

The 888-foot ship was reefed in the Gulf of Mexico approximately 24 miles off the coast of Pensacola, Fla., on May 17, 2006, thus becoming the largest ship intentionally sunk as an artificial reef to the benefit of marine life, sport fishing and recreational diving in the area.