On This Day…October 19th
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The USS Ticonderoga leaving San Diego for Vietnam on this day in in 1966. While in Vietnam the Ticonderoga launched 11,650 combat missions. She was awarded her second Navy Unit Commendation for services in that conflict.
A year earlier, in 1965 the Ticonderoga had one infamous incident where she ‘lost' a nuclear missile in Japanese waters. A Douglas A-4 Skyhawk was lost overboard on December 5th with the loss of pilot, aircraft, and the B-43 nuclear bomb it was carrying. No public mention was made of this until 1981.
On 19th October 1915 the German army launched a 10-mile wide gas cloud attack (chlorine/phosgene mix) on Fort Pompelle near Reims, leaving 815 French dead. This photo shows German troops preparing the canisters and mortars.
Whatever happened to the Ticonderoga anyway...?
Glad you asked, Craig; no happy ending here, like the Big E, she was sold for scrap. On the 1st September, 1975.
Here she is helping in the recovery of the Apollo 16 mission in 1972...
On 1 September 1973, the aircraft carrier was decommissioned after a board of inspection and survey found her to be unfit for further naval service. Her name was struck from the Navy list on 16 November 1973, and arrangements were begun to sell her for scrap. She was sold for scrap 1 September 1975.[3]
30 years is a short time for a carrier. Today's carriers should last 50 yrs
That's one nasty way to die #2
Ticonderoga was also involved in the famous (alleged) Tonkin Gulf (non) Incident, providing air cover for the Maddox and Turner Joy and then flying the air strikes against the four North Vietnamese bases - the Ur Lie on which all the other lies of the war built on lies was founded.
Ah, the ‘Maddox’ incident that didn’t really happen. Funny, those Tonkin ‘ghosts’ show up well on camera...
I work Monday to Friday in the largest Chlorine manufacturing plant in Europe, it's proper nasty stuff...
A disgusting and horrible way to die. But here we are, 2018...
The most sobering training I got was NBC, [nuclear, biological, chemical,]warfare training.