[GreenKeys] Parts??

Sun Jun 25 14:09:42 EDT 2006

GA, Bob,
 Sure,  look at our museum foundation website at 
http://www.ussamerica-museumfoundation.org
or, at the USS America Carrier Vets Assn website  http://www.ussamerica.org/

We (the Museum Foundation) were trying to save her for a museum ship. 
Sadly, all our efforts were unsuccessful
and documents on our site will show the frustration that we went thru 
with the powers that be....

Now, what I know for sure is this... she was decommissoned in 1996, and 
frankly, treated like hell, her catwalks
cut off, for use on another carrier, and basically left to rot.  At some 
point, she was chosen for use in a Sinkex,
supposedly for testing to prove engineering data for a new generation of 
carriers.   I had the honor of going back
aboard on 4 DEC 02, along with the prez of the Museum Foundation, Lee 
McNulty, and one could really see the
effects of no maintenance or climate control.......there also was 
wholesale vandalism (all the telephones smashed)
and (HORROR, HORROR) NAVSEA absolutely REFUSED!!!!! to allow me to 
remove the inner components
from the only pair of M28ASR's left aboard, which were located in  CIC 
on the 02 level, and boy, they were full
up!!!!!! gearshifts, underdome reperfs, and some special relay units and 
TEMPEST filters.... the only damage was
an attempt to demil them by some gorilla hitting the keyboards with a 
hammer, and busting up a few keys, but, said
gorilla was evidently unaware of how to get the lids open, and the 
insides were PRISTINE!!!!!.  I did, however,
remove the type boxes and stick them in my pocket as a gesture of 
defiance....... The other item which was sick
and twisted were 2 R-1051's up in Radio central, totally smashed with 
sledge hammers and all the internal modules removed,
2 AN/URA-17's meeting the same fate, and boucoup patch panels (ditto) 
both audio and DC...... there were also
several of the new printers (I forget the nomenclature, even tho I have 
one in a box in ye olde basement) busted up,
and a large loop supply, intact, In addition, every single 26 circuit 
audio switch panel was smashed with hammers
the switch knobs and shafts broken off at the panel, then the panels 
hammered in, and the internal wiring cut at random...

I did spy 3 good patchboards, and respectfully requested permission to 
remove same.... REFUSED!!!!

Anyhow, it was a damn sad day for both of us....... I got up in the 
island, as I used to be Supervisor of the Transmitter
Rooms as my GQ station, and found there was no MF or HF left aboard, and 
the only stuff in any of the 'mitter
rooms were some VHF and UHF stuff which had been thoroughly smashed 
beyond recognition.......There
was NO Teletype repair shop space left, it was now a cleaning materials 
storeroom......even the Teletype
logo was gone from the door ( hey, I left her 36 years ago--hi--- I did, 
however, several years ago, in a
story worthy of "Ripleys" bid and win on a set of M28ASR manuals from 
EGreed, and when the manuals
arrived, and I opened the box, I noticed the labels on the spine...... a 
cold chill crept up my spine as well, as
the neat Engineering lettering looked SO familiar....I S L O O O W L Y 
opened the cover, and saw
"PROPERTY OF G.W. MOORE RM2, USN  CR DIVISION USS AMERICA CVA-66"

So, I bought my own manuals back..........

OK.. so what happened to the America..... On 14 APR 05, she was towed 
from the berth at the
Inactive ships facility at the former PNSY to a undisclosed location, 
and used for tests, and at
approx 1130EDT , 14 MAY 05, she went down.  In response to a CVA FOIA 
request, the following
info has evidently been provided ( this from the CVA website).......
In response to our Freedom of Information Act request, the U.S. Navy 
released a general area for the sinking of USS America CV-66. The 
operational area of the event were as follows:
33.40.0 N, 70.34.9 W
32.30.0 N, 71.34.9 W
32.30.0 N, 72.34.9 W
33.40.0 N, 71.34.9 W

Now, like your friend, I spent a good many months and am a full-fledged 
Tonkin Gulf Yacht Club member, Class of
1970, she was a great ship, and took us into harm's way and out again, 
and damn, I sure miss her......

73 de Greg

NNNN

Bob McConnell wrote:

> Gregory W. Moore wrote:
> I have boucoup parts that I have to sort
>
>> out and catalog, for at one time, they were going to
>> be used to restore the commo spaces in the USS America, but sadly, we 
>> (we being the museum foundation) were unable to
>> secure her as a museum ship, and she now lies at the bottom of the 
>> Atlantic..
>
>
> Greg,
>
> Can you tell me how to find more information about the demise of the 
> America? I have a friend that served on her for several months, 
> including a few running around in circles in the Gulf of Tonkin. While 
> I don't like to pass on bad news, he does deserve to know what 
> happened to her.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Bob McConnell
> N2SPP
> Participant in The Battle of Brandon Bay
> <http://web.archive.org/web/20050209184517/http://www.nichecom.com/~vfw/ss/ss3.html> 
>
>

-- 

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"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."
                                                   --Edmund Burke
Greg Moore NNN0BVN PA
U.S. Navy-Marine Corps Military Affiliate Radio System (MARS)
Official Pennsylvania Area Website:
http://pages.prodigy.net/nnn0fbk/mars.htm
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PRESERVATIONS OFFICER: USS AMERICA (CV/CVA-66) MUSEUM FOUNDATION
Please visit us on the web at http://www.ussamerica-museumfoundation.org

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