USS Lexington

Thursday, February 18, 2010

It was cloudy when we awoke this morning and the temperature was around 8 degrees Celsius.  It seemed fairly calm at our campsite but as we arrived at the USS Lexington on the Corpus Christi Bay we noticed a fairly stiff wind coming off the Gulf of Mexico.  They had predicted rain in the gulf and possibly around the Corpus Christi area for today.

When you see an air craft carrier for the first time you are shocked at the size.  From the the water line to the flight deck is as tall as a 13 story building.  The flight deck is over 900 feet long and is covered with about 20 aircraft spanning the years of active duty.  The hanger deck which is one deck below the flight deck is cavernous.  It stretches almost the whole length of the ship and is about 30 feet high.  This is where planes were readied for flight, armed and repaired.  The large elevator that used to raise or lower planes between decks has been removed and is now occupied by an Imax Theatre which presents the film, “Fighter Pilot – Operation Red Flag” .  The film is very intense, and depicts a real life pilot who learns about team-work during Operation Red Flag; an Allied training operation, which brings the best fighter pilots and air-crews in the world together in the Nevada Desert at Nellis Air Force Base for exercises.  Canadian pilots from Cold Lake were well represented at these manoeuvres.

There are several self-guiding tours that take you throughout the ship. The flight deck takes you through the navigation bridge and the Captains Room which was directly behind the bridge.  Actually this room was only used while the ship was in active operations because he also had a suite below decks, which included a private kitchen and conference room.  The air pilots ready room was used during the filming of the movie, Pearl Harbor, as were other areas of the ship.

  One of the guides told us that the Lexington was built in record time of just 27 months by a largely female workforce.  During the Second World War the Lexington was reported sunk at least six times, earning it the nickname “the Blue Ghost” by the Japanese.  The worst casualties occurred when a Japanese Kamikaze pilot crashed his airplane into the main tower killing 50 men and injuring another 130.  Kamikaze means, “Divine Wind”; as it was an honour and a privilege to die in the service of the Emperor.