By Associated Press - Tuesday, February 4, 2014

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - The Navy’s first post-World War II supercarrier has left Philadelphia on a final trip to a scrapping facility in Texas.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (https://bit.ly/1k97H2D) says the massive aircraft carrier USS Forrestal left under tow early Tuesday to begin its 17- or 18-day trip.

The 60-year-old ship is being taken to a Brownsville, Texas, recycling facility owned by All Star Metals, which was paid 1 cent to haul away and dismantle it.

The USS Forrestal was decommissioned in September 1993, after more than 38 years of service.

It’s best known for a 1967 fire on its flight deck that killed 132 crewmen and injured 62 others.

The Navy made the USS Forrestal available for donation as a museum or memorial but says it received no feasible applications for reuse.

___

Information from: The Philadelphia Inquirer, https://www.inquirer.com

Copyright © 2024 The Washington Times, LLC.

Please read our comment policy before commenting.

Click to Read More and View Comments

Click to Hide