50 years have gone by, and now we still cry,
For the men who fought and never returned.
Whether friends or foe we will honor those,
And hope that war’s lessons are learned
-Alex Brownstien, age 12
“I am nothing,”
he wrote at the eve of his sacrifice, ”but a particle of iron attracted by a magnet - the American Aircraft Carrier.”
-A Kamikaze Pilot
Damaged by aerial torpedoes and Kamikazes, reported sunk 4 times by Tokyo Rose, she kept coming back to fight again. Combined with her blue-gray color, Japanese called her the Blue Ghost
And grand me no fire drills tonight
And in the morning let me wake
Breathing scents of sirloin steak
-A Sailor’s Prayer
MAIL CALL , was and still is, the happiest time abroad ship to service men and women all over the world. It is their main link with their loved ones.
W.A.V.E.S (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services - “I figured the word, Emergency will comfort the older admirals, because it implies that we’re only a temporary crisis and won’t be around for keeps”
-Elizabeth Reynard (2nd in command of WAVES)
“While women have accomplied a lot, I look forward to the day we don’t have to celebrate the firsts.”
-Captain Amy Bauernschmidt
On March 8, 1991, Lt. Kathy Owens made the final landing on USS Lexington, flying a C-2 cargo aircraft.
Captain William Kennedy said it was fitting that a woman made the last landing as the Lexington was the first carrier to have women as part of the crew
“I work long hours and the pay is less than glamorous … but now I am much aware of what an honor it is to serve these particular men and women”
-A Military Doctor
A huge thanks to the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay management team, especially Rachelle Banda, for all the support and for letting me document the Blue Ghost.
This photo documentary aims to tell the stories of the men and women who serve and have served in the United States Navy through the lens of one of the Navy’s longest-serving aircraft carriers, the USS Lexington (CV-16). Their dedicated contributions deserve to be represented with respect ensuring that their stories are preserved and shared.
All the quotes and information are cited from the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay