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| Fish House at Patriots Point |
By this time we were starving so we headed off to the newly opened Fish House at Patriot's Point. Of course the seafood was great, but the real draw was the view from the dining room windows...Of the USS Yorktown.
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| The Yorktown as seen from the windows of the Fish House |
The USS YORKTOWN (CV-10) was the tenth aircraft carrier to serve in the United States Navy. She was commissioned on April 15, 1943, and participated
significantly in the Pacific Offensive that began in late 1943 and ended
with the defeat of Japan in 1945. The USS YORKTOWN received the Presidential
Unit Citation, and earned 11 battle stars for service in World War II.
Much of the Academy Award-winning (1944) documentary "The Fighting Lady"
was filmed on board YORKTOWN. She is an impressive sight even at a distance. and would later earn 5 battle stars for service off Vietnam (1965-1968).
The ship also recovered the Apollo 8 astronauts and capsule (December
1968). Decommissioned in 1970, she is now
the centerpiece of Patriots Point Naval and Maritime Museum.
The USS Yorktown is even more imposing when one is up close and personal. Just a few facts to help put that statement into perspective. Her length is 888 feet. She carries a between 90 and 45 planes, and a crew of 3350 Bruce served aboard sister carrier (The US S Ranger), during the Vietnam War, and spent much of the afternoon regaling me with tales of life aboard this floating city. It so much more personal than the standard guided tour.
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