US Aircraft Carrier Sunk, Deliberately

The US aircraft carrier Oriskany sunk on Wednesday off the coast of Florida. It was not the result of a particularly clever attack by Al Qaeda, Iran or the North Koreans. Instead, the decommissioned ship was deliberately scuttled to create an artificial reef for wildlife and divers.

The Oriskany, CV/CVA-34, took its name from a battle in the Revolutionary War, fought outside Oriskany, New York, on August 6, 1777 as part of the Rebels efforts to stop Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne from taking Albany and splitting the colonies. Sixty Oneida braves fought alongside the Americans – they, not the French, were America’s first allies in combat. The other four constituent members of the Iroquois Confederacy sided with George III or hoped for neutrality.

The ship itself had a rather colorful history. Launched on October 13, 1945, it missed service in World War II, but was part of the UN force in the Korean Conflict. When the cold peace that followed broke out, the carrier became part of Hollywood when William Holden and Mickey Rooney made “The Bridges of Toko Ri” on the Oriskany. During the Vietnam War, it was part of the air war against Hanoi. Among her pilots was John McCain, POW and US Senator.

The senator was a bit disappointed that the ship would not be turned into a museum, but he was philosophical about the ship’s fate. “As long as people like me are alive the memory of the Oriskany will be alive. The history books will be written about it as a very brave and valiant ship.” The navy spent $20 million or so to get rid of the toxic substances ships like that have onboard, tow it out and blow a hole in the bottom. Florida State University figures the economic value to the local community at $92 million per year in tourism.

In Isaiah II: 4, the prophet says, “They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation neither shall they learn war any more.” Being an ancient, he didn’t say anything about aircraft carriers, but then, Sun Tzu’s The Art of War says little about the proper massing tanks and the use of air cavalry. The metaphor remains valid.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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