Originally commissioned in 1943 as one of the twenty-four Essex-class aircraft carriers, the USS Intrepid made a reputation for herself during her thirty-one years of service. Built during the Second World War, The Intrepid spent the majority of her time in the Pacific Theater from 1943 until 1945, most notably in the Battle of Layte Gulf, the largest naval encounter in WW2. During war, the Intrepid earned two different nicknames "The Fighting I" because of her prominent role in battle as well as "The Dry I" because of the amount of time that she spent being repaired after battle.
Following the war, the Intrepid was put in "mothballs," the Navy's reserve fleet. Re-commissioned in the 1950s for deployment to the Mediterranean, the Intrepid's primary role was in operations during the Cold War. In the 60's, the Intrepid was renovated to become an anti-submarine carrier and completed three combat tours in Vietnam. It then served twice as a NASA Prime Recovery ship in the 1970s, once for a Mercury mission and once for a Gemini mission.
Although she was originally fated to be scrapped after her decommissioning in 1974, the Intrepid was saved and became a museum through the efforts of real estate developer Zachary Fisher. He was a man dedicated to supporting veterans after being denied active service in World War II due to a leg injury. In 1982, the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum opened showcasing the USS Intrepid, the submarine USS Growler, various aircraft, and, most recently, the Space Shuttle Enterprise.
Admission to the museum provides access to exciting exhibitions for all ages. After ascending to the third floor of the staircase towers, I was met with the sight of many different models of dazzling aircraft are arrayed on the top deck. They ranged from a short plane with a big painted shark mouth to a long, sleek Lockheed SR-12. Visitors are also invited to crawl around in the flight deck and command tower to see original control panels and simulated cabins. On the floor below, there are more interactive exhibits, including an entire children’s section, where kids can sit in a cockpit, learn semaphore, and experience a flight simulator.
