The Dismantling of US Navy’s Aircraft Carrier That Was Sold For a Penny

[@michaelfarrell3446]

Thank you for using my footage. I hope we can raise some money for St. Judes Children's Hospital.

[@NotWhatYouThink]

Thanks Mike! We hope so too!

[@Swigester]

thank you for documenting history!

[@Zzzlaldkfjrowpq]

Fantastic videography, and a wonderful cause that you chose to support.

[@kitten_processing_inc4415]

Thanks for your work and for the great idea for making this a fundraiser.

[@littlekirby6]

Thank you Michael!!

[@ford4life069]

Thank you Michael from a cv63 vet's wife! Have enjoyed watching your vids and donating your footage to a project like this is awesome too. You sir, are a gem.

[@Tagarav]

Best aircraft carrier video I've seen, this was by far the best opportunity to show the inside, which gives a chance to appreciate the size of the whole construction!

[@VinBizz]

This ship was my first 1/350 model kit that I have built, and it makes me really sad to see it dismantled! Rest in Peace beautiful lady !

[@oreosoda]

whered you get the kit?

[@CallMeByMyMatingName]

What are your plans with the model, now that the real thing is being took't apart?

[@Commander9013]

I got the same scale but enterprise its sad to see her go as well

[@Commander9013]

​@@CallMeByMyMatingNameshelf queen probably

[@VinBizz]

@@oreosoda it was from Trumpeter at 1/350 scale

[@MrBubonicChronic]

Drove by her regularly for years on my way to job sites and although she may have been smaller than her younger siblings, I was always in awe of her imposing presence. She will certainly be missed and the drive into Bremerton will never be the same without her.

[@oreosoda]

cascadia!

[@djc821]

Same here. The drive from Port Orchard into Bremerton was weird without the Kitty Hawk.

[@MrChickennugget360]

notice the Olivar Hazard Perry class Frigate being scrapped next to her at 0:21? Is that the Sammy B? Also notice the Old Tico in the background at 5:02 its got the old arm launcher as opposed to the newer VLS. Probably USS Yorktown.

[@schrodingersmechanic7622]

Stationed in Bremerton from 03 to 07, we typically berthed right next to her except when we went to drydock.

[@zspud21]

Im a former NIMITZ sailor. And i used to seek Kitty Hawk when we were in the Bremerton yards. Even with her paint faded and lights off, she was still a beautiful girl. Its hard to see her scrapped..

[@philchurch1115]

I live in Bremerton and saw her pull out of moring and it really got me seeing my youth fading away.

[@enricomandragona163]

I was TAD on Nimitz in 81 then flew out to the Forrestal CV-59! She too was scraped 10 yrs ago for a lousy penny!! Some return for taxpayers dollars!!

[@gtc1961]

I was in the Bremerton yards on Enterprise in the early 80's, at that time Oriskany was in the mothball fleet. Back in 2011 I visited Bremerton and my other ship, the Independence, was wasting away up there with Connie, Ranger and Kitty Hawk. The Hawk was, by far, in the best shape of the four. I really thought they'd bring it back to active duty.

[@enricomandragona163]

@@gtc1961 What a shame!! 15 yrs ago or so the Forrestal former crew members went to the Newport Road Island base on Veterans Day and the FID & Saratoga were anchor chained together between a peer ! Mortifying to see them like that!! They were both stripped of everything to keep the current fleet going! Unfortunately we weren't allowed one board!! I wanted to see my old rack on the O3 level under number 4 wire!! Eventually they were towed to Philly to be prepared for hazmat cleaning along with the Kennedy. ⚓🔱

[@gtc1961]

@@enricomandragona163 You must've been a squadron guy too. My rack was right under the #1 wire, It is sad to see them like that. I showed my three kids and told them that that ship (the Indy) had been all around the world.

[@craigcooknf]

You were SO respectful of the ship and those who sailed her! I'm sure that was appreciated by many!

[@alanfan8941]

I was stationed aboard the ex-USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67). It was a modified Kitty Hawk carrier and the last conventionally powered carrier. It will soon take the Kitty Hawk’s place at the breakers. Ship breakers not only break up obsolete ships. They also break the hearts of the sailors who served aboard them.

[@robmcconnell4702]

Haze Grey and underway aboard the JFK.

[@makaha5750]

I suppose breaking-the-ship-up is better than the vessel being use as target practice and then sunk to the bottom of the ocean.

[@georgeyoung1810]

I was on Big John ‘84-‘89

[@mickywanderer8276]

She was suppose to be a nuclear carrier with 4 reactors but because of costs, went to oil furnaces instead.

[@brianrochman1443]

Boo-Hoo

[@NotWhatYouThink]

Please consider supporting our fundraiser as a thank you to Michael, who helped preserve this piece of history for everyone ❤

[@IQ1000PenyatirHandal]

Hai

[@Relocklabs]

thank you Michael

[@michaelwilson5866]

@@Relocklabsyou’re welcome

[@justandy333]

I gotta say that is quite an original way of doing a fundraiser. Those shots of Kitty Hawk are amazing! Getting to see parts of the ship we'd never otherwise get to see. Very interesting. Loving your work! It is very much appreciated!

[@MacroAggressor]

St. Jude's needs to stop pushing DEI initiatives.

[@paokie2]

Great video. I spent over 4 years on her sister, USS Constellation CVA-64 during the Vietnam war. Since they were identical, I was able remember being in certain areas of the ship

[@mendodsoregonbackroads6632]

I got to go on a shakedown cruse on the Connie in between duty stations. The Kitty Hawk was docked up across the way over on Murray Ave at North Island.

[@glennrishton5679]

I was on the Chicago from 71 to 76, we used to tie up at North Island often with the Kitty Hawk and Constellation. After getting out worked on sea going tugs. One day got called to the wheelhouse on a tug as we headed to Puerto Rico. There was the Constellation under tow going to the ship breakers in Texas. Made me sad seeing a ship I remembered from years before going to be turned into razor blades.

[@paokie2]

@@glennrishton5679 sad ending for sure. But ships and sailors get old at some point. I didn't know she went to Brownsville until she was already there. Had I known, I would have driven down there from OK as it was less than a 10 hr. drive.

[@glennrishton5679]

@@paokie2 I wish you could have done just that, a farewell. I saw a picture of my old ship in a merchant marine trade magazine ad soliciting bids for it to be scrapped.

[@paokie2]

@@glennrishton5679 Funny but how many of us thought we'd miss the old girls many years after we walked down the brow for the last time.

[@edcliffyzukowski5473]

My first 10 traps (1996) and last 200 traps (2005-2007) were on Battle Cat. She'll always hold a special place in my heart. She should've been turned into a museum instead of razorblades. RIP Kitty Hawk. One note, the keel of Kitty Hawk was actually laid as Contellation. A fire onboard while under construction caused the Kitty Hawk to be delayed and ultimately be commissioned as USS Constellation while the Connie's keel was used for the USS Kitty Hawk. There are/were placards on both ships regarding this change.

[@georgeburns7251]

😀

[@curtotting4255]

so very true about the Constellation and Kitty Hawk...I served aboard the Kitty Hawk from 1970-1972...

[@walterquick8649]

China thru Mexico gets some of them, Sadly

[@tonymash]

What squadron? I was onboard the same 2 years, AIMD AT supporting the Prowler squadron

[@edcliffyzukowski5473]

@@tonymash I was a Golden Dragon

[@keepitreal5585]

I am so thankful for this video! I was deployed on The Kitty! So glad I was part of history! RIP USS Kitty Hawk! ❤

[@hotroid111]

I actually found about this when I drove to south padre island. We passed by the shipyard and I exclaimed "Is that an aircraft carrier?? Why here specifically??" It was a great moment. Glad to see the explanation behind it.

[@jes2731]

I was on the Midway CV-41 back in the mid-80's and watching this I could picture it being her dismantled instead. I'm so glad that she (CV-41) was saved and preserved, and is docked in San Diego.

[@SSN515]

I was a hole snipe on Midway 87-until decom at North Island. Rode 3 Desron 15 Tincans out of Yoko before that. Looks like you retired to the PI?

[@jes2731]

VA-115 Eagles 86-89 and then 89-92 NAS Cubi Pt AIMD, and then out. Yep, just getting back to where I enjoyed life the most in my younger years. Now it's the quiet life.

[@SSN515]

@@jes2731 Cool. I'll check out your channel. You must have been at Cubi for Pinatubo? I remember we went down there from Yoko after Desert Storm and evacuated a lot of Navy, Army, AF, Retired, personnel and civilian dependents. Left the Air Wing behind and they set up hundreds of cots in hanger bay 1 and 2 for the males, and secured the starboard side coops and heads for the females and small kids. Stationed Mar Det on the 2nd deck as guards for the women. Pets were in cages on the sponsons. They set up meal stations in the hanger bay, too. I was in charge of shutting down the engineering plant for the last time at North Island, and that was kinda sad for most of us.

[@jes2731]

@@SSN515 Yep, the flight line at Cubi Pt is 37 miles as the crow flies to Pinatubo. It did a huge belch the week before it blew its top, and some pilot on deck measured the distance from his bird. One week later and we were waking up on the moon when it was all done with 18 inches of ash covering everything. Having a sweet TAD to US Military Customs my last year there, I was in the essential personnel group, so I wasn't shipped out like most others. It was an experience for sure.

[@johngross8300]

VIGI VF-151, Nov 85 - transition and return, ships company Midway (62F) Sept 86 - Mar 89. Two Bob Hope USO shows!

[@harrisonmantooth7363]

This was a fantastic video, thank you Michael Farrell for providing the awesome footage of Kitty Hawks dismantling. It is sad to see such an historic ship being put out of service. I had an uncle who served aboard the Carrier U.S.S. WASP CV-7 during WW2. He survived the sinking but suffered mentally up till his passing in 1977. RIP Uncle Arthur. May you find your much deserved rest within God's loving embrace.

[@grumpySafa]

Very informative, thank you Michael for the footage and thank you NWYT for posting this.

[@619sdbdub]

I worked on the bridge during my two years onboard her in the early 90's. Great overview of her life and dismantling. The escalator never worked while I was aboard. To refuel ship and the tanks for the associated aircraft, the process took about 3 to 4 hours.

[@rothwegk]

We're you on the Hawk during SLEP? I definitely remember using the inoperative escalator to go from the 2nd deck to the 03 level. Once we got out of the shipyards, it was off limits to enlisted. I don't remember ever seeing it work. OI Division here 89-93,

[@619sdbdub]

@@rothwegk I reported mid-summer 1992. Most of the guys in NAV had been on since Philly. It was my shortest tour, only a year. I was itchin for shore duty. If I remember correctly OI berthing was just aft of NAV/SIGS on the bow of the ship. Except for being on watch, myself and another person spent our time in Secondary Conn watching Site TV and doing chart inventory. I was listed as "Nool" on the 92-93 cruise book but that was a typo.

[@muratcemceylan]

Thanks Michael :)

[@dakotaman408]

Those round circular voids are the chain lockers

[@heinrichmuller7974]

lol i was just about to comment this

[@Ppittman6564]

First carrier, I ever seen in dry dock. It was a very impressive sight in 1982. The USS Missouri was parked in the mothball fleet at the time. This was in Bremerton, Washington.

[@koolkevin2357]

I spent 3 years of my younger life on the USS Kitty Hawk. Most of us will miss her. We made a great team for protecting the US Citizens across the world. "First in flight" was her given motto, we as her crew called her many things. Maybe others - that served on her decks and slept in her bunks, will share them here. I am proud to have served aboard her.

[@andrewmanning9859]

Did you serve in the late 70s-80s? My dad was on the kittyhawk around that time

[@HFD-Doc]

You can say it. Shitty Kitty, we have all heard it before.

[@DebraPrice-c8v]

My husband Randy w. PRICE WAS A TOMCAT PILOT ON KITTY. HIS JET NOW SITS IN TUCSON ARIZONA ​space and aeronauticsmusieum. @@andrewmanning9859

[@gregoryfaith4303]

Her time was well celebrated as she traveled around the world. I got to go aboard her during my time in the US Navy. Such a fine ship. USN 76 - 82. (CGN-35)

[@pdoherty]

Thanks for this and good job! Served aboard her in 73. A good ship she was. Also did time aboard Midway, Constellation, Coral Sea, and Lexington. 1971-1975 RIP Hawk

[@dtaylor10chuckufarle]

Outstanding job, sir! Just outstanding. Very interesting. I was on her sister ship, the U.S.S. "Independance" (CV-62) a long time ago. It's sad to see "Kitty Hawk" taken apart.

[@chrisgobert1266]

CV 62 was a Forrestal class carrier

[@kennethhamilton5633]

Rode on 3 of the battle scarred old girls Indy, Forrestall and the Shitty Kitty. Spent my entire Naval career either ships company or sea going squadrons, East and West coast

[@kennethhamilton5633]

@@chrisgobert1266if I'm not mistaken Indy was it's own class,Indy was first.

[@2020HotShotTruckingLLC]

@@kennethhamilton5633 Indy was the fourth and last of the 4 Forrestal Class carriers. Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger and Independence. My dad served on Indy from launch in 1958 and mustered out as Indy was heading to the Cuban missile blockade in 1962.

[@2020HotShotTruckingLLC]

The Kitty Hawk was the first of three carriers in the Kitty Hawk class. Indy was the fourth and last of the 4 Forrestal Class carriers that preceded the Kitty Hawk. Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger and Independence. My dad served on Indy from launch in 1958 and mustered out as Indy was heading to the Cuban missile blockade in 1962. He was in W division, which no longer exists. I searched for other sailors who sailed at the same time, and finally found one who was in the same division at the same time, but it turns out that they had two separate groups, one in the bow (my Dad's) and one in the stern (the sailor who I talked to). I guess they didn't want all their "eggs" in one basket. My dad talked about his berth was under the receiving end of one of the bow catapults. I always wanted to tour Indy with my Dad, but we lived on the east coast and Indy had moved to the west coast. Taking a day cruise when I was 1 or 2 just isn't the same. All I remember was the ship was like a tall building towering over the dock in Norfolk.

[@martinsinnombre]

Hi there from Mar del Plata, Argentina. Why do I clarify that otherwise useless fact? Because the Kitty Hawk visited my city in November 11, 1991. It was a HUGE thing for us, and people (myself included) were amazed at the size of the thing. I could swear that the sunrise happened an hour later everyday with that ship on the horizon. I would definitely not want to face one of those in war. In any case, I still have a picture of it taken by a professional photographer who was invited to navigate around it, and because if was still during the film days, the grain of the negative gives the photograph a wonderful character. You can still see those beautiful F-14s on the deck in the picture, hanging on my bedroom. I was 17 at the time and a friend of mine, in his 30s, was in the air force and asked me if I was interested in joining him on a helicopter to go up the ship, around 2 km away from the shore. Unfortunately (yes, 33 years passed and I'm still annoyed about this) I had an exam at school and couldn't miss it, so I had to pass that incredible opportunity.

[@phiksit]

I had the opposite experience on USS Independence. We had a port call in Rio de Janeiro and I couldn't get off the ship 😕sigh. I would still be mad about that missed opportunity too.😡😭

[@SirReginaldBlomfield1234]

Our carriers visited in 1982 and made good use of their time around our Falkland Islands 🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@rothwegk]

I was on the Kitty Hawk when we visited Mar Del Plata. The Kitty Hawk was on its way to San Diego, after 4 years in the Philly shipyards. Mar Del Plata was my favorite port of call. . The one thing that I remember was that they blocked off many streets in the downtown area, and it was reminiscent of a block party. It was a very festive atmosphere. There was a lot of excitement over the ship being there, and we were welcomed with excitement. I met a girl that we kept in touch for a while afterward her name was Leticia R. She referred to herself as "Lety." It's. funny, the maker of this video pointed out the post office.. Many letters to and from Lety, passed through that post office. All these years later, I still talk about Mar Del Plata, and when anyone asks me what my favorite port was, I don't even have to think about it.

[@lidarman2]

I happen to know Tim Gallaudet. He used to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere here at NOAA after his Navy service. This was a cool dismantle tour and fun since I just got back from Charleston where I toured the Yorktown and walked its escalator.

[@Butter_Warrior99]

Rest easy Kitty Hawk, you served your country well.

[@bobgomez9481]

And the US taxpayers appreciate getting fucked in the ass by the Military Industrial Complex Business for a penny?

[@jameshisself9324]

A note on garbage- in the old days EVERYTHING went over the side. Terrible pollution to the ocean, but all shipping did it that way back in the day.

[@whidbeyhiker4364]

I'm very impressed by the wide variety of research you did for this. The shot of the bunks under the aft flight deck area brought back memories, imagine trying to get three or four hours of sleep for your next watch with planes landing on your head...

[@tonymash]

try the forward berthing under the catapults!

[@steves7896]

Yup, same here. Jolted right out of my sleep many times. VAW-115 USS Independence

[@WilliamKinser]

They were landing or testing engines. I can sleep through anything now.

[@Seventeen_Syllables]

My fifth and final ship, actually a submarine, was USS Louisville SSN 724,. We joined the Kitty Hawk CVBG for our WESPAC back in, probably, '92 or '93 (I've done a lot of deployments and they all sort of blend together so I'd have to look up the actual year, but it was shortly after Desert Storm). I had occasion to visit Kitty Hawk when we were mutually in Singapore for a liberty port in hopes of getting a filling replaced having lost it after we left San Diego (submarines do not have dentists) and the Brits did not want to help me out when we visited Hong Kong, then a British colony. No luck as it turned out and I had to wait until we got to Abu Dhabi. But the crew was very accommodating and friendly, very kind to help a submariner find his way around that mammoth chunk of steel. They could tell by my dolphins that I would probably get lost quickly without guidance. I ended up losing the tooth.

[@CaptainFury767]

My first night trap was on the Hawk. Bravo Zulu, old girl. You did good.

[@thewatcher5271]

Great Video! What A Great Shot Of The Vigilante Taking Off At 10:56 Thank You For Sharing!

[@em1osmurf]

for anyone that sailed aboard any ship that's been struck, this a heartbreaker. i served aboard JFK CV-67 nearly 40 years ago for 5 years. she was in limbo, then scheduled for scrapping. every ship i sailed on in 21 years is gone. thanks for this.

[@philsalvatore3902]

Yep. All the AOEs and AEs I deployed on are gone as are all the DDs, DDGs, FFs and FFGs we deployed with. Only the cruiser Antietam and the Nimitz among the ships I sailed with remain.

[@THE-X-Force]

It's interesting how we become emotionally bonded to inanimate objects. Kind of a sweet quirk of humanity, in a way. ☮

[@arthurbilenker2622]

I served aboard USS Forrestal CV59. We bond to that inanimate object because it is our home, our mother so to speak. This is why ships are referred to as “she” as in, She is a beautiful ship”. In a churning ocean the only thing protecting you is your ship.

[@michaelgrey7854]

The two voids in the bow are chain lockers for the Anchor chain.

[@JasonMcCord-qk3yb]

Wow! What great footage! Thank you, Michael, for making it available for this video! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

[@ivantorres1536]

This was my home from December 1999- September 2002 Aviation Fuels V4 Division - aka Grapes...fond memories

[@mikesmith1115]

I was a grape as well. 65-69 Bonn Homme Richard (Bonnie Dick) and Hancock.

[@ivantorres1536]

@@mikesmith1115 those that know know.... 🍻 🍻🚢⚓️

[@michaelleitner1245]

I didn't know that purple shirts were called Grapes. Makes sense. I won't speculate as to a nickname for the brown shirts. 😂

[@ivantorres1536]

@michaelleitner1245 Yeah, that was our nickname because of our color gear .

[@ivantorres1536]

@michaelleitner1245 Yeah we called them Shitheads lol

[@devikwolf]

Thank you for this video, thank you to Michael for the footage, and THANK YOU to St Jude's for the work they do

[@AllmightyB]

My unit did training on this ship when it was decommissioned sitting in Bremerton (we were up the road in Silverdale). That was my only time in 7 years being on a carrier while active in the Navy 😂 but it was a cool experience and I was sad to hear the news of it getting scrapped. Great video as usual!

[@fragasm726]

I was onboard from 05-09 and was part of the decommissioning crew !

[@willh5847]

Sad that she couldn't have been converted into a museum ship. Now there's virtually no chance of ever having a super carrier as one. Crazy to think how many service men and women called her home.

[@oldguy1528]

I agree !!!

[@seangelarden9543]

Should have saved my ship, the Forrestal was the first carrier built as an angle deck from the keel up

[@RockerWasRight]

@@seangelarden9543Actually no but close, both Zippo and my Sara were originally designed as straight decks, changed during construction which was a good thing.

[@seangelarden9543]

@@RockerWasRight f you those were my shipmates that died in that fire

[@haramanggapuja]

Agreed. They did the same destruction of the Saratoga. Broke my heart to see her sold for scrap after so many folks contributed to the attempts to save & museum her. I’ll never understand why. For a f@(king penny.

[@henriyoung3895]

OUTSTANDING video. Thank you both.

[@NickGonsalves]

Person on the fantail was on watch as aft lookout...and also kind of hanging out.

[@mikesmith1115]

Smoked my first joint there on the Bonn Homme Richard CVA 19 in 1966

[@misiekkania]

Thank you Micheal I am Michał ( Micheal in English )from Poland and I really appreciate work you have done. So everybody could see this document :) Kind Regards. :)

[@patmcbride9853]

Racks right under the flight deck. The sailors bunking there could sleep through anything after their deployment.

[@DonAbrams-hq7ln]

Yep, slept soundly with tie down chains as a pillow, LOVE PORT AND STARBOARD DUTY.

[@toastnjam7384]

That berthing compartment was also between the arresting gears which made a very loud screeching noise. My berthing compartment was under the flight deck between the forward catapults, and they also were very loud. The first time I heard it I thought there's no way I'm going to sleep through that. After a couple of days, I slept like a baby. The only noise I didn't like was the occasional dropping of a bomb during loading which was a reminder that there's only a couple of inches between us and disaster. Served on the Kitty Hawk 1970-73.

[@Retr0racin]

I was on Ranger 1980-81 and my berthing was right under the 3 wire the one they shoot for, I can still hear what it sounds like 40+ years later. first you hear the sound of the engine only for about 2 secs. then BAM Weeeeeeeeeeee and the engine again because they give it full throttle when they hit the deck, you hear them throttle back to idle and then the wire rolling across the deck as it goes back into position then you can hear it go on top of the leaf bar things that hold it a few inchs above the deck the wire goes back and forth on that until it stops and tightens up. then about 45 secs later it all happens again until all the planes have landed. it`s tuff the first few days but after you work a 12 hour shift 7 days a week for weeks on end you sleep right though it. my second trip was on the Enterprise and my Berthing was forward below the mess deck right at the water line. the cat shots when they took off was pretty loud and had it`s own sounds too. thing about a ship is the sound resenates, you could hear some guy beating on something with a hammer on the other end of the ship sometimes and a bunch of other sounds all the time.

[@patmcbride9853]

@@Retr0racinReminds me of that scene in "Once Upon a Time in the West" where the old man in a shack is telling the story of how he held out and didn't sell to the railroad. While he's talking, the whole shack starts shaking, loud train sounds and whistles make it hard to hear him, steam comes in through cracks in the walls...

[@RockerWasRight]

Yup, after a few weeks one became immune to the incredible noise.

[@mr.iforgot3062]

I enjoy your documentaries.

[@IonOtter]

I was on the USS Reuben James, FFG-57, and I participated in 3 berthing rehabilitation evolutions. So while those berthing compartments on the Kitty Hawk aren't known to me specifically, the design *is* known. And let me tell you, those racks..."collect things." Some of the things they collect are absolutely disgusting, but it's something you just have to deal with. Other times, you find things like jewelry, photos and diaries or journals. But the most common thing to find is money, and *lots* of it! By the time we'd ripped out the last rack, we'd found nearly $280 in dimes, nickles, quarters and pennies, along with a whole bunch of foreign currencies!

[@phiksit]

HA... amazing story :)

[@rrtownsend6432]

I served aboard the USS Independence CVA-62. The Indy was also scrapped. Hate to see it but they can't live forever. RT Damage Control/Hull Tech

[@DardanellesBy108]

What year were you on her? My dad did 1968 Med Cruise on USS Independence. He was a PN.

[@noneck3099]

Went all over that ship in the 80's as a young kid when it visited Fremantle Western Australia....had a Kitty Hawk hat i wore to death as well.

[@RobertMattison-w4p]

Thanks for posting and sharing this.

[@fntsmk]

Kitty Hawk had NO escalators on her while I was ship's company from 1982 - 1985. I was assigned to the Ship's Master-At-Arms force for awhile and I've been on and in every inch of that ship many times over. I even went in all of the voids that went down 7 decks from the hangar deck level. And here's another piece of trivia that very few people know. The anchor chain tube which the port side chain was funneled into had written inside of it in very LARGE BLOCK LETTERS: USS CONSTELLATION CV-64. I saw it with my own eyes. In fact, I had to buy my MAA partner a Coke over a bet on it. While on patrol, he said: "You know we're actually on the Constellation, right?" I told him he was crazy, and he bet me a Coke that he could show me a place where "USS Constellation" was welded in large block letters on the ship. So I took the bait. He led me to the f'oc'sle, and got out his large 4D Cell Mag Light and shown it in the tube that the port anchor chain descended into, and sure enough, in LARGE BLOCK LETTERS inside the anchor chain tube it said: "USS CONSTELLATION CV-64." Here's another tidbit of trivia: I was on the cruise where we ran over that Russian sub (pretty much on purpose if you ask me...). I was talking with a shipmate I had gone through AFTA with. He was an AW and he had gone aircrew, and rode the enlisted seat in an S-3 Viking Squadron that was embarked on Kitty Hawk for that cruise. He told about them "sinking" the Russian submarine that had been shadowing us. In fact, he said they sunk it about "15 times" that day. I asked him if we could track all of Russia's subs, and he said: "Without a doubt." Then he went on to say, that conversely, if one of our subs "wanted to get lost," not even we could find it! Anyway, it was shortly after 2200 hours, I was in the head (03 level port side forward) brushing my teeth getting ready to hit the rack, when the bow of the ship went up, up, up, up, up, up, up... more than it ever had before in the two years I had been aboard. Then the bow went down, down, down, down, down, down... and then back up, up, up, up, up, up... A shipmate exclaimed: "What in the hell was that!" I said: "We either hit the world's largest whale, or we just ran over that Russian submarine that's been following us." A minute later, we were at General Quarters.

[@ddegn]

Wow, great stories! Thanks for sharing them.

[@firebirdgaming3595]

My grandfather was the ships chief surgeon 1972-1976, and he actually knows why the kitty hawk has those Constellation marked parts, and it could’ve been for 1 of 2 reasons: Right at the end of my grandfathers first time on the ship (1973) some idiot seaman who wasn’t being properly supervised installed a JP5 fuel gasket on backwards, causing it to fail and igniting a huge fire in the no. 1 engine room. The two port side engine rooms had to be shut down and the no. 1 shaft was warped beyond repair. Because of navy politics, specifically a well connected CMC, they convinced someone in the supply depot in Brooklyn to put the prop shaft and gearbox intended for the Connie’s refit in Norfolk onto a C-5 and get it flown all the way out to California to get thrown on the Kitty Hawk instead. Thus, the ol’ Chicken Hawk had one of the Connie’s prop sets and gearboxes and a bunch of equipment and ducting from her as well that was labeled as such. Because he was the ships surgeon at the time, he was among the first people who went down to the underbelly of the ship to aid any survivors who were found by the search parties. While he was down there with another engineering officer, they both observed some voids that had either been exposed by the fire, or cut open by rescue crews to access other spaces, that were very clearly labeled “USS Constellation.” According to the engineering officer, during its construction, a wielding fire caused a huge number of bow compartments on the 3, 4, and 5 decks to be gutted. The navy, apparently in a hurry to get Kitty Hawk down the slips as the lead ship of the class, either stripped a bunch of fittings intended for Constellation (the version I consider more likely) and had them installed on Kitty Hawk, or more drastically as my grandfather retold it, had the hulls swap names entirely in order to keep schedule. I’m not sure what’s more true, especially given those void spaces would’ve been wielded up long before any fitting out would’ve been done. The old man’s more than 80 years old now and he’s lived five times the life that I have. He’s the only one (out of 7) flight surgeons I’ve met that has a bronze star and a Vietnam combat action medal (apparently for actions flying as a WSO for VF-114 and VF-213), the only pilot I know of who gave a talk at TOPGUN without actually being a graduate (or an intel spook) and among the few people who has fired on another aircraft and ejected from his own. He’s not going anywhere anytime soon but I’ll miss him when he’s gone. If I graduate to being half the officer he was I think I’ll have a career to remember.

[@charlesalvin4318]

I rode her from 97 till 2002 (I was a C-2 Aircrewman so we shore based off of her but rode her from Japan to where ever she was going. The escalator was there, on the forward starboard side. Went from the Starboard forward "speed" galley to the 03 level. Only worked/ran 1 time while I was aboard, but sometimes they would open it up to use as a non moving stairway. Sometimes if more than 10 people were on it, it would run backwatds/down. Really sucked when you were 3/4s the way up and it started moving down.

[@DonAbrams-hq7ln]

That error when she was laid should have been cut out and displayed at Annapolis. Being an AirDale, we would never guessed that we were actually on the Connie!!!!

[@tjwhite2049]

The story I heard was that there was a fire early on in hull that was to be the Kitty Hawk. The Constellation was under construction, but about 6 months behind the hull that was to be named Kitty Hawk, CV-63. After the fire, that hull's construction was delayed so much that it would launch after the other hull, so they switched names on the hull's so the Kitty Hawk was launched first, apparently with the pieces of what was then supposed to to be the Connie. MM3 White, 2MMR, '89-'92

[@rexmyers991]

Thank you , Michael for your work and generosity.

[@panzerfast5000]

Imagine trying to sleep while a plane lands 5ft above your bed just on the other side of your "ceiling"

[@phiksit]

Not so hard after 18 hour shift... plus your brain kind of shuts down your hearing when you sleep.

[@cnftnf]

Been there done that

[@jamesjosephmcgarvey4562]

I came on board just after the fire in the #1 engine room in 1973. Was assigned AMH Hydraulics shop. Good hands all. I relish my time onboard Her, I would do it again in a heartbeat. Semper Kitty Hawk. Thanks Michael... by the bye I spent 3 days bread and water, in the Brig. I couldn't find that tiny little hole on the video. 🍀

[@Classickoolcars]

What for??👍👌

[@jamesjosephmcgarvey4562]

​@@Classickoolcars slugging the Navy Senior Chief Shore Patrol while in Singapore. 29 days later, back in Subic a couple of Blac

[@Classickoolcars]

@@jamesjosephmcgarvey4562 Oops. 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤣🤣

[@robertparker6654]

That hole was just after the main mess area close to what they called the post office. Ask how I know . Those jarheads were mean af. A friend was in hard labor, b&w was a walk in the park compared to hard labor. Those crayon eaters weren't right in the head.

[@USSBB62]

Those to circular voids are "Chain Lockers"

[@rickrudd]

My Father-In-Law was on the Kitty Hawk as a Navy electrician from its pre-deployment "outfitting" cruises until 1965.

[@dominquedoty458]

It is rather said to see the aircraft carrier be completely dismantled... I always thought the aircraft carrier would become a museum ship. Thinking it could gain some revenue from the great tours of an old ship. But alas! I guess it was cheaper to dismantle the ship... Still, thanks a bunch for making this video! It will stay in place for history.

[@phiksit]

I think the cost of keeping up the ship's integrity (dealing with corrosion, painted, water tight, etc on something that big) is the biggest problem when you only have a public non-government funded "museum" budget. Yeah, it is sad 😕

[@mapleflag6518]

@@phiksit Yeah that’s why many of the world’s most famous warships that survive to the retired end up being scrapped, because the cost of turning them into museum ships plus maintaining them after is very high.

[@philsalvatore3902]

There is a good discussion of the problems of operating a big old combat ship as a museum and tourist destination in the videos showing the USS New Jersey in dry dock. The video of them "Fleeting" the Big J, where they move it a couple of feet so they can paint the bare spots where the ship was sitting on keel blocks, in particular talks about the financial considerations.

[@Curt-ge9gc]

Who is going to Fund it as a Museum?

[@hhjones9393]

As a NC native the Kitty Hawk has always had a special place in my heart. Farewell and job well done to her and her crew.

[@artyd1516]

@12:41 this sponson was not a trash sponson. It was directly above the CIWS magazine. The area below was the smoking sponson. I was onboard the shitty kitty for 5yrs. Worst times of my life, some good ones… all in all I’m glad to see her go!

[@phiksit]

We usually threw trash off the port quarter... and no, probably very little of it was compostable 😵☠ One time I got in trouble for pumping shaft alley bilges out during flight ops. Pilot called in said he could see an oil slick trailing ship... ooops 😱🥴

[@warshipsdd-2142]

Remember standing on her flight deck in-port at North Island in the Summer of 1963--wish I could get back in line for morning chow in the mess deck just off the hangar bay.

[@charlescdt6509]

Its sad. She should be right next to USS North Carolina since she was the last conventional powered CV and is named for Kitty Hawk NC where the Wright Bros did the first powered flight.

[@cnftnf]

I was on the Constellation CVA 64 (then)) and it was supposed to be the last conventional carrier but there's the controversy about which one is which.😊😊😊.

[@charlesbaker1403]

Kitty Hawk was NOT the last conventionally powered carrier in the USN. That honor belonged to the USS John F Kennedy (CV-67). The Navy wanted the JFK to be nuclear-powered, but Sec of Defense torpedoed those plans, citing exorbitant costs. So, JFK was conventionally powered.

[@charlescdt6509]

@@charlesbaker1403 Kitty Hawk served longer than JFK and was decommissioned after thats why she was the last one.

[@yaseen157]

Fantastic video! Thanks nwyt, michael, and everyone who helped you put it together

[@THE-X-Force]

How in the %*$@ do you accidentally run into a floating city?

[@Heasd_O7]

wow such a good video and thanks for the nice drone footage! :)

[@larrywalsh9939]

It's not sad whenever a warship is decommissioned. It's only sad when a new one is built. There's nothing good about anything ever built for the purposes of violence and conflict. I grant the need in troubled times, but the thing that's sad about making warships is it just shows how messed up we are as a species. The happy version of events is no new warships get built because we mature as a species and learn to get along with eachother.

[@georgeburns7251]

In a way, yes. But the world is an imperfect place, run by humans who evolved from bacteria. These ships keep us from speaking Russian/Chinese. Of course that might not help us if the MAGA people defeat democracy in the coming election.

[@phiksit]

“Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children.” -President Dwight D. Eisenhower, 1953

[@larrywalsh9939]

@@phiksit True! It's sad to think that the american government spends more on the military than it does on educating children or housing the homeless, because, apparently, killing foreign people is a higher priority.

[@Nerval-kg9sm]

So, in your naively conceived world there no concept of deterrence?

[@robertparker6654]

I used to be a warhawk. Now the mil ind complex and the forever wars, there has to be a better way,war sucks and can be avoided 99% of the time.

[@garymiller5937]

This is a fabulously interesting video. It told me many things I never knew. My heartfelt thank you to Michael and your channel!!! 😊😊😊😊😊❤❤❤❤❤

[@pistol2169]

Served onboard of her from 1999 to 2002 when she was homeported in Yokosuka Japan. That was my time during that part of the video when the airwing left and we served as a launch platform for spec ops on Afgahanistan. 8 aircraft onboard put in work and lots of 72hr days warheads on foreheads.

[@emmettlee3]

yeah i remember the spec ops mission, is it true that they kept a squadron of hornets for self defense?

[@jimpowell2296]

Nice job. I was an airdale who served in a fighter squadron aboard the USS Ranger CV-63, for two Vietnam Westpac cruises in the late 1960’s. The Ranger and Kitty Hawk were pretty much the exact same ship. It was interesting how the berthing compartments were arranged. I slept right below the flight deck toward the angle deck cats. One cruise I berthed right off the angle deck. There was a hatch that led right into a small berthing compartment that slept 20 sailors. Watching jets launched off the angle deck was a sight that not many people in the world ever experience. Night ops was incredible.

[@Jameson4327]

My heart is broken! I spent a few years onboard the old girl. I know for a fact that I dropped trash off at the Fantale. Even the large tubes from the boilers went over. I worked in boiler room 1 that painful night. I will hold great memories of the USS KITTYHAWK CV 63 thanks for video.

[@keithnoneya]

So saaaaddddd to see her like this. She was a fine vessel. I still have an original KH hat that I regularly wear from when Ii was on her in the 90's. Thanks for sharing. Best Wishes & Blessings. Keith Noneya

[@tolson57]

I served on the Kitty Hawk for 4 years in the 80s and 90s. I made 3 cruises on her to the Western Pacific and Indian Ocean as well as an Around the World cruise. I was on my way to the Philippines to meet the Kitty Hawk the night she hit the sub and a strange turn of events I looked out the window of the 747 I was on between Anchorage and Clark AFB and saw the Kitty Hawk the morning after. Considering the millions of miles of ocean we flew across on that trip, the fact that we flew over the Kitty Hawk was against all odds.

[@quagmire247]

Thanks Michael. Much love.🇳🇬

[@MaelstromMephistoPEM]

Got a scale model of this for my 9th birthday. Never finished it, but attempting to make it created some of my all time fav memories.

[@gideoncornfield4732]

I really Love the videos that you make. War is hell however a proper military is a military that deters war.

[@trevortrabeaux4]

1:15 I just wanted to say I love your optimism in that statement. It’s sad to see it go, but a great opportunity to learn as you said.

[@michaeloconnell1182]

The two circular voids in the bow are the anchor chain locker.

[@loyalrammy]

I was on a ship based at 32nd St. Naval Station (San Diego) and we looked across the bay to Coronado and often saw the Kitty Hawk moored there. The USS Constellation and the USS Ranger were also there at different times (80's). We affectionately called them the "Shitty Kitty", "The Connie." and "Danger Ranger."

[@pa6370]

Thank you Michael!

[@saiyamang5397]

I used to jokingly say I wish I could be there when they decommissioned the old girl so I could to press the self destruct button during my last year on the Hawk but now I only have fond memories of my time onboard and watching this is a sad sight.

[@Mudman473]

My dad served on the USS kitty hawk and he flew with VS-21 and thanks for making this video edit: my dad said that the escalators were broken most of the time and people would mess around the Hazmat locker

[@christopherreese5775]

My last deployment we sailed with the Kitty Hawk. Thank you to all that served aboard her. May her spirit live in your hearts.

[@markmartin5248]

Thank you, Michale.

[@danadasgrau]

My dad was a Vietnam era veteran. He served on board theUSS Kitty Hawk as a aircraft mechanic. Cool to learn more about the ship he served on. We lost him when I was 5 years old.

[@DardanellesBy108]

I chuckled when you said former sailors would be sad about it being cut up. My dad served on her sister USS Independence CV-62 and he is most definitely NOT sad about her being cut up, LOL! I’m bummed since I’m a maritime history “nerd” but dad most certainly isn’t. I wish we could have saved at least one of the non-nuke super carriers. (My dad did the 1968 Med Cruise on CV-62. He was a PN. He said either his office or his berthing was right under the catapults, I forget. It effected his hearing. He also told me several times over the years about his port stops during his cruise. He still has lots of souvenirs from that cruise). Thanks for another great video!!!

[@phiksit]

I think it's safe to say most of us didn't really "enjoy" what we were doing at the time... long hours, crappy pay, shitty sometimes dangerous work, lousy cramped living conditions... but looking back one can't help but get nostalgic ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@DardanellesBy108]

@@phiksit I can definitely relate. I worked on P-3’s in the Navy. I hated them back then but they do hold a sentimental spot in my heart now.

[@jimmingus8105]

seeing these iconic ships reduced to scrap is enuf to make an old sailor cry... so sad !

[@kaptainkaos1202]

At the part where you’re talking about freshwater, where is the jet fuel injection point? I know almost every ship I sailed on the water tasted like JP-5.

[@calartian85]

I was a Tiger on a WestPac cruise in the late 90s aboard CV63. My dad was one of the oldest crew which made me one of the youngest Tigers. Fully embarked air wing flying every day all the way from Honolulu home to San Diego. Amazing. Incredible and fascinating. Fast forward 20 plus years and I watched the Kitty Hawk towed out from Bremerton and past my home in the Puget Sound on her way to Texas. I wish dad were alive today. He would have appreciated this video very much.

[@jimhudson4744]

Had an uncle stationed on the sister ship the Constellation (CV-64) as a naval aviator, but; since he was Navy I guess that should have been spelled Navel. I've flown off the Kitty several times while in the USMC myself during special ops. Both ships will be missed, but; never forgotten. Semper Fi.

[@phiksit]

Navel 🍊😁

[@rayksaint]

Proud to have served on the USS Kitty Hawk.

[@jc6565]

My late uncle served on the USS Kitty Hawk, he was there for 1 of the apollo capsule recovery missions

[@danielpullum1907]

Thank You. I hadn't thought about the salvage operation necessary to scrap a ship. BIG JOB!!!!!

[@mcbrite]

God damnit... I clicked the vid to quickly see a picture of the CV being dismantled and Of course I was gonna get stuck and have to watch the WHOLE video... Fair Play, sir... 😀

[@jozimoto]

My dad served on the Kitty Hawk for 2 cruises 1962 and 1963. She was a new ship back then. I saw her in port when I was 4 in San Diego.

[@jessemaier8681]

Thank you Mr. Michael.

[@dhass1776]

I remember going on the Kitty Hawk as a kid, it was such an awesome experience.

[@Taligari]

My father spent years on Kitty Hawk. 3 tours to Vietnam. I remember as a young boy exploring her cavernous insides. Sad to see her chopped up.

[@xxcommentator]

When I was a kid back then my dad brought me to Subic when it was still an american base and I saw how huge and beautiful she was, it is truly a marvel to see.

[@DonAbrams-hq7ln]

Before l got out in 74 l watched her pierside when l was AMD at Cubi. Many times l dove near her, once l saw a baby blue whale in her vicinity. She was a grand sight to see just coming back from the line. I loxed many of her birds mainly A6A EA6B and F4Bs.

[@glennrishton5679]

@@DonAbrams-hq7ln Any adventures in Olongapo?

[@guitarmuser6150]

Interesting how we started with steam engines, then went to gas/diesel etc, then to nuclear power, which is a glorified steam engine. lol. Phrases like, "it all comes around" and "there's nothing new under the sun" come to mind. Interesting vid. I'm not even into military stuff, but I have to admit, this pulled on even my heart strings just a little.

[@brianbeans2190]

Another informative video. Good work.

[@KarmaSparks]

I worked at the USS Yorktown museum ship. It feels weird that non of the carriers we have now will be preserved after their service due to so many issues.

[@mapleflag6518]

Yeah. Musuem ships are very expensive.