Previously Held NEC AT-8345-F-14 System Aircraft Organizational Maintenance Technician
8342-F/A-18 O-level Technician
Service Years
1984 - 2005
Official/Unofficial US Navy Certificates
Order of the Golden Dragon
Order of the Magellan
Order of the Rock
Suez Canal
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Operation Enduring Freedom
Persian Excursion
Cold War
Official Badges
Unofficial Badges
Additional Information
What are you doing now:
Enjoying being retired, watching my kids grow up. I do miss the Navy with a passion. I probably miss the CVW5 in Japan the most. Don't think I ever worked that hard in my life. And if they would let me go back in time and do it over, I wouldn't change a thing. I work an eight hour day now, live 15 minutes from work, and I seem to have less time on my hands than when I was active duty working 11-12 hours a night. To all my brothers in Japan, still there strokin' it, thank you. I think about you guys all the time, wish I could be there with you. My wife doesn't have anybody to make dinner for anymore.
Built by New York Navy. Laid down 1 July 1955, launched 6 June 1958, commissioned 10 Jan 1959. Redesignated as a multimission carrier (CV 62) 28 February 1973. after being modified to operate ASW aircraft. SLEP at Philadelphia Navy Yard 4/1985 to mid-1988.
Replaced Midwayas forward-deployed carrier in Japan, 1991. Island was extensively enlarged during SLEP and other modernizations. Replaced by Kitty Hawk in July 1998 and decommissioned to reserve on 30 September 1998. Struck from the Navy list on 8 March 2004.
Status:Stricken, to be disposed of (Maintenance Category X).
Planned disposition:In April 2004 Navy officials identified ex-Independence as one of 24 decommissioned ships available to be sunk as artificial reefs. As of February 2008, however, she was scheduled to be dismantled in the next five years.