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42 Years Ago Today- USS Forrestal

DeltaGuy From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 3189 times:

42 years ago today, a massive fire onboard the USS Forrestal erupted during strike operations on Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam. The fire nearly claimed the ship, but due to the bravery and heroism of her crew, the ship was spared and lived to fight for many more years.

134 brave American men lost their lives that day. They laid their lives on the alter of freedom and saved the lives of their fellow shipmates. Here's to remembering them and their selfless sacrifice.

DeltaGuy

9 replies: All unread, jump to last

Flighty From United States of America, joined Apr 2007, 7435 posts, RR: 2
Reply 1, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 3181 times:

Thanks for posting, not aware of this; before my time.

Forrestal seems to be currently at Newport, RI awaiting disposal at sea.

Nomadd22 From United States of America, joined Feb 2008, 1561 posts, RR: 0
Reply 2, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 5 days 2 hours ago) and read 3154 times:

That's still a standard firefighting lesson today. The courage of the men was without equal, but the techniques that were used are held up as examples of everything not to do when fighting a shipboard fire.

Andy Goetsch

GST From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2008, 927 posts, RR: 0
Reply 3, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 19 hours ago) and read 3066 times:

Truly a role model crew for seamen everywhere. If the carrier had been destroyed it would have caused all kinds of knock on effects in the Vietnam war, with the carrier force ending up being even more overstretched.

Par13del From Bahamas, joined Dec 2005, 5900 posts, RR: 8
Reply 4, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 15 hours ago) and read 3004 times:

Have to do some checking to see if this incident was before or after the Enterprise fire, I'm certain the lessons learned in fire fighting on carriers will ensure their sacrifice was not in vain.

Cudos to all involved, the Wings / Discovery channel had some documentaries on both incidents, the destroyer crews who pulled alongside to use their hoses while ordinance was still exploding also deserves mentions, the battle group did itself proud on that fateful day.

KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52
Reply 5, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 14 hours ago) and read 2978 times:

Quoting Par13del (Reply 4):
Have to do some checking to see if this incident was before or after the Enterprise fire,

Yes, the USS Forrestal fire was before the fires on USS Enterprise, USS Nimitz, and USS George Washington.

The Forrestal fire is taught even today as a great example of damage control while at sea.

RIP, my brothers and friends.

LMP737 From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR:
Reply 6, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 2879 times:

When I went through boot camp it was one of the films shown for damage control training. Quite an eye opener for an eighteen year old kid to say the least. On aircraft carriers today you can see the lessons incorporated into the design of the ship. For example bomb chutes on the flight deck to make jettisoning ordnance easier.

KC135TopBoom From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 11708 posts, RR: 52
Reply 7, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 14 hours ago) and read 2783 times:

Yes, it is really unfortunate that many of today's designs for warplanes and warships were written and drawn in the blood of our own.

Trigged From United States of America, joined Mar 2005, 497 posts, RR: 0
Reply 8, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 12 hours ago) and read 2759 times:

Quoting KC135TopBoom (Reply 7):
Yes, it is really unfortunate that many of today's designs for warplanes and warships were written and drawn in the blood of our own.

RIP to those who fought the good fight with everything. As for lessons in blood, we learn far more from our failures than we do from our successes. Sometimes the hard way is the only way we can learn the lesson, but to forget the lessons learned is where the true tragedy lays.

Gocaps16 From Japan, joined Jan 2000, 4298 posts, RR: 23
Reply 9, posted (3 years 9 months 3 weeks 3 days 5 hours ago) and read 2672 times:

Quoting LMP737 (Reply 6):
When I went through boot camp it was one of the films shown for damage control training.

They still show that video too. Even when I was in boot camp 7 years ago, I still remembered it. Always a lessons learned video, and can happen anytime again.

RIP sailors.

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