It came to an inglorious end in 1946, when it was sunk off the Bikini Atoll during atomic-bomb testing. The current Saratoga was commissioned in April 1956. During active deployment, the 1,063-foot carrier, which stretches 25 stories from keel to mast, was home to more than 5,500 men and women. Inside the carrier, paint peels in sheets off the walls and ceilings. The floor around the ship's flight hangar is littered with piles of paint chips, dirt, dust and feathers.
Mildew stains carpets and standing water fills some doorways.
Old letters and photos of girlfriends crowd some old crew bunks. Much of the equipment on the ship, including instruments in the bridge, command and communication center, has been destroyed or removed. Today, the ship is used by the Navy for experimental purposes. Navy officials refuse to elaborate. But others say the ship is being used for testing and evaluating new carrier design.