USS Forrestal ( CV - 59 ) The USS " Forrestal " ( CV - 59 ) , formerly AVT - 59 and CVA - 59 , is a supercarrier that was named after former Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal and was the lead ship of her class of aircraft carrier s . The other carriers of her class were the , and . She superseded " Shinano " of World War II vintage as the largest aircraft carrier ever built by full load displacement and was the first to specifically support jet aircraft . The ship was affectionately called " The FID " , because James Forrestal was the first ever Secretary of Defense , FID standing for " First In Defense " . This is also the slogan on the ship ' s insignia and patch . She was also informally known in the fleet as the " USS Zippo " and " Forest Fire " or " Firestal " because of a number of highly publicized fires on board , most notably a 1967 incident in which 134 sailors died and 161 were injured . " Forrestal " was launched 11 December 1954 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Co . , Newport News , Virginia , sponsored by Josephine Forrestal , widow of Secretary Forrestal ; and commissioned 1 October 1955 , Captain R . L . Johnson in command . The construction cost of the " Forrestal " just before commissioning was estimated to be $ 218 million . Design features . " Forrestal " was the first American aircraft carrier to be constructed with an angled flight deck , steam catapult , and an optical landing system , as opposed to having them installed after launching . The original design — USS " United States " — provided for the island to retract flush with the deck during flight operations , but that was found to be too complicated . Another solution was considered where the two masts were to fold down , in lieu of the retractable island , to allow the carrier to pass under the Brooklyn Bridge . The larger center mast was to fold to the side and rest on the flight deck , and the smaller mast was to fold to toward the stern . 1956 – 1962 . From her home port , Norfolk , Virginia , " Forrestal " spent the first year of service in intensive training operations off the Virginia Capes and in the Caribbean . An important assignment was training aviators in the use of her advanced facilities . During this time she often operated out of Mayport , Florida . On 7 November 1956 , she put to sea from Mayport to operate in the eastern $ 3 during the Suez Crisis , ready to enter the Mediterranean Sea should it be necessary . She returned to Norfolk 12 December to prepare for her first deployment with the 6th Fleet in the Mediterranean , for which she sailed 15 January 1957 . On this , as on her succeeding tours of duty in the Mediterranean , " Forrestal " visited many ports to " show the flag " and take on board dignitaries and the general public . For military observers she staged underway demonstrations to illustrate her capacity to bring air power to and from the sea in military operations on any scale . She returned to Norfolk 22 July 1957 for exercises off the North Carolina coast in preparation for her first NATO operation , Operation Strikeback in the North Sea . This deployment , between 3 September and 22 October , found her visiting Southampton , UK , as well as drilling in the highly important task of coordinating United States naval power with that of other NATO nations . The next year found " Forrestal " participating in a series of major fleet exercises as well as taking part in experimental flight operations . During the Lebanon Crisis of summer 1958 , the carrier was again called upon to operate in the eastern Atlantic to back up naval operations in the Mediterranean . She sailed from Norfolk 11 July to embark an air group at Mayport 2 days later , then patrolled the Atlantic until returning to Norfolk 17 July . On her second tour of duty in the Mediterranean , from 2 September 1958 to 12 March 1959 , " Forrestal " again combined a program of training , patrol , and participation in major exercises with ceremonial , hospitality and public visiting . Her guest list during this cruise was headed by United States Secretary of Defense N . H . McElroy . Returning to Norfolk , she continued the never - ending task of training new aviators , constantly maintaining her readiness for instant reaction to any demand for her services brought on by international events . Visitors during the year included King Hussein of Jordan . " Forrestal " again went to the 6th Fleet between 28 January 1960 and 31 August , visiting the ports typical of a Mediterranean deployment as well as Split , then in Yugoslavia . Again she was open for visitors at many ports , as well as taking part in the patrol and training schedule of the 6th Fleet . She completed another deployment to 6th Fleet January 1961 to August 1961 , after which she entered a yard period where the six arresting wires were replaced with four , freed 03 level spaces were converted to berthing areas , and the right side flight deck mirror landing system was replaced with a permanent Fresnel lens in the port catwalk , among other updates . She conducted a shakedown cruise to Guantanamo Bay in January 1962 with port calls in Port - au - Prince , Haiti , and Port of Spain , Trinidad . She then acted as the defending carrier in an amphibious force landing exercise on Vieques Island ; it was the largest assembled naval force since the Korean War . " Forrestal " with Vice - President Lyndon B . Johnson aboard , and " Enterprise " with President John F . Kennedy aboard hosted many foreign ambassadors , military attaches , and other diplomats for a Naval Air Power demonstration off the Virginia capes in June 1962 . " Forrestal " deployed to the Mediterranean again on 3 August 1962 to 2 March 1963 as flagship for Commander Carrier Division Four ( ComCarDiv 4 ) participating in NATO exercises in the Atlantic and western Mediterranean with " Enterprise " , British and French carriers . Cross deck operations were conducted with HMS Ark Royal . 1963 – 1967 . " Forrestal " made history in November 1963 when on the 8th , 21st and 22nd , LT James H . Flatley III and his crew members , LCDR " Smokey " Stovall and Aviation Machinist ' s Mate ( Jets ) 1st Class Ed Brennan , made 21 full - stop landings and takeoffs in a C - 130 Hercules aboard the ship . The tests were conducted 500 miles ( 900 km ) out in the $ 3 off the coast of Massachusetts . In so doing , " Forrestal " and the C - 130 set a record for the largest and heaviest airplane landing on a Navy aircraft carrier . The Navy was trying to determine whether the big Hercules could serve as a " Super - COD " , or " Carrier Onboard Delivery " aircraft . The problem was there was no aircraft which could replenish a carrier in mid - ocean . The Hercules was stable and reliable , and had a long cruising range and high payload . The tests were more than successful . At 85 , 000 pounds ( 38 . 6 t ) , the KC - 130F came to a complete stop within 267 feet ( 81 m ) , and at the maximum load , the plane used only 745 feet ( 227 m ) for take - off . The Navy concluded that with the C - 130 Hercules , it would be possible to lift 25 , 000 pounds ( 11 t ) of cargo 2 , 500 statute miles ( 4 , 000 km ) and land it on a carrier . However , the idea was considered too risky for routine COD operations . The aircraft was also too large to fit on the carrier ' s elevators or in its hangars , severely hampering operations . The C - 2 Greyhound program was developed and the first of these planes became operational in 1965 . For his effort , the Navy awarded Lt . Flatley the Distinguished Flying Cross . The Hercules used , BuNo 149798 , was retired to the National Naval Aviation Museum at NAS Pensacola , Florida , in May , 2003 . In 1964 , in what was known as Operation Brother Sam , U . S . president Lyndon B . Johnson sent the " Forrestal " to support a military coup d ' état against Brazilian president João Goulart . The USS " Forrestal " was sent to the waters off of Rio de Janeiro with orders to support the coup under the guise of a military exercise . The coup was successful and led to a twenty year long military dictatorship in Brazil . 1967 fire . In July 1967 , " Forrestal " departed Norfolk for duty in waters off Vietnam . In the Gulf of Tonkin on 29 July , " Forrestal " had been launching aircraft from her flight deck . For four days , the planes of Attack Carrier Air Wing 17 flew about 150 missions against targets in North Vietnam from the ship . On 29 July 1967 , during preparation for another strike , a Zuni rocket installed on an F - 4 Phantom , misfired , impacting an armed A - 4 Skyhawk , side # 405 , parked on the port side ( U . S . Navy Judge Advocate General Investigation Report of USS FORRESTAL Incident ) , which was incidentally occupied at the time by Lt . Cdr . John S . McCain , III , future Senator and presidential candidate . The rocket ' s impact dislodged and ruptured the Skyhawk ' s 400 - gallon external fuel tank . Fuel from the leaking tank caught fire , creating a serious conflagration that burned for hours , killing 134 , injuring 161 , destroying 21 aircraft and costing the Navy US $ 72 million . 1968 – 1975 . " Forrestal " was deployed to Mediterranean waters four times between 1968 and 1973 . She also sped to Tunisia for rescue operations in the flooded Medjerda River Valley near Tunis . The ship logged three more Mediterranean deployments between 1973 and 1975 . On 22 July 1974 , as a result of ongoing conflict between Turkish and Greek Cypriot forces on Cyprus , the U . S . Ambassador to Cyprus Roger Davies requested the evacuation of U . S . citizens from that island nation . In a joint Navy - Marine Corps effort , HMM - 162 from the 6th Fleet amphibious assault ship evacuated 466 people , 384 of them U . S . citizens , in only five hours . " Forrestal " provided air cover for that operation . In October 1968 , a routine night launch of an E - 2A from VAW - 123 led the way for all launches aboard Forrestal . The crew members were LCDR Paul Martin Wright ( Operations Officer ) , LCDR James Leo Delaney ( Maintenance Officer ) , LTJG Howard Booth Rutledge ( Personnel Officer ) , LTJG Frank J . Frederick ( Asst . Maintenance Officer ) , and AT1 David E . Carpenter ( Avionics Dept ) . The flight was routine . All aircraft recovered as usual until the VAW - 123 E - 2A , which was the last plane to recover . The aircraft boltered and went off the angled deck and into the water , nose first . When it hit the water , the aircraft flipped over onto its back , breaking its radar dome off and sank within minutes . The dome floated and was recovered . Immediately , helicopters moved into the area for search and rescue operations . AT1 David E . Carpenter and LTJG Frank J . Frederick were rescued without serious injury . Lost at sea were LCDR Wright , LCDR Delaney , and LTJG Rutledge . On 10 July 1972 , while moored at Pier 12 , Norfolk , the " Forrestal " was once again the scene of a catastrophic fire in an O - 3 level computer room ( just under the flight deck ) which was set by a crewmember . A hole was cut in the flight deck in order to reach the fire from above and hundreds of gallons of water were pumped into the space . This ruined all of the computer equipment and the ship took on an exaggerated list , prompting concern that she might capsize . The ship returned to the yards at Portsmouth and three months later was at last able to relieve the , which had to serve an extended Mediterranean deployment while the " Forrestal " was being repaired . Electrician ' s Mate Robert Horan , who was aboard at the time , recalls in a memoir " [ The fire did ] over seven million dollars in damage . The news videos . . . show [ ed ] the flight deck glowing red . We went back to Portsmouth for repairs and I believe we got most of the CIC and electronics equipment that was supposed to go on board the , then under construction . " In June 1974 , " Forrestal " sent a contingent of 34 sailors and 2 officers to represent the US Navy at the 30th anniversary of D - Day at Normandy , France . The group marched in various parades at the Normandy Beaches on 6 June 1974 as well as Cherbourg , France and was well received by the locals . The group was passed in review by retired Gen . Omar Bradley . This contingent of sailors were flown off of " Forrestal " by HS - 3 Sea Kings onto the deck of USS " Milwaukee " AOR - 2 , then taken to Rota , Spain . After a few days of refresher " marching " , flown to Cherbourg , France in a C - 130 . Following the celebrations , the group reunited with " Forrestal " at the island of Crete in mid June . 1975 – 1980 . On 30 June 1975 , " Forrestal " was reclassified a " Multi - purpose Aircraft Carrier " , CV - 59 . Also in 1975 " Forrestal " was selected to be host ship for the International Naval Review in New York City on the nation ' s Bicentennial . On 4 July 1976 , on " Forrestal " s flight deck , President Gerald Ford rang in the Bicentennial and reviewed over 40 tall ship s from countries around the world . Shortly after the review , " Forrestal " participated in a special shock test . It involved the detonation of high explosives near the hull to determine if a capital ship could withstand the strain of close quarter combat and still remain operational . In September 1977 , following a nine - month overhaul , " Forrestal " departed Norfolk and shifted her homeport to Mayport . The carrier left Mayport on Friday , 13 January 1978 for a three - week at - sea period in the Atlantic Fleet Weapons Training Facility ( AFWTF ) of the Roosevelt Roads Operating Area to complete the third phase of Type Commander ' s Training ( TYT - 3 ) , and to undergo the Operational Readiness Evaluation ( ORE ) . Tragedy struck " Forrestal " on the evening of 15 January as an A - 7 Corsair II from VA - 81 crashed on the flight deck , killing two deck crewmen and injuring 10 others . The pilot was operating without communication gear due to an onboard malfunction , and as he was making his approach , he saw that the " ball " was lit , a signal that indicates it is permissible to land . The pilot ejected safely after seeing that the deck was covered with parked and moving aircraft , by which time it was impossible to pull up . He was recovered , suffering only minor injuries . The plane crashed as the pilot attempted to land while the aft portion of the flight deck was crowded with aircraft and when a plane was being " respotted " ( moved ) to another portion of the ship ' s deck . The Corsair struck a parked A - 7 and an EA - 6B before careening across the deck in a ball of flames . A small fire on the aft portion of the deck , caused by fuel spilled during the crash , was extinguished within seconds . At the time of the accident " Forrestal " was operating about 49 miles ( 90 km ) off St . Augustine , Florida . A memorial service for the dead was held on board on 19 January . The ship returned to Mayport 3 February . " Forrestal " left Mayport for the Mediterranean on 4 April 1978 . At 22 : 00 on 8 April , just minutes after the ship had finished a general quarters drill , the crew was called to G . Q . again , but this time it was not a drill ; a fire had broken out in the Number Three Main Machinery Room . Freshly painted lagging in Three Main engine room had been set smoldering by hot steam lines . Watch - standers within the space activated an extinguishing system and had the fire out within seconds . Three days later the crew again was called to respond to another emergency G . Q . At midnight on 11 April , fire was discovered in a catapult steam trunk in the forward part of the ship at about the 01 level , and another fire was found in an adjoining storeroom minutes later . The at - sea fire brigade , working with area repair lockers , had the fires out within the hour . On 10 May 1978 , flooding which began in a pump room in the aft portion of the ship rose to a height of before it was controlled and spread into food storage rooms , destroying most of the ship ' s stocks of fresh milk and produce . Divers from the ship ' s Explosive Ordnance Disposal ( EOD ) team dropped into the pump room to plug the leak . Total damage from the flooding was estimated at $ 30 , 000 . From 19 to 29 May 1978 , " Forrestal " participated in Operation Dawn Patrol , the first of three NATO exercises the ship would be involved in during the deployment . Dawn Patrol involved air and ground forces and over 80 ships from six NATO countries . " Forrestal " s role during the exercise included protecting a Turkish amphibious task group and working with and the French carrier " Foch " to defend against simulated " enemy " ships and aircraft . During this sea period two separate air crashes on successive days left one pilot dead and another injured . On 24 June 1978 , LCDR T . P . Anderson , Operations Officer for Carrier Air Wing Seventeen , was killed when his A - 7E Corsair II crashed into the sea during a practice bombing mission . On 25 June a pilot from VA - 83 , also flying an A - 7E , ejected shortly after takeoff , suffering minor injuries . A rescue crew aboard an SH - 3D Sea King helicopter from HS - 3 recovered the pilot and returned to the ship within eight minutes after the crash . Both accidents occurred as the ship was operating in the Ionian Sea , east of Sicily . From 4 to 19 September 1978 , " Forrestal " participated in the massive NATO exercise Northern Wedding , which included over 40 , 000 men , 22 submarines , and 800 rotary and fixed - wing aircraft from nine NATO countries . Northern Wedding , which took place every four years , practiced NATO ' s ability to reinforce and resupply Europe in times of tension or war . During the exercise " Forrestal " and the British aircraft carrier HMS " Ark Royal " headed separate task groups , steaming in a two - carrier formation to gain sea control and deploying their aircraft in support of mock amphibious landings in the Shetland Islands and Jutland , Denmark . From 28 September to 10 October , " Forrestal " participated in Display Determination , the third and final NATO exercise of the deployment . The operation , involving ships , aircraft , and personnel from eight NATO countries , was designed to practice rapid reinforcement and resupply of the southern European region in times of tension or war . " Forrestal " arrived in Rota , Spain , on 11 October for the last overseas port stop of the deployment . On 13 October 1978 , the ship put to sea to conduct a one - day exercise with a task group of deploying U . S . ships headed by the aircraft carrier . Air Wing Seventeen ' s planes conducted mock attacks on the task group to allow the ships to practice anti - air warfare . " Forrestal " returned to Rota late in the evening on the 13th . Before dawn on 15 October , " Forrestal " departed Rota and outchopped from the Sixth Fleet , having been relieved by " Saratoga " . On the homeward transit , " Forrestal " took an extreme northerly course as part of a special operation code - named Windbreak . Commander Second Fleet , Vice Adm . Wesley L . McDonald , embarked in " Forrestal " for the exercise . Windbreak was designed to introduce U . S . sailors and equipment to relatively unfamiliar waters and conditions , and to gauge Soviet interest in U . S . ships in transit to and from the Mediterranean . During the exercise , " Forrestal " traveled as far north as 62 degrees latitude , 150 miles ( 280 km ) south of Iceland , encountering seas to 34 feet ( 10 m ) , winds in excess of 70 knots ( 130 km / h ) , and a wind chill factor that drove the temperature as far down as 0 degrees . Also participating in Windbreak were the guided missile cruiser and the destroyer . " Forrestal " returned to Mayport on 26 October 1978 . On 13 November " Forrestal " commenced a four - month period of upkeep and repair known as an Extended Selected Restricted Availability ( ESRA ) , to be conducted as the ship was moored alongside the carrier pier in Mayport . " Forrestal " ended 1978 as she had started it , moored to the carrier pier in Mayport . After completing two more Mediterranean cruises , she celebrated her silver anniversary in October 1980 . 1981 – 1987 . On 2 March 1981 , " Forrestal " began her 16th Mediterranean deployment and second quarter century of naval service . During the Syria / Israel missile crisis , " Forrestal " maintained a high state of readiness for 53 consecutive days at sea . In a Gulf of Sidra exercise , two Libyan aircraft were shot down after firing upon F - 14 s from " Nimitz " over international waters . " Forrestal " aircraft made more than 60 % of all the intercepts of Libyan planes . After departing the Mediterranean she operated above the Arctic Circle as part of NATO Ocean Venture ' 81 . After a repair period , " Forrestal " deployed for her 17th Mediterranean cruise on 8 June 1982 , and operated in the eastern Mediterranean in support of the Lebanon Contingency Force of 800 U . S . Marines in Beirut . On 12 September 1982 , after transiting the Suez Canal for the first time in her 28 - year history , she entered the Indian Ocean . This marked the first time that " Forrestal " had operated with 7th Fleet since the 1967 Vietnam cruise . " Forrestal " completed the five and one - half - month deployment with a nighttime arrival at Mayport on 16 November and immediately began preparing for the Service Life Extension Program ( SLEP ) . The ship shifted homeport to Philadelphia on 18 January 1983 , and embarked on the 28 - month , $ 550 million SLEP , designed to extend the life of U . S . aircraft carriers another 15 to 20 years . During " Forrestal " s SLEP the ship was completely emptied and most major equipment was removed for rework or replacement . " Forrestal " s successful SLEP period was completed on time when the ship left Philadelphia on 20 May 1985 . After completing a four - day transit to her homeport of Mayport , " Forrestal " immediately began a workup cycle in preparation for her first deployment in over four years . " Forrestal " departed Mayport on 2 June 1986 , on her 18th deployment . During this cruise , " Forrestal " aircraft frequently operated in the international airspace of the Tripoli Flight region , the international air traffic control sector of Libya . " Forrestal " also participated in Operation Sea Wind a joint U . S . - Egypt ian training exercise and Display Determination , which featured low - level coordinated strikes and air combat maneuvering training over Turkey . In 1987 , " Forrestal " went through yet another period of pre - deployment workups . This included refresher training , carrier qualifications , and a six - week deployment to the North Atlantic to participate in Ocean Safari ' 87 . In this exercise , " Forrestal " operated with NATO forces in the fjords of Norway . " Forrestal " in New Orleans . The ship and crew performed so well in Ocean Safari ' 87 that the " Forrestal " s commanding officer , Captain John A . Pieno Jr . , recommended that the ship be granted a special liberty call in the United States as a reward . Special liberty calls serve to reward Navy personnel with a trip to other parts of the U . S . and provides Americans who would normally never see warships and planes an up close look at life in the United States Navy . Captain Pieno being a native of New Orleans , Louisiana , decided that New Orleans , during her Mardi Gras celebration , would be the perfect location to show off his pride and joy . During her trip to New Orleans " Forrestal " broke another record by becoming the largest ship to sail on the Mississippi River . Also during her four days in the Big Easy she accommodated tours for over 40 , 000 visitors . The tour included viewings and descriptions of all her aircraft , damage control demonstrations , and the crowd ' s favorite , a ride on one of her four aircraft elevators . 1988 – 1993 . " Forrestal " departed on her 19th major deployment on 25 April 1988 . She steamed directly to the North Arabian Sea via the Suez Canal in support of America ' s Earnest Will operations in the region . She spent 108 consecutive days at sea before her first liberty port . During the five and one - half month deployment , " Forrestal " operated in three ocean areas and spent only 15 days in port . She returned on 7 October 1988 , and received the Meritorious Unit Commendation for her superior operational performance during the deployment . After a brief stand down period followed by local operations , " Forrestal " participated in New York City ' s Fleet Week in May 1989 , and then commenced preparations for her next deployment . Also in 1989 , she won the Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award for the Atlantic Fleet . " Forrestal " s departure for her 20th major deployment was delayed when a fire caused major damage to a primary command and control trunk space . Through the efforts of the ship ' s crew and civilian contractors , " Forrestal " was able to depart for her deployment on 6 November 1989 , completing the necessary repairs well ahead of projections . The 9 October 1989 fire caused around $ 2 . 5 million in damage and injured 11 sailors . The final two months of 1989 proved exciting . Beyond the " routine " exercises and training initiatives , " Forrestal " s crew became part of history , as they provided support to President George H . W . Bush during his Malta Summit . The support included a three - hour Presidential visit to the ship . " Forrestal " participated in numerous exercises during this deployment including Harmonie Sud , Tunisian Amphibious and National Week . She returned to Mayport on 12 April 1990 , ending a deployment which had included nine port visits in seven different countries . After a post deployment stand down , " Forrestal " completed a drydocking selected restricted availability at Mayport from 14 May 1990 – 27 August 1990 . From September to November 1990 , " Forrestal " underwent repairs at Norfolk Naval Shipyard . Repairs included work on the catapult system , hull and other changes to accommodate the F / A - 18 Hornet . " Forrestal " returned to Mayport 21 November 1990 . One source reports that in 1990 , " Forrestal " took part in Operation Pokeweed in which SEAL Team Six was deployed off the coast of Panama to apprehend Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar . However , the ship ' s history does not show that " Forrestal " was operating near Panama in 1990 . The year 1991 was a year of anticipation and change for " Forrestal " and its crew , as she spent the first five months maintaining combat readiness as the east coast ready carrier . Maintaining a hectic and challenging period of at - sea operations , " Forrestal " s anticipated deployment in support of Operation Desert Storm was not to be , and orders to deploy were canceled twice during the conflict . The call to deploy finally came and " Forrestal " commenced the 21st and final operational deployment on 30 May 1991 . No less challenging than the months of maintaining readiness for combat , " Forrestal " s deployment was repeatedly referred to as " transitional . " During the ensuing nine months , " Forrestal " was called upon to provide air power presence and airborne intelligence support for Operation Provide Comfort , and to initiate , test and evaluate a wide range of innovative Sixth Fleet battle group tactics and new carrier roles . The year ended with " Forrestal " making advanced preparations for a change of homeport to Pensacola , Florida , and the transition into a new role as the Navy ' s training carrier , replacing . " Forrestal " was redesignated AVT - 59 and arrived in Pensacola on 4 February . The ship and crew returned to New Orleans for a visit in May , 1992 . " Forrestal " arrived in Philadelphia 14 September 1992 to begin a 14 - month , $ 157 million complex overhaul prior to assuming duties as a training carrier . In early 1993 , however , the Navy decided to decommission " Forrestal " and leave the Navy without a dedicated training carrier . Decommissioning and fate . After more than 38 years of service , " Forrestal " was decommissioned 11 September 1993 at Pier 6E in Philadelphia , and was stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day . After being stricken , ex - " Forrestal " was heavily stripped to support the rest of the carrier fleet . On June 16 , 1999 , the Navy announced the ship would be available for donation to an eligible organization for use as a museum or memorial . The USS " Forrestal " Museum Inc . began a campaign to obtain the ship from the Navy via donation , for use as a museum , to be located in Baltimore , but this plan was not successful . No other viable applications were received and the vessel was removed from donation hold in December 2003 and redesignated for disposal . According to the NVR , efforts were made to determine its viability to be " donated for use as fishing reef . " In 2007 , the ship was environmentally prepared for sinking as an artificial reef as was USS " Oriskany " . Due to elements of the " Forrestal " design having led directly to current aircraft carrier design , it was intended the ship be donated to a state and sunk to become a deep water reef , for fishery propagation and not be accessible to divers . That plan never materialized . On 15 June 2010 , " Forrestal " departed Naval Station Newport in Newport , Rhode Island , where she had been stored since 1998 , under tow for the inactive ship storage facility in Philadelphia and tied up at Pier 4 , next to . On 26 January 2012 , the Navy ' s Naval Sea Systems Command posted a notice of solicitation for the towing and complete dismantlement of multiple CV - 59 / CV - 63 Class aircraft carriers in the United States , to include ex - " Forrestal " ( CV 59 ) , ex - " Independence " ( CV 62 ) , ex - " Saratoga " ( CV60 ) , and ex - " Constellation " ( CV 64 ) . These solicitations were posted in May 2012 and subsequently awarded to three successful offerors , pending they receive the facility security clearance required as part of the contract award . After the initial award of one carrier to each successful offeror , this contract provides the Navy with the capability to scrap other decommissioned conventionally - powered aircraft carriers over a five - year period . In October 2013 , it was announced the Forrestal had been sold for a penny and would be scrapped in Brownsville , Texas .