USS Oriskany

## USS Oriskany (CV/CVA-34)

USS Oriskany

USS Oriskany was an Essex-class Carrier of the United States Navy. She was one of few completed after World War 2. She served from 1950 to 1976 before being sunk as a reef in 2006. The vessel was named for the Battle of Oriskany.

### Career

Oriskany departed New York on December 6th, 1950 for carrier qualification tests. She embarked Carrier Air Group 1 after following a Christmas call. After receiving upgrades she embarked Carrier Air Group 4 for training off Jacksonville. Then, she deployed to the Mediterranean with the United States 6th Fleet.

Following carrier qualifications for Carrier Air Group 19, USS Oriskany departed from San Diego towards Korea to aid the United Nations. She joined Task Force 77 and her pilots accounted for 2 MiG-15 kills and did a lot of combat air support. On March 6, 1953, a bomb fell from an F4U Corsair and detonated, killing 3 and injuring 11. She returned home after a pit stop at Yokosuka, Japan, on May 18.

Following readiness training off the California coast, she departed San Francisco on September 13, 1953. She joined the United States 7th Fleet to watch over the uneasy truce in Korea. She cruised coastal Asia for 3-4 months before returning to San Francisco Naval Shipyard for an overhaul. She participated in the production of *The Bridges at Toko-Ri,* standing in for USS Savo Island.

USS Oriskany entered the SCB-125A modernization program. She underwent the upgrades at San Francisco From August 1956 to January 1957. Afterwards, she departed for a shakedown out of San Diego, carrying Carrier Air Group 14 along with her.

She deployed to East Asia with Carrier Air Group 16 from June 7 to December 17, 1962. Upon return to San Diego, she underwent a training cruise off the US Pacific coast.

She headed to Subic Bay, arriving on April 24, 1963. USS Oriskany supported ARVN forces in Saigon during the coup d'etat. Her aircraft flew 12,000 missions from then to mid-1965. She returned to San Francisco on December 16, 1965.

She returned to South Vietnam in 1966, continuing her strikes against the NVA and Vietcong.

On station in October 1966, a magnesium parachute flare erupted in flames, creating a large fire that killed 44 men and swept through 5 decks. Oriskany was aided by other vessels and by October 28 was in Subic Bay, unloading wounded victims and receiving repairs. Repairs were completed in San Francisco in 1967.

As if in reverse, USS Oriskany sent aid to USS Forrestal during its incident in 1967. She unloaded fire-scalded sailors and sent medical aid aboard as well.

Oriskany continued to strike positions in Vietnam until 1968. She returned home but came back later, in 1969, continuing attacks on North Vietnam with Carrier Air Wing 19.

She was stationed at Yankee Station for some time, providing air cover over the 19th Parallel. She launched many airstrikes using the A-7 Corsair II, as well as the A-4 Skyhawk. These were useful as Oriskany was a smaller carrier.

She embarked F-8 Crusaders and her pilots scored several kills over Vietnam. She lost a few pilots as well, mostly those in A-4 Skyhawks.

In 1970, a pilot crashed while landing aboard the carrier.

After Vietnam, USS Oriskany was decommissioned. She spent 30 years in port before being towed to a sinking site and sunk as an artificial reef. The vessel landed perfectly as if it was floating still. It is a very popular diving site.