The USS Saratoga in New York Bay.
Above is a picture of the famous navy supercarrier the USS Saratoga as it leaves New York City. This photograph was taken in the 1957 as the ship was leaving its storage in the New York Naval Shipyard.
The ship was released ready for action after going through some minor yard work there. The Saratoga was launched officially in 1955 and was the first navy carrier to utilize high pressure boilers. It was determined that the carrier would be given the home port of Naval Station Mayport in Mayport Florida.
One of the vessel’s crowning achievements during its long life was carrying president Dwight Eisenhower for a naval operations demonstration. Highlighting the demonstration was demonstrations for strafing and bombing runs, along with having the deck of the Saratoga act as the final landing spot for two F8U Crusaders as they flew from one end of the nation to another.
The Saratoga was invaluable for national defense as well. The boat was outfitted with weapons such as subsonic guided missiles, which were the Navy’s first weapons system invented for nuclear deterrence. It participated in joint naval maneuvers between NATO Counties in 1957 at Operation Strikeback. Continuously it would be used as a part of the Atlantic and Mediterranean fleets to help keep the nation safe.
During the Vietnam War the ship was also deployed to Tonkin Gulf to aid operations in that area. Afterwards, it would return to its previous role as guardian of the Atlantic. In 1994 the Saratoga was officially decommissioned and struck from Navy registers.
Writer / Quiz Creator
Andrew Nicholas is a passionate reader and writer on the subjects of history and mankind. He is a published author, critic, and poet who grew up in the friendly scenery of rural Ohio. He is a graduate of Wright State University and a regular student of historical curiosities.