The USS Lexington was built and commissioned in 1943 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and was in operation until 1991, when it was decommissioned and converted into a national exhibit. The Lexington set the most records for this class of ship and spent 21 months in combat during WWII. It was nicknamed “The Blue Ghost” by the Japanese because they reported it sunk 4 times, only to have it continue showing up in more battles.
Vince and I toured the Lexington where it is docked in Corpus Christi. As can be expected, it is massive, and we spent all day going through the ship and learning it’s history and role in WWII. The exhibits were very well prepared with lots of detail and actual memorabilia from members of the crew. There are 5 areas that you go through on the tour, at different levels of the ship and on the flight deck where there are quite a few aircraft to see. One of the fighter jets is the one flown by Maverick and Goose in the “Top Gun” movie – it is surprising how large the fighter jet is when you get right up to it.
For WWII buffs, this is a treasure of information.
Be First to Comment