USS Saratoga (CV-60)

USS Saratoga (CV-60) was a ''Forrestal''-class supercarrier of the United States Navy. Commissioned in 1956, she was the sixth U.S. Navy vessel to bear the name, honoring the pivotal American Revolutionary War Battles of Saratoga. Over her 38-year career, *Saratoga* served as a central component of U.S. Sixth Fleet and Second Fleet operations, participating in major events from the Cold War to the Gulf War.

Design and construction

The ship was ordered on 23 July 1952 as part of the inaugural class of American supercarriers designed from the keel up to operate jet aircraft. Her construction was awarded to the New York Naval Shipyard in Brooklyn, with her keel laid down on 16 December 1952. The design incorporated an Angled flight deck, a Steam catapult, and an advanced Mirror landing system, innovations that defined United States naval aviation for decades. Sponsored by Mrs. Robert B. Carney, wife of the Chief of Naval Operations, she was launched on 8 October 1955. Following fitting-out, *Saratoga* was commissioned on 14 April 1956 under the command of Captain R.J. Stroh.

Service history

After shakedown operations in the Caribbean Sea and off Guantanamo Bay, *Saratoga* transferred to the Mediterranean Sea for her first deployment with the Sixth Fleet in 1957. She was a key naval presence during numerous Cold War crises, including the 1958 Lebanon crisis and the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962, where she enforced the quarantine of Cuba. In 1965, she was transferred to the Atlantic Fleet homeported at Mayport, Florida. During the Vietnam War, she completed seven combat deployments to Tonkin Gulf, with her air wings flying thousands of sorties over North Vietnam and South Vietnam. In 1972, aircraft from her air wing participated in Operation Linebacker. The 1980s saw her involved in operations off Lebanon following the 1983 Beirut barracks bombings and in the Gulf of Sidra against Libyan forces. Her final major conflict was Operation Desert Storm in 1991, where she launched combat sorties from the Red Sea against targets in Iraq and Kuwait.

Decommissioning and fate

Following her return from the Gulf War, *Saratoga* was scheduled for a major Service Life Extension Program overhaul, but budget cuts led to its cancellation. She was decommissioned in a ceremony at Naval Station Mayport on 20 August 1994, after 38 years of service. Stricken from the Naval Vessel Register the same day, she was initially placed in the Reserve Fleet at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Multiple attempts to preserve her as a museum ship, including efforts by groups in Rhode Island and Florida, ultimately failed due to the high cost of preparation. After years in mothballs at Newport, Rhode Island, the Department of Defense authorized her disposal. The carrier was sold for scrap in May 2014 and towed to Brownsville, Texas, where dismantling began in 2015 and was completed in 2019.

Awards and legacy

Over her long career, USS *Saratoga* earned numerous unit awards, including one Navy Unit Commendation and one Meritorious Unit Commendation. She was also awarded eight battle stars for service in the Vietnam War and one for the Gulf War. Her legacy is carried on by the active USS Saratoga Museum Foundation and numerous veterans' associations. The ship's name, echoing the historic American victory at Saratoga, and her motto, "*First to Fight*," remain iconic within U.S. Navy history, symbolizing a major chapter in the evolution of supercarrier naval power during the latter half of the 20th century.

Category:Forrestal-class aircraft carriers Category:Ships built in Brooklyn Category:1956 ships