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U.S.S. Essex/CV-9
U.S.S. Essex/CV-9
[Source: U.S. Navy]
USS Essex (CV/CVA/CVS-9) was an aircraft carrier, the lead ship of the 24-ship Essex class built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars. Decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, she was modernized and recommissioned in the early 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA), and then eventually became an antisubmarine aircraft carrier (CVS). In her second career she served mainly in the Atlantic, playing a role in the Cuban missile crisis. She also participated in the Korean War, earning four battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation. She was the primary recovery carrier for the Apollo 7 space mission.

She was decommissioned for the last time in 1969 and sold for scrap in 1975.

Name: U.S.S. Essex
Class: Essex
Hull Number: 9
Builder: Newport News Shipbuilding
Laid down: 28 April 1941
Launched: 31 July 1942
 Commissioned:
  31 December 1942
  15 January 1951
Decommissioned:
  9 January 1947
  30 June 1969
Struck: 1 June 1973
Sources:
Wikipedia
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