A long-serving aircraft carrier, one that started its life in Hampton Roads, is in its final days.
The former USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67) left Philadelphia Thursday for its final voyage. The ship will sail down the Delaware River and along the East Coast, on its way to Brownsville, Texas, where it will be dismantled.
The Kennedy, which sailors came to know as “Big John,” started its life at what was then called Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company. Workers laid down the keel of the ship in October 1964. Just under three years later, the ship was launched and commissioned. The late president’s daughter, Caroline Kennedy, served as the ship’s sponsor.
Watch previous coverage: HII tests topside electromagnetic aircraft launch on carrier John F. Kennedy
The Kennedy marks a significant moment in naval history. It was the last conventionally-powered aircraft carrier built by the Navy before switching over to nuclear power.
It served on 18 deployments in its 39 years of service, primarily in the Mediterranean Sea. It spent time in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in the fall and winter of 1982 for an overhaul and rehabilitation.
The Kennedy continued its service until time caught up with it in the mid-2000s. Various parts of the ship, including the catapults and arresting gear needed to launch aircraft, were decertified, meaning they could no longer be used. At the end of its life, it was only certified for helicopter operations.
The ship left Norfolk for the last time in February 2007 on its final cruise under its own power, making a stop in Boston before its boilers were extinguished for the final time in Mayport, Florida a month later.
The Kennedy was decommissioned in March 2007 and towed to Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, where it spent the last 17 years in storage.
While CV-67 will be cut up for scrap, a new John F. Kennedy is on the way.
Workers at Newport News Shipbuilding, now owned by HII, are in the latter stages of work on what will become the new U.S.S. John F. Kennedy. The Gerald R. Ford-class carrier, which will be designated CVN-79, is set to be delivered to the Navy and commissioned later this year.
