Taking a step back in time … aboard the USS Lexington

We had the opportunity to tour the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay in Corpus Christi earlier this year and it exceeded our expectations immensely. A visit there should be high on the bucket list for anyone who is a WWII enthusiast or a military history buff.

It was a humbling experience, and we were reminded frequently that as a former U.S. Navy vessel, the ship has steep stairways, low overhangs and some hazards to look out for.

Built by Bethlehem Steel Corp., the USS Lexington was launched Sept. 26, 1942, and commissioned Feb. 17, 1943. She set more records than any other Essex Class carrier in the history of naval aviation. The ship was the oldest working carrier in the U.S. Navy when decommissioned in 1991.

After training maneuvers and a shakedown cruise, the USS Lexington joined the Fifth Fleet, formerly the Central Pacific Force, at Pearl Harbor. During World War II, the carrier participated in nearly every major operation in the Pacific Theater and spent a total of 21 months in combat. Her planes destroyed 372 enemy aircraft in the air, and 475 more on the ground. She sank or destroyed 300,000 tons of enemy cargo and damaged an additional 600,000 tons. The ship’s guns shot down 15 planes and assisted in downing five more.

The Japanese reported that the USS Lexington sank no less than four times. Yet, each time she returned to fight again, leading the propagandist Tokyo Rose to nickname her “The Blue Ghost.” The name is a tribute to the ship and the crew and air groups that served aboard her. “The Blue Ghost” was also the first aircraft carrier to welcome women serving aboard in 1980.

After the war, the USS Lexington was briefly decommissioned (1947-1955). When reactivated, she operated primarily with the Seventh Fleet out of San Diego, Calif. Although not involved in actual combat, she kept an offshore vigil during tensions in Formosa, Laos and Cuba.

During the 40 years that the USS Lexington served on active duty, she had the distinction of five designations – aircraft carrier (1943), attack aircraft carrier (1952), anti-submarine aircraft carrier (1962), training aircraft carrier (1969) and auxiliary aircraft landing training ship (1970).

As one of the longest serving and most decorated aircraft carriers in the world, the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay offers a truly unique experience to all who visit. While guided tours are available, we opted instead for a self-guided tour so we could explore at our own pace. There are five different tour routes covering 100,000 square feet and eleven decks, with each beginning and ending on the hangar deck. The routes may be taken in any order. Each one is unique and features multiple interactive displays.

The most popular of the five tour routes is the “Flight Deck” which includes an up close look at 20 aircraft aboard from the National Museum of Naval Aviation. You’ll also get a look at the anti-aircraft guns, landing gear – and get a true education in naval history.

High-speed catapult launches, arrested landings, air operations and aircraft refueling all took place on this 910-foot long and 142-foot-wide airport. The original flight deck was a long rectangle, but jet aircraft demanded a separate landing and take-off area, so in the 1950s she underwent major modifications, which allowed her to serve another 36 years. Points of interest on deck are take-off and landing control stations and arresting gear, anti-aircraft gun mounts and vintage aircraft.

The second tour route is the “Foc’sle” which is a vernacular for forecastle, a forward upper deck area that extends to the bow. The Foc’sle Tour begins on the starboard side of the hangar deck towards the bow, or front of the ship. The forecastle is the area of the ship where the equipment to raise and lower the anchors is located. Anchoring was a complex maneuver performed by boatswain mates (“bosuns”) who operated and maintained the equipment. The anchoring process was precisely coordinated between the bridge and the foc’sle. In addition to this equipment, the foc’sle area is now used for various exhibits.

One of the highlights of the “Foc’sle” is a state-of-the-art multi-media exhibit that features a film montage that retells the story of the attack on Pearl Harbor, enveloping you in this historic and devastating event. A graphic map of Pearl Harbor at a 1/2400 scale sets the scene with models of the ships docked in position, just as they were on the day of that fateful attack. The events unfold in front of your eyes through realistic battle animations, an 8,000-watt sound system, and transducers that shake the walkway with each rumbling explosion. To the side, you will see the Japanese plan of attack as a 1941 model radio fills the air with FDR’s famous address to Congress, “A Date Which Will Live in Infamy.”

Near the multi-media exhibit is the complete Pearl Harbor survivor license plate collection, a display that took over 20 years to complete and is one of only a handful ever assembled. The collection is dedicated to the members of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association.

Just below the flight deck is the Combat Information Center (CIC), which collected and evaluated all information on the status of USS Lexington, other friendly ships and enemy forces. The CIC directed the ship’s performance in close coordination with the air operations center (AirOps) and the carrier air traffic control center (CATCC) next door. The CIC is located on the tour route referred to as the “Gallery Deck,” which also includes the captain’s gallery and cabin and a library.

The “Lower Decks,” the fourth tour route, features the “Warbirds & Warships Scale Model Gallery.” Five years in the making and with over 490 pieces on display, it is the largest publicly exhibited model collection in Texas. More than 120 talented craftsmen spent many thousands of hours creating the models displayed in this must-see exhibit.

Also included on the lower decks are the crew’s galley, the dental clinic, the engine room, carrier row, sick bay and chapel, all of which allow visitors to see how the up to 3,000 crewmembers lived during months at sea.

The fifth and final tour route is the “Hangar Deck.” During wartime this deck stored as many as 60 aircraft. Maintenance, refueling and rearming of these aircraft took place here. Unchanged in size since WWII, the hangar deck measures 654 feet by 70 feet, is 17.5 feet high, and covers 40,000 square feet. The deck is divided into three bays that could be sealed off by electrically operated fire doors. Each bay contains its own conflagration station for station damage control.

Sprinkled throughout are numerous interesting bits of trivia about the USS Lexington. For example, you could park more than 1,000 automobiles on the Lexington’s flight deck. She has more sleeping space than the largest hotel in the world and carried enough fuel to sail a distance of 30,000 miles nonstop. The flight deck is equal to more than two acres. You could play three football games at the same time on the flight deck or 14 basketball games at the same time.

During her 40 years, she steamed a total of 209,000 miles which is the equivalent to eight times around the world. She has crossed the equator 14 times and the International Date Line six times. She has more telephones than a city of 5,000 and can produce enough electric power to supply a city of 150,000.

We spent about four and a half hours touring the USS Lexington. However, there is so much to see that one could easily spend the entire day. 

USS Lexington Museum on the Bay is located at 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd. in Corpus Christi. Hours of operation are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Labor Day through Memorial Day but are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during Spring Break and during the summer from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Admission is as follows: Adults (18+) - $20.95, Seniors (60+) - $17.95, Military - $15.95, Youth (13-17) - $17.95 and Children (4-12) - $14.95. Parking is $5.

For additional information, call 1-800-LADY LEX or go to usslexington.com.