We had the opportunity to tour the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay in Corpus Christi over spring break several years ago and it exceeded our expectations immensely. It was a humbling and rewarding experience. A visit there should be high on the bucket list for anyone who is a WWII enthusiast or a military history buff.
Having just commemorated Veterans Day, this seemed like the perfect time to share a little bit about our experience with you.
In the interest of transparency, I’ll admit that I have a bit of a soft spot for the Navy because that is the branch in which my father, Jim Banks, served. He joined the Navy right out of high school, served during the Korean Conflict and was stationed in Okinawa, Japan. He spent three years, nine months and four days in the Navy. Upon his discharge, he attended and graduated from North Texas State University in Denton, which later became the University of North Texas.
But back to the USS Lexington … Built by Bethlehem Steel Corp., she 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.
Being an occasional food writer, I was naturally drawn to the galley and mess deck. A framed sign we viewed perfectly explained the importance and magnitude of these areas.
“The Galley and the Mess Deck are one of the most important locations on board a ship. In peace and war, life aboard a ship centered on a sailor’s next meal. Eating together is one of the first things a united crew can do. A quality galley does more than keep sailors fed, it keeps them happy. Outstanding food service is awesome for morale. When a sailor reported aboard ship he was assigned to a division. If the individual was not designated in a critical rating he was sent to mess/galley duty for a minimum of 90 days. Those assigned had very long days working from (0400) 4 a.m. until (2200) 10 p.m. This was a prime motivator for sailors to choose a rating and become designated (qualified) in that rating. For some assigned mess/galley duty they found their calling and struck for the MS/CS rating (Mess Specialists/Culinary Specialists). The majority of sailors agree that it was a task they never wanted to do again.
“The USS Lexington’s Mess or Culinary Specialists prepared food for an average crew of 2,500 sailors per day. The cook’s motto, ‘Take what you want, but eat what you take’ was commonly displayed throughout the eating area.
“One of the major tasks for the mess crew was to keep the food fresh and in supply. For example, the galley went through 200 pounds of flour and 60 pounds of sugar per day just to bake fresh bread. It is estimated that the USS Lexington spent approximately $1,000,000 every nine to 12 days.
“The improvements the Navy has introduced over the past few years are not limited to the culinary arts offered to sailors on board a ship, but also to advancing the skills of those working in the galley.”
It also indicated that on an average month, the Lexington could consume: 4,000 pounds of bacon; 3,000 pounds of eggs; 12,000 pounds of hamburger; 22,000 pounds of hot dogs; 6,000 pounds of rice; 1,500 pounds of fish; 4,000 pounds of steak; 4,000 pounds of fresh potatoes; 9,000 pounds of lettuce; 600 gallons of soda; 900 gallons of milk; and 2,000 gallons of orange juice.
I find those numbers mind-boggling and can’t even begin to imagine cooking for that many people.
