Comments

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  John M. Matulionis December 26, 2015 at 1:42pm

  I was stationed on Lady Lex as a Electronics Technician Communications (ETN3) from late 1968 to Mid 1970. Most of my activity was in the Gulf, including riding out the hurricane. We spent more than 6 months in Boston Naval Shipyard as they removed all of our armament and upgraded a lot of our electronics.
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  eugene e hildebrand March 23, 2015 at 8:21pm

  some pictures from the all hands reunion oct 2014
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  Jim Standrich March 23, 2015 at 11:24am

  While awaiting for my security clearance I was sent TAD to the Lex as a mess cook for 90 days in 1965 .
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  James L. Lee November 24, 2014 at 7:34am

  First, let me say thanks to person or persons who went to the trouble to set-up this website for the crew of the USS Lexington CVT-16.  I am James Lee; aka: "Tennessee Lee" to my crewmates of the "V-1" Division and the crewmembers of the Navy and Marine air squadrons that I had the honor of working with and the responsibility of handling and directing their aircraft on the flight deck during flight ops; day and night for over three years.  Yes, I can say I know this Lady well.  I sailed the waves aboard "Lady Lex" during the Vietnam War Era from 1971-1974.  And, I can testify that the Lex was not always a Lady.  During my three year tour on the Lex, I worked in all sections of the V-1 Division.  Starting as a Blue Shirt, plane handler; plane spotter, elevator operator, and phone talker; Red Shirt Fire & Rescue crew member; White shirt LSO landing Signaling Officers on the fantail with the Squad Leaders which was a bit like an air traffic controller; just a little more up close and personal than being in a control tower. On the LSO platform, some jets would screw up a fly by and almost blow me off the platform.   And, I finished off my Lex experience as a Yellow Shirt A/C Director and FLY-3 Senior Petty Officer and Crew Chief. During my time on the flight deck; man, I saw many pretty sunrises and sunsets; and experienced the cool night breeze across the flight deck; and I rode waves with the Lady that left salt behind my ears one minute and then could snap off the starboard catwalk with 100-ft waves the next minute.  AND let's not forget to mention the beauty of FLIGHT OPTS where you had to be on your toes every minute and keep your head out of your ass; if you wanted to keep your head on your shoulders.  Directing planes and working with the flight deck crews was almost like learning to dance the Tennessee Waltz wearing combat boots while dancing with a grizzle.  When flight ops were operating smoothly; it was thing of beauty to witness.  But, When things went wrong topside; it went VERY Wrong very fast and BAD in a blink of an eye.  People were there one minute and then gone the next...      

  Now, I must depart for awhile; but, This website is Great and I'm glad to know it exists. Reading some of the messages left by some of the crew members lets me know that the "Blue Ghost" was not just a dream I experienced in my sleep for the past 40-plus years.  It was real and my shipmates were real and now some are computer savvy geeks posting messages on the internet. Outstanding; simply outstanding!!  And on a personal note, I hope my ole pal "WC Fields" reads this message and gets back in contact with me.  We have a lot of catching up to do!  I also hope there are others coworkers online that will get back with me to reminisce about the good ole days aboard Lady Lex.    
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  Donald Everett Crews September 11, 2013 at 2:27pm

  Never actually crewmember aboard Lex, but did carrier quals with VA-174 out of Cecil Field, Florida-squadron corpsman. 
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  John (Blue Eagle) Maddalena June 5, 2013 at 9:08am

  I rode her into dry docks Boston...ended 4 yr. tour on Jan. 26, 1973...glad I didn't enjoy that adventure...Riding out Camille was my biggest thrill...
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  Richard Earl Shipp July 14, 2012 at 3:05pm

  I was aboard the Lexington the day we entered Boston Harbor for dry dock. I think it was in January of 1973, it was the coldest weather this Florida boy has ever experienced.What ever the reason when we finally was out of dry dock for repairs, the day we left was not a good day for anything. The weather was terrible, i remember running aground in the harbor.
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  Larry A. Powles May 31, 2012 at 6:07pm

  1982-1984, V-1 Division, Fly-2 Yellow Shirt

   
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  Mike Gullette March 7, 2012 at 11:04pm

  WC I haven't heard that name in awhile I served with you in V1 Division 71-75 started out in Fly1 went mess cooking 3months then went to Fly2 then crash crew for 1year finished my time in Fly3 as a Yellow Shirt. I hope you see this WC I remember you coming back on board with a squadron.

   
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  W.C. Fields October 25, 2011 at 3:50pm

  I checked on board Lexington Thanksgiving Day 1970 and left two years later. I spent about 3 months mess-cooking (in the scullery) and then went to V-1 Division. I spent most of the time as Fly-1 phone talker and then moved to Flight Deck Control as phone talker. Loren Korhonen was the other talker. Best liberty was Mardi Gras 71 and New Orleans again in May 72 for an Admiral's change-of-command. we spent a week there with not a whole lot to do. Normal ops were getting under way Monday and returning to Pensacola Friday afternoon (BBF-16, be back Friday). we would do that for 3 weeks and then spend a week in port. The 3 underway periods were 1 week for Corpus Christi and the other two were student aviators and fleet requals. we had two fatalities on the flight deck during the time I was there. A Blue Shirt, new on the flight deck, walked into a US-2B prop and the other one was a V-2 guy who was killed when the holdback failed on a T-2 cat shot and ran into him. Some of the V-1 guys I remember are;

  Charlie Morgan, Ron Morgan (no relation), Sam Cato, Chicken Man, Jerry Parenteau, Clayton (both of them) ABFC Bill Sundemyer, ABHC Ron Wholaver, LT Fausz, LCDR Griffin, Big Lee and Little Lee, Les Arnold, Ted Gray, Larry Mayo, Barry Mullen and a lot more. I went to Corpus Christi last year but could not get in Flight Deck Control or the old V-1 berthing space. The ship looked ok but I think the Management is trying to make it too much WW2 and not enough Cold War.