Ghost Defenders of the Fleet

They once protected their nation but now sit as relics of a bygone era.

They no longer grace the skies, nor defend the fleet, but these grey ghosts dutifully watch on forever.

Grumman S-2 Tracker (ASW) and F-14 Tomcat USS Yorktown Patriots Point South Carolina — Grumman S-2 Tracker (ASW) and F-14 Tomcat

Business end of the Grumman F-14 Tomcat an all-weather interceptor

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II USS Yorktown Patriots Point — McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II multi-role fighter

Grumman S-2 Tracker ASW USS Yorktown CV-10 Patriots Point SC — Grumman S-2 Tracker used for Anti Submarine Warfare 1950’s to 1970’s

The Lockheed S-3 Viking took over Anti Submarine Warfare duties in the 1970’s

Vought A-7 Corsair II, Lockheed S-3 Viking and Vought F-8 Crusader USS Yorktown — Vought A-7 Corsair II, Lockheed S-3 Viking and Vought F-8 Crusader

Vought F-8 Crusader - last of the US Navy gun fighters — Vought F-8 Crusader – last of the US Navy gun fighters

Grumman A-6 Intruder attack aircraft USS Yorktown — Grumman A-6 Intruder attack aircraft

USS Yorktown Patriots Point S-3 Viking & F-8 Crusader — S-3 Viking & F-8 Crusader

These photos were taken aboard the famous US Navy aircraft carrier USS Yorktown (CV-10) at the Patriots Point Museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina in December 2013. This is an excellent naval museum and well worth visiting.

US Navy Aircraft USS Yorktown — Former legends of the US Navy air arsenal aboard the USS Yorktown

USS Yorktown (CV-10) at Patriots Point South Carolina — USS Yorktown (CV-10) at Patriots Point

F-4 Phantom II USS Yorktown — You are cleared for take-off F-4 Phantom II

The USS Yorktown was commissioned in 1943 and saw extensive service in the Pacific theatre of World War Two earning a Presidential Unit Citation and 11 battle stars. In the 1950’s the carrier had an angled deck added to better suit jet aircraft operations and during the Vietnam War she earned a further 5 battle stars for operations from 1965 to 1968.

USS Yorktown Carrier Deck — Looking down the deck of the USS Yorktown – on the left is an F-4 Phantom II and on the right is a Grumman E-1 Tracer (one of the first carrier based early warning aircraft used from the late 1950’s to late 1970’s)

In December 1968 USS Yorktown was used to retrieve the Apollo 8 astronauts and their capsule when they returned to Earth from the first manned spacecraft mission to leave the Earths orbit and orbit the Moon. In 1970 USS Yorktown was decommissioned and in 1975 became the centerpiece of the Patriots Point Museum.