JFK Towed to Philadelphia for Storage

By Kathleen Roberts, Naval Sea Systems Command Public Affairs
Celebrating 38 years of distinguished service, USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) enters Boston for her final port visit before decommissioning. (US Navy Photo)

PHILADELPHIA (NNS) -- The decommissioned aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV 67) is scheduled to arrive March 22 at the Navy's Inactive Ships Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia for preservation and storage.

Due to safety and security concerns, the ship will not be open for tours while in storage in Philadelphia.

A contracted tug boat began towing the inactive carrier John F. Kennedy from Norfolk Naval Station on March 17. The ship was originally scheduled to be towed to Philadelphia in August 2007, but was instead towed to Norfolk while the Navy dredged in the vicinity of Pier 4 to further increase the safety of the ship mooring process and the surrounding waterway.

The public may view the carrier's journey up the Delaware River from many locations along the river in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey. These include Gov. Printz Park in Essington, Pa.; Fox Point State Park in Wilmington, Del.; Ft. DuPont State Park, Del.; New Castle Battery Park in New Castle, Del.; Delaware City State Park, Del.; Red Bank Battlefield, Red Bank, N.J.; other public parks between Cape May and National Park, N.J.

John F. Kennedy is currently on the Navy's inactive inventory, meaning the ship has been taken out of commission and laid up for safe storage pending a future SECNAV decision regarding the ultimate disposition of the ship. As required by the fiscal year 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, the Navy will maintain the ship in a state of preservation that would allow for reactivation in the event the carrier is needed in response to a national emergency.

The ship's historical items have been removed and transferred to the curator of the Navy for preservation and storage.

Named in honor of the 35th president of the United States, John F. Kennedy's keel was laid in 1964 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Va. In 1967, nine-year-old Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late president, christened the ship. "Big John", as the carrier would become known, was commissioned in September 1968.

A veteran of 18 deployments to the Mediterranean Sea and Middle East, John F. Kennedy amassed more than 260,000 arrested landings on her flight deck while operating virtually every tactical aircraft in the Navy's arsenal. In 1989, two of the embarked air wing's F-14 Tomcats shot down two Libyan MIG-23s that were approaching the battle group in a hostile manner. The carrier also participated in numerous other campaigns including Operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom, and was sortied following the 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Homeported at Naval Station Mayport since 1995, John F. Kennedy most recently served as a training platform for naval aviators to obtain their carrier landing qualifications. Her final port call was to Boston in March 2007.

The ship measures over 1,050 feet long, displaces 82,000 tons and could carry 70 combat aircraft – the full complement of today's carrier air wing. The crew consisted of more than 4,600 personnel when including the air wing. John F. Kennedy was one of the two remaining fossil-fueled aircraft carriers in the U.S. Navy.

JFK Departs Mayport on Last Journey

Decommissioned aircraft carrier John F. Kennedy (CV 67) departs Naval Station Mayport en route to Norfolk, Va. Homeported at Naval Station Mayport since 1995, the ship will be towed to Hampton Roads until the ship can be transferred to the Navy Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility in Philadelphia. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tommy Gilligan.

"Big John" Decommissioned After 38 Years of Service

By Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Bill Larned, USS John F. Kennedy Public Affairs

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- The aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) was decommissioned in Mayport, Fla., March 23.

After a 17 gun salute, USS John F. Kennedy Commanding Officer Capt. Todd Zecchin addressed the more than 5,000 guests, former commanding officers, city officials and distinguished visitors. In his speech, he described his feelings for the ship and the legacy of its crew.

“While preparing for today, I realized that serving on this ship is akin to having a relationship with a tried and true friend," Zecchin said. "Saying goodbye is a sublime melancholy.”

Zecchin described the level of dedication the crew revealed. He illustrated their pride in professionalism in terms of a recent port visit to Boston, when 21 degree below zero windchills made working conditions at night unforgiving.

“None of the watchstanders complained. In fact, I had to order them back inside the skin of the ship because they were so intent on getting the job done.”

The ship’s commanding officer took time not just to remember the crew’s efforts, but of those backing each of them.

“Nobility of purpose, service to people, devotion to a cause and a deep belief in each other is what sustains us. We could not have done it without the support of family and friends," he said.

Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Admiral John B. Nathman talked about the ship’s history and the deployments to the Middle East that made headlines in the 1980s, 1990s and the present decade.

“You have served with honor and distinction,” Nathman said, addressing the crew. “I commend you for facing challenges head-on and for welcoming your responsibility. Feel privileged to bear your responsibility. Wear it as a mantle on your shoulders with the pride it deserves.”

To recognize some of the former commanding officers of USS John F. Kennedy, Zecchin asked all who had once commanded the warship to stand. A hearty applause erupted from all of the seated guests, young and old, military personnel and civilians.

The 80,000 ton warship, namesake of the 35th President of the United States, saw 18 deployments and 30 commanding officers in its 38 years of service.

USS JFK on last cruise

More than 700 Sailors aboard USS John F. Kennedy (CV 67) conduct a tribute to honor the ship’s 38 years of distinguished commissioned service while transiting to Boston for a farewell port visit. Kennedy's arrival will mark its last port visit and will afford the people of Boston the opportunity to say goodbye to a ship and crew with whom they have maintained close relations since its christening in 1967. Kennedy is scheduled to decommission in Mayport, Fla., on March 23, 2007. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Tommy Gilligan)