Search Underway to Find Former USS Intrepid Crew Members, Memorabilia

NEW YORK — August 16, 2018 will mark the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of the USS Intrepid (CVS-11), the World War II-era Essex class aircraft carrier that is now home to the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum in New York City.

To mark the occasion, the Intrepid Museum is putting out a coast-to-coast “all call” for former Intrepid crew members to be reunited in a special 75th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration Weekend from Thursday, August 16 to Sunday, August 19, 2018 on board Intrepid.

The homecoming weekend will feature a special ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Intrepid’s commissioning on Thursday, August 16, honoring Intrepid former crew members who will reunite and share stories of their tours of duty. Throughout the weekend, the Museum will offer guided tours of the ship and behind-the-scenes curator-led tours of the Museum’s collection.

There will be a special former crew member dinner event with the United States Secretary of the Navy, Richard V. Spencer. For some former crew members, this will be the first time they have been aboard their beloved ship since the completion of their service. Over 280 former crew members are currently confirmed to attend with their family members.

The Museum is also accepting donations of personal artifacts and memorabilia from former crew members and their families. Each item added to the Museum’s collection helps express and interpret Intrepid’s stories of service, and serves to educate and inspire more than one million visitors each year.

Now a Museum and national historic landmark, the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11) was one of the most successful and stalwart ships in US history. Nicknamed “The Fighting I” by its crew, Intrepid served in the Pacific during World War II, surviving five kamikaze attacks and one torpedo strike.

Intrepid later conducted submarine surveillance in the North Atlantic during the Cold War and served three tours of duty off Vietnam. It was also one of the primary recovery vessels for NASA during the Mercury and Gemini missions, and retrieved astronauts Scott Carpenter, Gus Grissom and John Young after their respective orbits and splashdowns in the Pacific.

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To learn more about this weekend and for registration information, former crew members and their family members can visit www.intrepidmuseum.org/75 or email fcm@intrepidmuseum.org.