Aug. 16 will mark the 75th anniversary of the commissioning of the USS Intrepid, 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 museum is putting out a coast-to-coast “all call” for former Intrepid crew members to be reunited in a celebration weekend from Thursday, Aug. 16 to Sunday, Aug. 19.
The museum also is accepting donations of personal artifacts and memorabilia from former crew members and their families.
The homecoming weekend will feature a special ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of Intrepid’s commissioning on Thursday, Aug. 16. Throughout the weekend, the museum will offer guided tours of the ship, behind-the-scenes curator-led tours of its collection storage facility, and a special former crew member dinner event with United States Secretary of the Navy Richard V. Spencer. Over 280 former crew members are currently confirmed to attend with their family members.
Open to the public, the weekend will feature programs and events tailored for former crew members and their families, as well as opportunities for members of the public to interact with former crew members.
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.
To learn more, visit www.intrepidmuseum.org/75 or email fcm@intrepidmuseum.org.
