The USS carrier Intrepid at The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pier 86, 12th Ave. & 46th Street, New York City.

This Essex Class aircraft carrier was one of America’s most effective military vessels. Along with her 23 sister ships, the USS Intrepid formed the backbone of the United States Navy.

Throughout the Pacific Campaign of World War II, the USS Intrepid suffered seven bomb attacks, five kamikaze strikes and one torpedo hit; yet the ship continually returned to action after repairs, earning her the reputation among the enemy as the "The Ghost Ship."

After World War II, the Intrepid underwent a modernization, enabling her new, angled flight deck to accommodate jet aircraft. During the 1960′s, the Intrepid served as a primary recovery vessel for NASA, picking up both the Mercury and Gemini capsules.

After three tours of duty in Vietnam and tracking Soviet submarines during the Cold War as an ASW (antisubmarine warfare) ship, the Intrepid was officially retired in 1974.

On the flight deck America’s modern military cutting edge is represented by a Navy F-14 Tomcat, an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon, a Marine Corps AV-8A Harrier and an A-12 Blackbird spy plane (shown here)

By: Jim Linwood