NEW YORK — August 16, 2023 will mark the 80th anniversary of the commissioning of USS Intrepid (CVS-11), the World War II-era Essex class aircraft carrier that is now the centerpiece of the Intrepid Museum in New York City. To mark the occasion, the Intrepid Museum is putting out a coast-to-coast “all call” for Intrepid former crew members, to be reunited in a special 80th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration on board their ship.
The Museum is also seeking and accepting donations of personal artifacts and memorabilia from former crew members and their families. Each item added to the collection helps the Museum perpetuate, honor, express and interpret Intrepid’s stories of service, and fulfill its mission to honor, educate and inspire millions of people each year.
To learn more about this commemoration and for registration information, former crew members and their family members can visit intrepidmuseum.org/80 or email fcm@intrepidmuseum.org.
The homecoming will feature a special ceremony marking the 80th anniversary of Intrepid’s commissioning on Wednesday, August 16, honoring former crew members from all eras of the carrier’s service, who will reunite and share stories of their tours of duty. The Museum will host a special former crew member dinner event that evening and guided tours of the ship. For some former crew members, this will be the first time they have been aboard their beloved ship since the completion of their service. While the Museum recognizes the ship’s commissioning anniversary every year, the 80th celebration promises to be the largest gathering of former crew members since the 75th anniversary in 2018.
Intrepid’s 80th Commissioning Anniversary Celebration is open to the public and will feature events specifically tailored for former crew members and their families, as well as opportunities for members of the public to interact with our visiting former crew members.
Now a national historic landmark, the aircraft carrier Intrepid (CVS-11) was one of the most successful and stalwart ships in U.S. 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.
The mission of the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum is to promote the awareness and understanding of history, science, and service through its collections, exhibitions, and programming in order to honor our heroes, educate the public and inspire our youth.
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