DID YOU KNOW? Corpus Christi is home to a retired Essex aircraft-carrier that was commissioned from 1943 until 1991 and sailed 209,000 miles (equivalent to 8 times around the world) The USS Lexington spent a total of 21 months in combat, sinking 300,000 tons of enemy cargo and damaging another 600,000. Her planes destroyed 372 enemy aircraft in the sky and 475 more on the ground. The ship's guns shot down 15 planes and assisted in downing five more. The Japanese reported the Lexington sunk no less than five times, yet each time she returned to fight again - causing Tokyo Rose, the Japanese propagandist, to nickname her "The Blue Ghost."
Our family is not much of a museum-going group, but we ended up spending the entire day at this museum - and still felt rushed. It was an incredible place to explore, knowing that men and women who had fought and died had stood right where we were standing. While the aircraft-carrier turned museum also hosts other activities such as flight simulators and escape rooms, we opted to spend our time on the museum itself, along with a 3D short film about air warfare and carrier planes.
There were numerous retired aircraft on board and it was really neat to see how technology had progressed over the years.
There were lots of narrow steps/ladders to climb as we explored this once-active ship...and lots of narrow hallways with places where those of us who were taller became slightly jealous of the shorter family members.
While exploring the main level, we met this wonderful gentleman who had so much wisdom to impart. He was retired from the army, and well-educated on the Lexington's history. After enjoying a long conversation with him, he invited us to attend a 'talk' he was giving later in the day on the flight deck. It proved interesting, with lots of audience participation. However, I have to admit that a key takeaway we all walked away with was that Mr. Chuck had a passionate love for the phrases "Take a look at it" and "Understand this." One or the other was included in practically every sentence - thus the inspiration for today's blog title, LOL.
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Perhaps one of the most touching displays on the ship was the POW memorial, with all of its symbolism.
The round table displays our everlasting concern.
The white cloth represents the purity of their motives when answering the call of duty.
The single red rose serves as a reminder of the lives of these men, their loved ones, and friends who keep the faith while seeking answers.
The red ribbon shows our continued determination to account for them.
The slice of lemon reminds us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.
The salt symbolizes the tears of the missing and their families who long for answers after decades of uncertainty.
The Bible represents the strength gained through faith in our country founded as one nation under God, to sustain those lost from our midst.
The glass is inverted to symbolize the inability to share the evening's toasts.
More facts about the USS Lexington from the museum's website:
Fresh Water Production: 180,000 Gallons per Day
Fuel Storage: Ship’s Fuel-1,500,000 Gallons. Aviation Fuel – 440,000 Gallons
Medical Facilities: Surgical Facilities with 20 bed capacity. 2 Doctors/14 Corpsmen
Dental Facilities: 2 Dentists/7 Technicians
Library: Over 40,000 Books
Catapults: Two Steam-Powered C-ll Catapults
Catapult Launching Area: 211 Feet
Flight Deck Landing Area: 90,000 Square Feet
Hangar Bays: Three, Totaling Over 40,000 Square Feet
Anchors: 15 Tons, 50 Pounds
Food Service: Crew daily consumed 660 pounds of meat, 164 gallons of milk and 97 dozen eggs.
Despite not being overly interested in most museums, the Lexington surpassed all expectations and was well worth the day we spent exploring her depths. If you are ever in the Corpus Christi area, definitely consider spending a day onboard...it will be well worth your time and money!
Stay tuned to learn what the Christmas holidays looked like aboard our squished RV! (And to hear about an incredible God-story on Christmas Day that we are still praising the Lord for!)
Until next time, God bless!
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