PENSACOLA, Florida (5 Apr 2004) -- The USS Oriskany will land in Pensacola, the Navy and U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller announced Monday. The aircraft carrier will be sunk about 25 miles off Pensacola and become an artificial reef. The shipped, currently in Corpus Christi, Texas, has to be prepared and could be towed here and be in place in three months. Jack Fetterman, a retired admiral who led efforts to get the Oriskany, said he is pleased with the decision. "The aircraft carrier longs to be put in a resting off of Pensacola, the Cradle of Naval Aviation." Officials at Naval Sea Systems Command, reviewed applications from Florida, Texas, Mississippi, South Carolina and Georgia. The Oriskany was one of the Navy's most heavily used aircraft carriers during the Vietnam War. | | USS Oriskany Dozens of Oriskany pilots, including U.S. Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., were shot down and held as prisoners of war. Go to photos of the USS Oriskany SOURCE - Pensacola News Journal |
