USS Hornet, Alameda, California

Visited November 2007

Pete visited the USS Hornet Museum now berthed in Alameda, California. This is a real floating aircraft carrier.

This was a special visit for me - as Russell Guster, my DeMolay advisor, had served on the USS Hornet during the Second World War. Gus went with the Hornet on the 1942 Toyko Raid and was onboard when it was sunk. Fortunately, he survived the war and went onto shape thousands of young people as band teacher and mentor to youth.

The present decommissioned CVS/A-12 is the replacement to the USS Hornet (CV-8) sunk by the Japanese. This ship is the eight US Navy ship named the "Hornet".

I will not try to detail all the elements of the ship.

My weekday visit has unfortunately short - around 2.5 hours. This did not do justice to the ship or exhibits.

The docent and volunteers were first rate and very accommodating. Museum Staff must escort any tour groups that leave the Flight, Hanger Deck and Second Deck (underneath the Hanger Deck).

I very much enjoyed the Island tour but did not time for the escorted tours of the bow spaces and engineering areas.

Hanger Deck Exhibits

The Hanger Deck includes several naval aircraft exhibits:

F4J Fury swept wing jet
F-14A (in near flying condition)
TBM Avenger
F-8 Crusader
Kaman SH-2 Sea Sprite Helicopter

This is not an exhaustive list of the static aircraft. Additionally, two aircraft are under restoration in the rear of the hanger deck, including a Grumman Wildcat (not the verified manufacturer) and what I believe may be Dauntless

The USS Hornet was active in the Apollo program in the last years of her service. There is both a boiler-plate space capsule and a very interesting post-Moon containment module (an adapted Air Stream trailer).

The Second Deck, immediately underneath the Hanger Deck, preserves several spaces and also features numerous other exhibits. This includes small museums for other naval ships, special groups and even a Japanese-American (Nisei) contributions to the US Army.

Much better photos are available on the USS Hornet Website

Above is the Weapons Rack in the Marines Berth Space. The Marine berthing areas are preserved in the USS Hornet. Below is a mural in the Marines spaces.

Above and below - Parts of the USS Wasp exhibit. A ship's mat for the Wasp and a flight suit underneath the US flag.

The USS Hornet's pilot ready room on the Second Deck.

Are you visiting the USS Hornet. Less than one mile away on the decommissioned Air Station is the Alameda Naval Air Museum. The Museum is open on weekends (I visited during the week), but I didn't know of this ahead of time, so I want to warn others!

They have a great website and I urge you to visit - http://www.alamedanavalairmuseum.org/