Essex (CVS 9) - Naval Cruise Book

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w . Ax ON 9 DECEMBER 1936, CORPORAL EUGENE C. ZIMMERS OF THE USS TEXAS SUG- GESTED IN A LETTER THAT THE NAME ESSEX BE APPLIED To AN AIRCRAFT CAR- RIER. IN HIS ANSWER, CHESTER W. NIMITZ, ASSISTANT CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF NAVIGATION, INDICATED THAT THE NAME WOULD BE PLACED ON AN APPROPRIATE LIST. HOUSE BILL 8026 WAS PASSED ON 14 JUNE 1940 BY THE 76TH CONGRESS WHICH AU- THORIZED THE CONSTRUCTION OF SEVERAL AIRCRAFT CARRIERS. ABIDING BY THE WISHES OF PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT, CONGRESS OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED THE NAME ESSEX TO RIDE THE SPEARHEAD OF HER CLASS. THE LEGEND COULD NOT BE FORGOTTEN. LL NUMBER 392 NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING AND DRY DOCK COMPANY KEEL LAID: 28 April 1941 CONSTRUCTION TIME: 457 DAYS

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ITV WAS ONE OF THE HOTTEST DAYS OF THE SUMMER WHEN, AT EXACTLY 2:46 P.M. ON FRIDAY, 31 JULY 1942, THE USS ESSEX SLID DOWN THE WAYS INTO THE JAMES RIVER. THE WARTIME ATMOSPHERE OF THE LAUNCHING WAS EMPHASIZED BY A LINE OF SOLDIERS ARMED WITH SUB-MACHINE GUNS STANDING GUARD AROUND THE CEREMONIAL AREA. MRSJARTEMUS L. GATES, WIFE OF THE ASSISTANT SEC- RETARY OF THE NAVY FOR AIR, WAS SPONSOR FOR THE ESSEX - MAIDS OF HONOR WERE MISS DIANE GATES, DAUGHTER OF THE SPONSOR, AND MISSES ALESSANDRA AND ANNE CHENEY, NIECES OF MRS. GATES. THERE WERE NO GALA CELEBRATIONS, NO GUEST SPEAKER, NO YARDWORK INTERRUPTIONSQ ESSEX HAD A JOB TO DO AND THERE WAS NOT TIME FOR A CELEBRATION. FROM THE NEW CITIZENS OF AN OLD NEW ENGLAND TOWN CAME THE FOLLOWING WIRE: IN BEHALF OF CITIZENS OF ESSEX, MASSACHUSETTS, WE WISH TO EX- PRESS OUR DEEPEST APPRECIATION OF THE HONOR EX- TENDED THIS HISTORIC TOWN BY THE NAMING OF THE LASTEST AIRCRAFT CARRIER ESSEX. MAY GOD PROTECT AND GUIDE HER THROUGH THESE PERILOUS TIMES AHEAD THAT SHE MAY DO HER FULL SHARE TOWARD EVENTUAL PEACE.