Ranger (CV 61) - Naval Cruise Book

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50 YEARS The keel for the RANGER was laid on Au- gust 2, 1954. Thousands of shipyard workers fabricated, assembled, and con- structed almost 52,000 tons of steel, 2,500,000 pounds of aluminum, 180 miles of piping, 290 miles of electrical wire and used over 700 drawings to form this great naval vessel. An unusual event in the construction of the RANGER was the fact that she was built in two drydocks. To expedite her building, work was started in a smaller drydock. About four months later, when the FORRESTAI. was launched, the par- tially completed hull of the RANGER was floated into the larger Mcility vacated by the FORRESTAL. The RANGER was the worlds most mod- ern aircraft carrier when built in 1956. Her facilities not only included all the im- provements built into her sistership, the ' S:- 1 . IEW NEMA GF SER VICE SARATOGA, but also included improve- ments in her weapons handling equip- ment and an all-welded aluminum eleva- tor. This port side elevator, weighing 105 tons, is the largest and heaviest all-weld- ed aluminum structure ever built. The USS RANGER was christened at 12:50 on September 29, 1956. The sponsor was Mrs. Arthur W. Radford, wife of the Chair- man ofthe Joint Chiefs of Staff C V-61 was commissioned on August 10, 195 7, at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Vir- ginia. She weighed a hefty 81,000 tons and measured 1,071 feet long. RANGER reported to her first home port, NAS Alameda, CA., on August 20, 1958, after rounding Cape I-lom. From NAS Ala- meda she made four cruises to the West- em Pacific. ms rom' 5

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af - ' .. ., , sl HONOR AND DEDI CA TI ON ations flexlbllzty and long range stnklng ments lncludmg sen en combat deploy power through the numerous exerclses ments WESTPAC 87 marked the RANG she partlclpated ln from RIMPAC up to ER S 18th major deployment IH the ser and Including the present WESTPAC of wee of the greatest country 111 the world 1987 the Unlted States of Amenca On August 10 1987 the RANGER Cele To the Crew ofthe USS RANGER past and brated her 50th year of service to our na present who have senfed wlth constant tlon vigilance we salute you RANGER has Completed 1 7 major deploy I , , , , . 1 1 1 I - I ' 1 . - . Q 4 , 1 Q l .- . 1 . 1 I f . 1 4 1 1 1 4 f 1 , . f 4 1 ' . rf- CAPTAIN C. T. BOOTH CAPTAIN D. W. BAIRD CO. 1957-1958 CO. 1987-PRESENT USS RANGER A5 SHE AFPEARED IN 1987 WITH HER AIRWING. eg.. U .- HISTORY 5