The USS Ranger was the first aircraft carrier I ever had the fortunate opportunity to step aboard. I was stationed on the USS Chandler, DDG-996 at NAS North Island when the Ranger was also berthed at the same location. The carriers always used the deeper waters of North Island, next to the city of Carlsbad, rather than the Navy Base at 32nd Street, across the bay in San Diego. Back then, I never understood why the Chandler was also always berthed at the smaller base with the carriers. I preferred North Island, to be honest, because it was a less busy base, and it wasn't until I left the Chandler and went on to serve aboard the USS Peoria, LST-1183, before the Chandler also wound up over at the larger 32nd Street Naval Base.
Top Gun came out right smack in the middle of my time in the Navy, and I heard the Ranger was in the film. I was never a huge fan of the movie, for its depiction of the Navy, in my opinion, was not accurate. Time out to sea was gritty, filled with long hours, and dirty work, even for the guys in the administrative offices. A ship is a floating city and everyone has to pitch in. A number of sailors had additional qualifications, and carried duties that were sometimes outside their rating, during certain drills and operations. I floated between damage control to duties on the flight deck, depending on the operation. Aboard the USS Peoria, the amphibious operations we conducted were even more harrowing, and challenging. Once, a Marine Corps friend of mine, after spending time with the Navy aboard and amphibious vessel, commented to me, "Sailors are the hardest working members of the United States Military."
The first thing I remember aboard the USS Ranger was the massive bay where the aircraft were stored and maintained below deck. A friend of mine was a member of a squadron out of Miramar, which was a Naval Air Station back in those days, and he and I had the opportunity to walk that entire deck. The area was massive, and I commented to my buddy that a whole neighborhood of houses could fit inside the massive gut of the Ranger.
Standing on the flight deck was even more impressive. However, to a pilot flying above, the deck did not look so large. I have always commented that Navy and Marine Corps pilots are the best trained pilots in the world, because they have to learn how to land on a floating postage stamp, while it is moving.
The Danger Ranger, and the USS Kitty Hawk were the two main carriers to share time at North Island, back then, with an occasional visit from the Independence. I had the opportunity to stand on the decks of the first two, but never had the chance to go on board the latter.
The USS Ranger was considered to be a supercarrier, a part of a class of carriers constructed in 1957. She saw battle in Vietnam, and Operation Desert Storm, and was finally decommissioned in 1993. A group in Washington State has been trying to secure the funds to make the Ranger a museum, like the Midway is down in San Diego, but their attempt failed, and the Ranger has now been targeted for the scrap-heap. The USS Ranger will be missed, but greater carriers, like the USS Ronald Reagan, are still out there guarding the seas.
Fare thee well, oh faithful Danger Ranger, Fare thee well.
-- Political Pistachio Conservative News and Commentary
Navy's USS Ranger aircraft carrier featured in 'Top Gun' to be scrapped for one cent - Washington Times
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