USS Yorktown
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Staff Editor, Charleston Harbor Tours
October 10, 2007
The impressive USS Yorktown CV-10 aircraft carrier is one of the many sights to see at Patriot’s Point museum in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. 900 feet in length and weighing more than 27,000 tons, this carrier was nicknamed the “Fighting Lady” by its crew of 2,500 sailors during World War II.
The USS Yorktown, commissioned in 1943, was one of the first models of the new Essex class of ships that could hold more aircraft than its predecessors and became integral to the efforts during WWII. Named after the American carrier destroyed in the Battle of Midway (USS Yorktown CV-5), this magnificent vessel is one of the most popular attractions in Charleston.
The Yorktown participated in battles such as the Battle of the Philippine Sea and Iwo Jima, and even became a target of Kamikaze attacks during the war. She became an important force in attacks against Tokyo and in the Hawaiian Islands. She even helped sink the Japanese battleship Yamato, and then aided in bringing servicemen home to the United States when the war ended. The courageous crew that ran the ship earned many Medals of Honor for its heroism during the war effort.
After WWII, the Fighting Lady continued to play an integral role in the American Navy. Used in the Vietnam War and even in the recovery of NASA’s Apollo 8’s crew, the Yorktown represents a piece of American history.
