The U.S.S. Intrepid celebrates its 70th anniversary on Friday, according to the New York Post.
Commissioned in 1943, the Intrepid played an integral part to the U.S. war effort in the Pacific during WWII. It survived five separate kamikaze attacks and later served three tours during the Vietnam War. According to the Post:
Truly a ship of many talents, Intrepid was beloved by its crew. Yet after the final decommissioning in 1974, the Navy approved plans to scrap "The Fighting I." Time and technology had simply outpaced the ship’s ability to keep up with a modern fleet.
Once again, people rose to Intrepid’s defense. New York developer Zachary Fisher, who never wore a uniform but was a tireless advocate for our military men and women and their families, thought scrap an unfitting fate for such a gallant hero.
Defying cynics and detractors, Zachary and the Intrepid Museum Foundation brought Intrepid to New York, converting it into a museum with a new mission — to educate the public about the human cost of conflict and to honor the sacrifices of those who wear our nation’s cloth into battle.
