1st Day in Corpus Christi, Texas

It was an easy 2 hour drive this morning from San Antonio to Corpus Christi. Because it was too early to check into my hotel when I got here, I started being a tourist right away by going to the USS Lexington Museum on the Bay. I have been to the USS Midway in Long Beach 2-3 times but this aircraft carrier museum was different. The Midway is totally focused on the Midway. The Lexington has some different exhibits that I found really interesting.

The USS Lexington was commissioned in 1943, and set more records than any other Essex Class carrier in the history of naval aviation. After training maneuvers and a shakedown cruise, LEXINGTON joined the Fifth Fleet at Pearl Harbor. During World War II, the carrier participated in nearly every major operation in the Pacific Theater and spent a total of 21 months in combat. Her planes destroyed 372 enemy aircraft in the air, and 475 more on the ground. She sank or destroyed 300,000 tons of enemy cargo and damaged an additional 600,000 tons. The ship’s guns shot down 15 planes and assisted in downing five more. After the war, she was based in Florida until in 1962 when she sailed to San Diego and was used as the carrier on which pilots trained on how to make landing and take-offs on aircraft carriers. The ship was the oldest working carrier in the United States Navy when decommissioned in 1991. During the period of active service from 1943 - 1991 the Lexington set a record for the number of landings performed on an aircraft carrier with 493,248 landings.  

The platform, at the back of the ship and out over the water, is where the Landing Signal Officer stood. He was the guy who directed the pilots in landing by using 2 paddles. Both paddles pointed up meant "OK,". If the paddles were crossed above his head, it meant he was waving the pilot off and not to land. Very interesting!

Medal of Honor that was awarded to a USS Lexington pilot. On May 7, 1942,  lieutenant, Junior Grade William E.Hall, was serving as a scout plane pilot with Scouting Squadron 2 based on the USS Lexington. On that day, over the Coral Sea, he dive bombed a Japanese aircraft carrier, contributing greatly to its destruction. The next day, he attacked a superior number of Japanese planes and shot down three. Although his craft was damaged and he was seriously wounded in this attack, he managed to land safely. For these actions, he was awarded the Medal of Honor.

On Nov 5, 1944, a Japanese Kamikaze pilot flew into the Lexington and hit it where the arrow is pointing. There is a Japanese Rising Sun flag with black border around it marking the spot on the ship that was hit. The pilot was killed along with 49 soldiers aboard the Lexington and injured 132. 

My hotel is right on the beach.  This was sunset tonight with a pier in the background. Cold and rain are returning on Friday.. 8-(