Visiting the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Today, we get to visit the USS Lexington.  It has been many years since we have walked on the ship.  Both of us toured this aircraft carrier when we were in Scouts in our teen years.  We saw her leave Pensacola for the last time when she passed through the Pensacola pass.

The ship has been very well maintained.  Sadly the weather was almost completely overcast so our pictures outside the ship are pretty dark.

The ramp ends at the starboard elevator.  The elevator is still functional and is used when they need to bring aircraft off the flight deck when the area is threatened by a hurricane.

The stern of the main deck is fast food resturant and the bow end is a movie theater.  In between are many displays of aircraft and historical information on the Lex.

The tour starts below decks.  We have a lot of very steep steps to go up and down. 

There are several areas the tour gives access. The mess and dining room, 

and the berths or rack.  Interesting that the Lexington was the first navy ship to have women serving on board.

The barber, dentist, laundry, machine shop, mail room, and the head, ... 

I can only guess that the walls and curtains in the head were added much later.

The engine room was very interesting.  The engines are huge.  It must have been deafening​ when they were operating. I was able to see one of the propeller ​shafts.  Granddad told me that he was called into to weld a crack on one of the shafts.  The younger welders had said it was impossible and would have to take the ship to dry dock for the repair.  He insisted that he could do the repair in place and only needed someone to bring specific tanks and welding supplies to the place of the damage.  The ship was ready to continue its mission as soon as he finished.  Can you tell that I am proud of my Grandfather?

All over the ship are displays of the history of the ship and battles it fought.

​Last stop was the Flight Deck and the aft of the ship.  Almost every plane on the deck was loaned by the Pensacola Naval Museum.

It was an amazing tour.  We wish she was in Pensacola but both of us are happy she has been so well cared for in the last 30 years. The museum committee in Corpus Christi has done a superb job of changing this aircraft carrier into a museum. She is well taken care of and is the largest tourist attraction in the area.