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The attack aircraft carrier USS Oriskany CVA-34 was launched at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard October 13, 1945.World war II had ended so Oriskany was laid up at Brooklyn, delaying completion until the Korean war. She was commissioned September 25, 1950.
An all time gunnery record was set on "shakedown" cruise and Oriskany’s first deployment was with the sixth fleet in the Mediterranean in 1951. Oriskany was ordered to Korea in 1952 and became the first carrier to round Cape Horn, South America.
During 1952 and 1953 Oriskany served with the Seventh Fleet as part of the United Nations Task Force. Her planes raided enemy supply build-ups and industrial centers and harassed communist ground forces. Oriskany’s F9F "Panther" jets engaged in the first Navy all jet "dog-fight" against seven Migs approaching the task force. Two Migs were destroyed and a third damaged with all four Mighty "O" pilots returning safely. Oriskany flew 7,000 combat missions in the Korean War, expending 5,000 tons of ordnance.
The crew provided funds for the construction in Japan of the Oriskany Home, a Catholic orphanage. The ship continued to provide considerable financial support for the home.
The ship deployed to the Far East again from it’s homeport of San Diego in 1953 and 1955. The movies "The Bridges at "Toko-Ri" and "The Men of the Fighting Lady" starring Van Johnson and Keenan Wynn was premiered on the Oriskany’s flight deck.
In October 1956, Oriskany entered San Francisco Naval Shipyard for extensive modernization. She was recommissioned on March 7, 1959. In the years from 1960 to 1963 the ship made her fourth, fifth and sixth deployments to the Western Pacific. Oriskany was overhauled in Bremerton, Washington in 1964.
After participating in a giant amphibious exercise in the early months of 1965, Oriskany was soon steaming in the South China Sea and launching it’s first combat strikes over Vietnam. During this deployment the Mighty "O" captured the Pacific Fleets "Underway ordnance replenishment" record. Ordnance was transferred from the USS Pyro at the rate of 196 tons an hour. A record number of unreps, 230, were conducted during this deployment. Air Wing 16 became the Navy’s most decorated with 1,122 awards and citations. Over 12,000 combat sorties were flown expending 10,000 tons of ordnance on communist targets. The Secretary of the Navy awarded the ship the Navy Unit Commendation.
After returning to San Diego in December the ship under went a two month overhaul period after which she began preparations for her eighth Westpac deployment. With the completion of another large scale amphibious exercise in April 1966, Oriskany commenced her present deployment on May 26, 1966.
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