USS Curtiss

USS Curtiss when first completed in 1940 Propulsion: Two New York Shipbuilding Corp. paired geared turbines Four Babcock & Wilcox express boilers 400psi 690 degrees Double Delaval main reduction gears Twin shafts, 12,000 shaft horsepower Weight: 13,475 tons Crew: 100 officers and 1,035 enlisted men USS Curtiss Participation in Nuclear Testing After the war the ship was converted for use in the atomic tests at Bikini Atoll. Some of the spaces were converted to laboratories, and a lead-lined elevator was installed to bring the test bombs up from lead-lined storage compartments in the lab to the main deck level for transfer to boats for transport to the bomb site. After the tests, the Curtiss was the flagship of Rear Admiral Bogan, COM lst Task Fleet. The ship then only had a crew of about 175, many of them "Plank Owners" who has been aboard since the ship was commissioned. The Curtiss was named for Glenn Hammond Curtiss, born 21 May 1878 in Hammondsport, New York - a renowned pioneer in aviation. He set many aeronautical records and designed several types of planes, including the Navy Curtiss flying boats, which in 1919 were the first aircraft to cross the Atlantic. Curtiss trained many of the early naval aviators and established a firm to manufacture aircraft. He was actively concerned with naval aviation until his death on 23 July 1930. A museum in Hammondsport, New York, is currently maintained honoring his achievements in aviation history.	The Curtiss was a seaplane tender in the United States Navy. It was commissioned in 1940 and decommissioned in 1957. She had a very illustrious duty history, including surviving the attack at Pearl Harbor in 1941 and a Kamikaze hit in 1945. The Curtiss received SEVEN battle stars for World War II service. She was also involved in the Korean action and played a major role in the Pacific Atomic Testing projects. The ship resembled an ocean liner that had the upper decks sliced off about two thirds of the way toward the stern, leaving the after main deck clear to hoist aboard seaplanes for maintenance or repair. It housed the ships crew and all squadron personnel. It contained a sick bay with a doctor and an operating room. All the facilities for the support of seaplane squadrons were aboard, including: hanger, workshops, small boats, aviation fuel tanks, photo shop, aviation torpedo shop and storage, aviation munitions storage, etc., etc., etc. The Curtiss was hit during the attack on Pearl Harbor but was quickly repaired and restored to duty. She also took a Kamikaze hit just below the bridge down several decks into the sick bay and a hit in the hanger area. PEARL HARBOR ATTACKED ON DECEMBER 7, 1941 Japanese Zero at Pearl Harbor U.S.S. Curtiss ablaze in Pearl Harbor 7 December 1941

USS Curtiss Marine Detachment (1951)

USS Curtiss Marines

One of the highlights of U.S. Marine Frank Love's tenure with the Marine Corps occurred during a 5 year period wherein he served aboard the U.S.S. Curtiss as a member of a "Top Secret Security Force" for the Atomic Energy Commission. During his service aboard what was known as a "Ghost Ship" he witnessed some 32 nuclear atomic tests in the South Pacific.

Click HERE to go to the USS Curtiss Marines webpage

Semper Fi

CURTISS PARTICIPATION IN NUCLEAR TESTING (Actual Nuclear Explosion Shown Below)

HIROSHIMA	BRAVO, OPERATION CASTLE LARGEST NUCLEAR DETONATION IN ALL NUCLEAR TESTING BY THE US, 15 MEGATON	NAGASAKI
Click HERE to visit the Atomic Veterans website

Lest we forget...

A Few Postings from the Korean War Project:

"I am looking for any veterans that might have served with my Great Uncle Walter (Bud) Farley. He was like a Dad to me and now me and my children would love to know more of his life aboard the Curtiss. He was aboard the Curtiss during the attack on Pearl Harbor. I have more information on him if needed. I also have his uniform and some personal artifacts that I would like to know more about. Thank you."

"My uncle Robert S. Lowe from Cleveland, Texas was a Seaman. I believe second class on board the U.S.S. Curtiss when it was attacked at Pearl Harbor and he was killed. My mom, his little sister, would love to have any information someone might have. Anyone who might remember him, any tidbit of info about him would indeed be cherished. She has set up a notebook of info to keep and has his flag from his casket. My 14 year old daughter is also very interested and has already asked me to tell Grandma she wants to keep it as an heirloom when she grows up. Any info on his death, how it happened, would also be appreciated. Many thanks to anyone who could share."

"The USS Curtiss AV-4 reunion will be held at the beautiful Crown Plaza Hotel in St. Louis, MO. September 3rd through the 6th 2003. All who served aboard her from first day until last is invited to attend."

Read more postings ... click HERE to visit the Korean War Project.

TOTAL WAR DEAD: 99,408,200
	WWI Dead: 9,911,000	WWII Dead: 78,339,200
TOTAL WOUNDED: 50,866,818
	Korea Dead: 10,000,000	Vietnam Dead: 1,158,000

Congressional Medals of Honor

Congressional
Medal of Honor

The nation's highest decoration for valor, 3549 have been awarded since the medal was created in 1862.

Distinguished
Service Cross

2nd highest award for valor, for "Extraordinary heroism in connecdtion with military operations against an opposing armed force." Established 1918.

Distinguished
Flying Cross

"For heroism or extraordinary achievement while participating in aerial flight." Established 1926. Widely awarded in WWII.

Purple
Heart

"For being wounded in action in any war or campaign." Thus designated by FDR in 1942, although the decoration had existed previously.

	The USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) are magnificent tributes to great leaders and defenders of freedom for mankind.
	USS George H.W. Bush		USS Ronald Reagan

The Navy's newest nuclear powered carrier is the tenth and final ship in the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers.

The Navy's second newest nuclear powered carrier is the ninth ship in the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers.

	Fully loaded weight: 102,000 tons Powered by 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors with 280,000 Shaft Horsepower plus 4 steam turbines. Crew of 6,000 sailors Complement of more than 80 aircraft. Cost: $6.26 Billion Dollars		Fully loaded weight: 101,196 tons Powered by 2 Westinghouse A4W nuclear reactors with 260,000 Shaft Horsepower plus 4 steam turbines. Crew of 5,700 sailors Compliment of 85 aircraft. Cost: $5 Billion Dollars
Click HERE to go to the Northrop Grumman Corporation website

Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II

Boeing FA-18 Super Hornet

	USS Jimmy Carter (SSN-23)
Commissioned in 2005 Fully loaded weight: 12,158 tons Powered by 1 nuclear reactor with 52,000 Shaft Horsepower Crew of 14 officers and 126 enlisted people Test depth: 2000 ft. Cost: $3.2 Billion Dollars

Curtiss P-40 Warhawk

	The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk was a plane that refused to die.	The Curtiss P-40 Warhawk is one of the best-liked airplanes of World War II.
Curtiss JN-4 Jenny

	The impetus for the design of the Curtiss JN-4, the classic fighter airplane that became the most famous American training plane of World War I.	The United States played an important but limited role in World War I, and the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" became the only mass-produced American plane to play a major part in the conflict.

Republican National Committee

Click HERE to go to the Farm page for more interesting information

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