d. To communicate at every opportunity the following themes:
(1) The LEXINGTON Contribution. In its 49 years of distinguished service,
LEXINGTON has made numerous deployments and saw action in World War II. It
destroyed more than a thousand enemy planes, sunk 300,000 tons of Japanese
shipping and damaged another 600,000 tons. Despite repeated Japanese claims of
its destruction, LEXINGTON continued to fight and was nicknamed “The Blue
Ghost,” the ship that could not be sunk. LEXINGTON was present for the Cuban
Missile Crisis in late October 1962 before it was ordered to Pensacola, Florida, to
become the Navy’s training carrier for student naval aviators. As the nation’s only
training carrier, it has trained an average of 1,500 naval aviators per year. In
February of 1991, LEXINGTON recorded her 493,248th arrested landing—a world
record.
(2) LEXINGTON’s decommissioning is a matter of budgetary con-
siderations and operational ability. Throughout its career, LEXINGTON met or
exceeded all operational commitments.
3. Background. USS LEXINGTON (AVT 16) will be decommissioned at 1000 on
Friday, 8 November 1991, at the Pensacola Naval Air Station’s Allegheny Pier in
Pensacola, Florida. Other background information:
a. Speakers. Admiral Frank B. Kelso II Chief of Naval Operations, will be the
principal speaker.
b. Decommissioning events.
(1) Thursday, 7 November 1991.
Reception with past LEXINGTON
commanding officers. Media availability with the commanding officer, executive
officer, command master chief and crew members and tours (ENG opportunity) of
hangar bay, flight deck and navigation bridge for media.
(2) Friday, 8 November 1991.
Decommissioning ceremony at 1000,
Allegheny Pier, Pensacola Naval Air Station. Media availability with the
commanding officer, executive officer, command master chief and crew members.
4. Command and Coordination. The public affairs officer (PAO) for
USS LEXINGTON is responsible for the overall coordination of decommissioning
public affairs. Enclosures (1) through (7) contain the proposed Command
Information Bureau (CIB) plan of action, media support and coordinating
procedures, proposed press releases and media advisory. USS LEXINGTON public
affairs will coordinate the preparation and dissemination of decommissioning
AVI-2
