Walk in the Footsteps of Heroes

Walk Footsteps in the of

By Mayci Rechner, Patriots Point Public Information Officer

It’s a museum within a museum, aboard one of World War II’s most decorated aircraft carriers. Situated on the Charleston Harbor, the USS Yorktown (CV-10) stands guard over the cobblestone streets, museums, and historic churches whose spires define the Holy City’s skyline. Located just over the Arthur J. Ravenel Bridge in the town of Mount Pleasant, the Yorktown rises ten stories above the waterline, standing out among the sailboats and ferries that dot the waterway.

The Essex-class aircraft carrier was christened in 1943 by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt. The ship earned her nickname, “The Fighting Lady,” because of her apparent eagerness to serve her country.

During the christening, the Yorktown slipped off the stocks seven minutes early, prompting Mrs. Roosevelt to jump up to swing the champagne bottle, ensuring good luck and safe travels for the carrier. Mrs. Roosevelt’s quick action set the USS Yorktown on a course for success, receiving the Presidential Unit Citation and earning sixteen battle stars throughout her service.

Today visitors come to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum to discover tales of valor and courage through stories of the Yorktown’s crew in the Pacific theater of World War II and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam.

The Yorktown is both the largest artifact in the collection and the museum, itself. Unlike many other museums, history is embedded directly into its walls – in this case, the steel hull. By climbing up and down ladders to explore the berthing compartments, galleys, engine room, forecastle, and much more, guests can easily imagine the experiences of those serving in the U.S. Navy in the 1940s.

Visitors walk in the footsteps of American sailors and aviators by simply setting foot on the flight deck. Through interactive exhibits and reading stories about Yorktown pilots, people learn the precision required to land a plane safely on an aircraft carrier—which has been compared to trying to land on a postage stamp in the middle of the ocean.

The Congressional Medal of Honor Society recognized the USS Yorktown as the perfect location to establish its headquarters in 1992, and for more than twentyfive years, has maintained the Recipients’ Museum and extensive historical archive aboard the ship. One of only three Congressionally recognized Medal of Honor sites in the country, the Medal of Honor Museum is located directly through the entrance to the Yorktown’s hangar deck it tells the stories of more than a century of American heroes, right up to the most recent Medal of Honor Recipients through a new War on Terrorism feature.

Through its location and partnership with Patriots Point, guests can learn about the acts of valor that earned the Medal of Honor and directly connect them to exhibits throughout the g

On February 20, 1942, the Japanese launched an attack on the USS Lexington. O’Hare singlehandedly intercepted and protected the carrier from nine enemy heavy bombers. As written in his Medal of Honor citation, “despite his concentrated opposition, Lt. O’Hare, by his gallant and courageous action, his extremely skillful marksmanship in making the most out of every shot of ammunition, shot down five enemy bombers and severely damaged a sixth before they reached the bomb release point.” This is considered

one of the most daring actions in the history of combat aviation and earned him the title of the United States Navy’s first flying ace of World War II. Another significant aircraft on display at Patriots Point is the B-25. This type of bomber was notably flown by Medal of Honor Recipient James “Jimmy” Harold Doolittle while leading a destructive raid on the Japanese mainland. The mission, now called the “Doolittle Raid”, was conceived in the immediate aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor and executed on April 18, 1942.

Due to fears that the Japanese would discover the U.S. Navy aircraft carriers in the Pacific, the raid took off early and 250 miles further from land than planned. On that day, sixteen B-25s launched from the USS Hornet. After completing the mission and bombing targets across Japan, the aircraft did not have enough fuel to return to the Hornet. As a result, fifteen planes crashed in occupied China and another in the Soviet Union.

The Japanese captured eight of the 80 men who participated in the Doolittle Raid, and three were executed. The five who

landed in the Soviet Union were held prisoner for more than a year. James Doolittle received the Medal of Honor for his leadership in this dangerous endeavor despite “the apparent certainty of being forced to land in enemy territory or perish at sea.” Patriots Point visitors can see the B-25 on the Yorktown’s hangar deck and venture inside during the guided Captain’s Tour.

The USS Yorktown is not the only ship on display at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum. The USS Laffey (DD-724) destroyer has a notable history of its own. Commissioned in early 1944, the Laffey supported the D-Day landings on the beaches of Normandy that June. The following year off the coast of Okinawa, the Laffey survived the longest kamikaze attack on a single vessel. During the 80- minute attack, the destroyer was hit by four bombs, six kamikaze crashes, and strafing fire that killed 32 and wounded 71. The USS Laffey’s With such a valiant history, it makes sense that the USS Laffey is named for a Medal of Honor Recipient. Bartlett Laffey served on the USS Marmora during the Civil War. On March 5, 1864, during a Confederate assault on the Union in Yazoo City, Mississippi, Laffey embarked with a 12-pound howitzer mounted on a field carriage. He bravely stood by the gun despite enemy rifle fire which cut the gun carriage and rammer and contributed to the enemy turning back during the fierce engagement. Much like the destroyer that would bear his name some 80 years later, Bartlett Laffey proved courageous under fire, forced the enemy to retreat, and survived to serve the United States Navy after the heroic actions. g

Landside at Patriots Point is the three-acre Vietnam Experience. This exhibit is a replica of a Brown Water Navy support base from the Vietnam War. Inside is a newly restored River Patrol Boat, or PBR. The vessel is painted to resemble the one captained by Medal of Honor Recipient James Elliott Williams.

Williams was presented with the Medal of Honor “for conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty.” On October 31, 1966, Williams’ PBR 105 was under enemy fire. At Williams’ order, his crew returned fire and killed the crew aboard one of the enemy sampans and caused the other to retreat. Instead of allowing the enemy to escape, Williams pursued the fleeing vessel. He was met with heavy volume and close-range small-arms fire from enemy forces hiding along the riverbank. While drastically outnumbered, Williams and his crew did not back down.

Williams’ Medal of Honor citation reads, “With utter disregard for his safety, Williams exposed himself to the withering hail of enemy fire to direct counterfire and inspire the actions of his patrol.” Through his leadership, the patrol damaged or destroyed 50 enemy sampans and seven junks. Once armed helicopters arrived to assist, Williams instructed the patrol boats to turn on their searchlights to provide better illumination of the area—even though Williams was aware this would only make the patrol boats a better target in the dark. ‘

The patrol was able to successfully engage the enemy hiding ashore and by the end of the three-hour battle, Williams’ patrol was responsible for the destruction or loss of 65 enemy boats and inflicted numerous enemy casualties. By the end of this 20-year military career, Williams earned many honors and is considered the United States Navy’s most highly decorated enlisted man. His fighting spirit is remembered at Patriots Point through the PBR exhibit and the boat named “Elaine” in honor of Williams’ wife.

These tales of valor are just a few of the hundreds that guests will find while exploring Patriots Point. The heroism witnessed by the USS Yorktown even extends into United States space

exploration. On December 27, 1968, the Yorktown made history by recovering the Apollo 8 capsule and the three astronauts inside. Apollo 8 was the original crewed capsule to orbit the moon, and the Fighting Lady was the first to welcome astronauts Jim Lovell, Frank Borman, and Bill Anders back to Earth. The carrier’s bakers even prepared a 500-pound cake to celebrate the successful mission.

Patriots Point staff continue to discover new stories of heroism and save them for future generations. Veterans regularly visit the museum to explore the ships on which they served. The museum’s curatorial staff takes the time to greet these sailors and learn about their time aboard. In many cases, the stories are captured and preserved through videos that are later shared in exhibits or on social media. Hundreds of personal histories have been collected and are stored safely in the museum archive. Patriots Point plans to make these videos readily available to the public in the future.

When you step onto the USS Yorktown, you are walking in the footsteps of heroes. Veterans say the moment they arrive and smell the steel of the carrier, they are immediately transported back to their time of service. Those who served on the Yorktown can return to their berthing quarters and point to their specific bunk. They lead staff through the mazes of ladders and hallways as if they still lived aboard—even though it’s been decades. They describe the constant noise of a carrier at work and the weeks of eating nothing but rice as they neared the end of a tour. For civilian visitors, these stories are waiting to be discovered through museum exhibits or the anecdotes of museum volunteers, the majority of whom served on these or similar ships. The grandeur of the 888-foot, 30,000-ton Yorktown is nothing compared to the magnitude of the stories she holds. Patriots Point hopes to welcome you aboard to discover them all.

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum is located at 40 Patriots Point Road in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina. For more information or to plan a trip, visit patriotspoint.org or follow Patriots Point on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube.