Nothing beats a good cup o’ joe, 70 years ago today
National Museum of the U.S. Navy photo 80-G-707294
Coffee time on board USS Coral Sea (CVB-43). Fireman Apprentice Harold E. Dillahunt enjoying a cup of coffee while checking the boilers in the ship’s fire room, 30 August 1948.
Coral Sea, along with her two sisters FDR and Midway, at the time of Dillahunt’s java intake were the largest aircraft carriers in the world and would remain as such until USS Forrestal was commissioned in 1955, though Coral Sea would remain in the fleet until 1990, putting in an impressive 42-years.
This is a pic of the saturated side burners of the M type boilers found on the Coral sea. Although all 3 registers are loaded with burner barrel, only the lower register is lit. The handles on the upper two are in the closed position. I was a Coral Sea boiler technician from 1986 to 1990 and was a member of the decommissioning crew. Thank you for the pic.