laststandonzombieisland

Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum on South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor is gearing up to celebrate both the institution’s 50th anniversary and, along with the rest of the country, America’s 250th or semiquincentennial.

In doing so, they have the museum ship USS Yorktown (CV-10) aglow in red, white, and blue.

“As we illuminate her silhouette, we’re celebrating America’s history and our own legacy of preserving it for future generations,” notes the museum.

This is all very appropriate as Yorktown was formally dedicated as a memorial at Charleston on the 200th anniversary of the Navy, 13 October 1975.

The short-hulled Essex-class fleet carrier earned 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation during World War II and five battle stars for Vietnam service, entering service 15 April 1943 and decommissioning 27 June 1970, a very busy 27-year run.