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Hey Everyone:

 

I know many of you served in the Navy. I just wanted to share how folks are very excited at a model building website I visit because Paul Allen has found the remains of the U.S.S. Lexington (CV-2) that was sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea.

 

She's in three pieces, but things like deck guns are well preserved to such an extent that rifling can still be seen. However, folks are really going nuts over the relatively well preserved state of some of her aircraft in the debris field. These are very rare TBD Devastators, and early versions of the Dauntless dive bomber and Wildcat fighter plane that are mostly intact on the ocean floor. One Wildcat still clearly displays four Japanese kill markings.

 

I just wanted to share this with fellow patriots.

 

 

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The Navy will never let any salvage take place because the ship is considered a war grave.  Even if the aircraft in the debris field don't fall under that classification, unless things have changed, no warbird enthusiast or organization will ever attempt to retrieve any because the Navy considers all wrecked navy aircraft (no matter how old or how long abandoned) to still be their property.  This has caused problems in the past when former Navy wrecks have been recovered by private persons for restoration and the Navy has stepped in to deprive them of their legitimate salvage rights.  AFAIK the Army, USAF, etc don't have this policy.

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Respect for the dead is already being exercised, of course. There are no plans (as far as I know) to try to salvage any part of the Lexington out of respect for her dead. 

 

It is hoped the Navy will allow salvage of aircraft with the deal being planes like the Wildcat with kill markings will go to the Naval Air Museum. Others will be allowed to enter collections.

 

Given their rareness and historical value, I assume these planes will not be flown again. They might not even be restored to flying condition at all. They might just be retrieved from the bottom, treated for corrosion, and displayed as they are as a memorial to those who served.

 

I admit I can't imagine what kind of hell those sea battles must have been like. I met a patient once who said he was in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (Marianas Turkey Shoot) as a 40mm Bofors gunner on one of the carriers. The hardest part was not being able go anywhere. You manned your station and did your best to hit a kamikaze plane screaming at your ship.

 

You didn't have time for practice shots.

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Respect for the dead is already being exercised, of course. There are no plans (as far as I know) to try to salvage any part of the Lexington out of respect for her dead. 

 

It is hoped the Navy will allow salvage of aircraft with the deal being planes like the Wildcat with kill markings will go to the Naval Air Museum. Others will be allowed to enter collections.

 

Given their rareness and historical value, I assume these planes will not be flown again. They might not even be restored to flying condition at all. They might just be retrieved from the bottom, treated for corrosion, and displayed as they are as a memorial to those who served.

 

I admit I can't imagine what kind of hell those sea battles must have been like. I met a patient once who said he was in the Battle of the Philippine Sea (Marianas Turkey Shoot) as a 40mm Bofors gunner on one of the carriers. The hardest part was not being able go anywhere. You manned your station and did your best to hit a kamikaze plane screaming at your ship.

 

You didn't have time for practice shots.

re thinking this, if they did salvage some planes and found bodies the navy would honor them as the always have

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The Hunley and Monitor were hallmarks in Naval Battle.  Their historical value is priceless IMO.  If I ever get the chance to see them, I will.  I am sure the dead were honored respectfully.  Lady Lex will never be raised, but if they can preserve some of her treasures, and display them properly, I think it would be very respectful to those that died that their memories live on by being viewed in musuem's by thousands...as well as a swift reminder of what they gave and why.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I think bodies should be taken care of carefully and with respect, but stuff is stuff, and shouldn't get reverence. Possibly preservation as historical items, but while I love history, one thing I've learned from it is that the living need land and materials more than the dead do, and that there are enough historical artifacts to avoid making shrines of them all.

 

Normal maritime law allows salvage, and I see absolutely zero good from making two classes of citizens, military and other. If a civilian shipwreck is subject to salvage, so is a military shipwreck. If the laws say otherwise, we should fix the laws.

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