The USS Essex Was a Special U.S. Navy Aircraft Carrier

Summary: The USS Essex (CV-9), the lead ship of its class, was a key U.S. Navy aircraft carrier during World War II and the Korean War.

-Commissioned in 1942, it participated in major operations including the Battle of Iwo Jima and the Battle of Okinawa.

-Post-WWII, Essex underwent modernization and served in the Korean War and during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

-Despite its distinguished service and numerous awards, it was decommissioned in 1969 and scrapped in 1975, unlike its preserved sister ships.