Blog RSS Blog RSS Feed <![CDATA[Homecoming Weekend August 16-18, 2013]]> Calling all USS Intrepid former crew members! Join us for a special homecoming weekend to celebrate the 70th Anniversary of Intrepid’s Commissioning. Click here for details

]]> Mon, 08 Apr 2013 16:43:35 GMT <![CDATA[Back to School]]>
Former Crew Member Mike Hallahan stands on the Hangar Deck next to the aircraft that bears his name.


By Mike Hallahan, Former Crew Members Association
 
Now that the kids are back to school, The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum is a great place for them to come, interact and learn about the history of the ship. At the same time they can also hear stories about the many men including myself who started a new journey by serving on the aircraft carrier.
 
My name is Michael Hallahan, I am a former crew member of the USS Intrepid. I started my journey back in 1958 and served for one year. I was on board along with 3,000 other men who served in service of our country. As a third class petty officer and also part of the helicopter squad my main responsibility was S.E rescue plane guard, also known as the Angel Squad. As part of the Angel Squad I had to be ready to come into action anytime a tragedy occurred. Whenever a plane crashed into the water due to an attack, it was my job to rescue the pilot and anyone who was in the aircraft. In fact my name is actually on an aircraft in the Hangar Deck. It’s the Piasecki HUP/UH-25 Retriever and it’s got my name right there on the side. I am proud to have my name there and hope adults and kids enjoy looking at all the aircraft in general.
 
We had to make many sacrifices while onboard. One of the most difficult aspects of serving was the scheduling. We were usually told when to sleep, when to get up, when to eat, when to shower, etc. Before serving I was able to choose the times in which I wanted to do my daily activities, however as I came on board I had to adapt to a new way of life. Another difficult task was when we were directed to do Standing Watch. Standing watch meant that I had to make sure that everything was fine in the ship and that there weren’t any fires in any of the decks while the rest of the crew slept. It was a difficult duty because we had specific hours that we were assigned. One of the most exhausting shifts was the Midnight-4am shift. This particular shift was one of the most difficult ones because I found myself walking around for hours and falling asleep as I was standing. I understood the importance of this shift as everyone’s safety was in my hands however it was still very exhausting.
 
Another one of my responsibilities was the Mail Calls. We often had 15-20 ships with us. Most of them handled their own responsibilities so they wouldn’t be as close to the Intrepid, but once a month they would all come around and wait for the Angel Squad to deliver their mail. This was one of my favorite duties in the ship. It was also a refreshing experience as I got to see all the entire crew eagerly waiting for a letter from their wives, parents, girlfriends, etc. The mail was the closest way of getting to our loved ones.
 
I hope to see you all here at the Intrepid enjoying yourselves, while learning so many stories of all the struggles as well as good times that people like me and the rest of the crew went through aboard her.
]]> Mon, 12 Sep 2011 16:01:15 GMT <![CDATA[Hurricane Irene]]> Mike Hallahan
Former Crew Members Association
 
The Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, along with just about everything else in the NYC area, was forced to close for two days due to Hurricane Irene. With some incredible work from the Museum’s SVP of Facilities Matt Woods and his amazing staff, who actually slept aboard the ship during the storm, Intrepid stood strong once again and was back open for business on Monday afternoon, ready to welcome guests.
 
This certainly wasn’t the first time that weather altered plans for Intrepid. She endured a number of typhoons during her service in the Pacific, both during World War II and during the Vietnam War.
 
I was not on board at the time but In early October 1944, a typhoon struck the naval base on Ulithi in the Caroline Islands.  According to diaries and research by Intrepid Curators, Intrepid had been scheduled for provisioning, but she had to leave the lagoon to ride out the storm at sea. Observed one Intrepid crew member in his diary, “Left [Ulithi] very early this morning as it looks like the ships might tear loose their anchorages.  It’s another typhoon even worse than the last.  Waves are breaking over the flt deck and I believe it’s the worst I’ve seen yet out here.”  Said an Intrepid pilot of the same storm, “Had to leave Ulithi – one helleva hurricane blowing.  Exactly 52 knots of wind.  Practically seasick all day – worse than ever tonite.”
]]> Wed, 07 Sep 2011 11:13:45 GMT <![CDATA[Kids Week 2011]]> By Michael Hallahan
Intrepid Former Crew Members Association
 
Kids Week, which takes place February 19-27 this year, is always a great time at Intrepid!
 
The Former Crew Members love seeing all the children enjoying the Museum and experiencing all the great things it has to offer. Because the children are what it is all about! They are the future and this is their week aboard the ship.
 
It’s also great to see the kids learning about the history of the Intrepid and all the sacrifices the men who served aboard her had to make on a daily basis. When the ship was in service, we didn’t get to have children aboard so it’s nice to see all the smiling faces and youngsters scampering around the Museum during the week.
 
It’s also important that the parents and kids take the time to learn the history and look at the artifacts and aircraft in addition to all the fun things here. Of course the Exploreum is wonderful and we love to see kids back there climbing the into the space capsule, rocking in the life boat or jumping into the Bell Helicopter. But we also love to see the kids watching the films and looking at the Cruise Books and learning the history of the ship and a little bit about the men and women who served about the Intrepid.
 
In fact my name is actually on an aircraft in the Hangar Deck. It’s the Piasecki HUP/UH-25 Retriever and it’s got my name right there on the side. I am proud to have my name there and hope people enjoy looking at all the aircraft.
 
We hope to see you here at Intrepid during Kids Week! If you see a Former Crew Member, go up to him and ask him a question about what he used to do on the ship! We are always happy to share our stories with visitors to the Museum.
 ]]> Fri, 14 Jan 2011 17:35:03 GMT <![CDATA[Help Bring a Space Shuttle to NYC!]]> By Mike Hallahan
Intrepid Former Crew Members Association
 
The Former Crew Members would like to encourage everyone to visit Shuttle2nyc.com to sign the petition to help bring a NASA Space Shuttle to New York City!
 
The Intrepid would be the ideal location for a Space Shuttle. Not everyone knows this but the Intrepid was a primary recovery vessel for NASA and would actually go and pick up astronauts after they had landed in the ocean.
 
On May 24, 1962 The Intrepid recovered the Mercury 7 space mission. Helicopters from the ship picked up astronaut Scott Carpenter, who was the commander of the second manned orbital flight. Then on March 23, 1965 Intrepid helicopters picked up Gemini 3 astronauts John Young and Virgil “Gus” Grissom.  The Intrepid also recovered their two-person capsule nicknamed “The Unsinkable Molly Brown.”
 
Putting a space shuttle in New York City would allow millions of people to see it each year, including hundreds of thousands of children. It is so important that an artifact as important as the shuttle be used to perpetuate the legacy of the Shuttle and New York City could do just that. More than a million children are in New York City Public Schools, not to mention the surrounding areas, and the Intrepid already incorporates space into the educational programming.
 
The Former Crew Members encourage you to check out Shuttle2nyc.com, sign the petition and help us bring a Space Shuttle to New York City!
]]> Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:12:22 GMT <![CDATA[Fleet Week is Here]]> By Dick Mills
Intrepid Former Crew Members Association
 
Fleet Week is one of the most unique times of the year here in New York City. The sailors from all the amazing visiting ships are in town and everyone is buzzing with all the activity going on at the Intrepid, Pier 88 and Staten Island.
 
Through the years I’ve really enjoy meeting some of the young men and women that have visited New York City during Fleet Week. I look forward to getting to know some more of them this year.
 
Fleet Week is the perfect opportunity to thank these brave men and women for defending our freedoms around the world. I know I always say thank you to the sailors and soldiers that I meet. It’s important to understand their dedication and their loyalty and what they do for our country each and every day.
 
The Intrepid is always packed during Fleet Week and that makes us Former Crew Members feel great. When I walked off the Intrepid on May 12, 1962, I thought that would be the last time I would ever see her. But here it is 2010 and I think I spend almost as much time there now as I did when I was serving! It’s always so wonderful to see the ship filled with kids and visitors, all learning about the important missions of the Intrepid and her crew.
 
Another very unique thing about Fleet Week is getting to go aboard those visiting ships. The Intrepid is amazing but it’s a Museum now. It’s not set up the way the visiting ships are. When you tour the visiting ships, you can see the heavy duty equipment and aircraft that they carry. Last year I went aboard the Iwo Jima and was very impressed. It certainly gave me some flashbacks when I heard those mess calls and the other announcements. But the ships these days have some things we would have enjoyed back when the Intrepid was in service. Flat screen tv’s and latte machines and things like that weren’t around when we were serving!
 
I hope everyone has chance to meet some of the sailors and soldiers that are in town. If you do, please take a moment and thank them for their service.
 
Hope to see you at Intrepid this week!
]]> Mon, 24 May 2010 17:04:02 GMT <![CDATA[Kids Week at Intrepid]]> By Michael Hallahan
President, Intrepid Former Crew Members Association
 
Kids Week is always a great time at Intrepid!
 
The Former Crew Members love seeing all the children enjoying the Museum and experiencing all the great things it has to offer. Because the children are what it is all about! They are the future and this is their week aboard the ship.
 
It’s also great to see the kids learning about the history of the Intrepid and all the sacrifices the men who served aboard her had to make on a daily basis. When the ship was in service, we didn’t get to have children aboard so it’s nice to see all the smiling faces and youngsters scampering around the Museum during the week.
 
It’s also important that the parents and kids take the time to learn the history and look at the artifacts and aircraft in addition to all the fun things here. Of course the Exploreum is wonderful and we love to see kids back there climbing the cargo net, rocking in the life boat or jumping into the Bell Helicopter. But we also love to see the kids watching the films and looking at the Cruise Books and learning the history of the ship and a little bit about the men and women who served about the Intrepid.
 
In fact my name is actually on an aircraft in the Hangar Deck. It’s the Piasecki HUP/UH-25 Retriever and it’s got my name right there on the side. I am proud to have my name there and hope people enjoy looking at all the aircraft.
 
We hope to see you here at Intrepid during Kids Week! If you see a Former Crew Member, go up to him and ask him a question about what he used to do on the ship! We are always happy to share our stories with visitors to the Museum.
 
]]> Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:21:46 GMT <![CDATA[Honoring a Legend]]> Honoring a Legend
By Dick Mills


 
I almost didn’t get to attend the Memorial Service for Walter Cronkite. I organize a fishing trip every year for a retirees group that is planned months and months in advance and it just so happened it was planned for that same day – September 9. There was no way I could miss the fishing trip due to the fact that I organize it, so I have to be there to count heads and take care of the other details.
 
The truth is I was hoping for some bad weather to come along and cancel the fishing trip and thanks to a small-craft warning Tuesday morning, the trip was canceled by the Captain of the boat and I was able to attend the amazing tribute to Walter Cronkite at Avery Fisher Hall.
 
To me, it meant a lot because at my age we grew up with Walter Cronkite’s newscasts. I remember watching and listening to Mr. Cronkite when Kennedy was assassinated and the space program accident and of course Vietnam. He was a person that you could always trust. He would report the news as he saw it and he saw it correctly most of the time. It was an honor for me to be at his Memorial and meet his family who are all wonderful people.
 
Not only did we get to be there, but we were asked to participate by presenting Mr. Cronkite’s children with an American Flag that flew at half-mast on the Intrepid the day he died along with a special microphone, modeled after the one Mr. Cronkite used on air, made out of original Intrepid Flight Deck wood. The artist, Scott Keon, did an amazing job carving the microphone and it looked great. We could tell the family really appreciated it as well. 
 
All 10 of the Former Crew Members who were there that day were so honored with the speech given by Intrepid Museum President Bill White. He did such a wonderful job and I told him afterwards that standing on a stage with two presidents and all these luminaries in the audience applauding us, really made my day, month and year.
 
I ran the elevator on the Intrepid from 1960-62 and to me that was a pretty insignificant job compared to what some of the other fellows did on the ship during the war. So just to be up there on that stage, where we felt like we were the ones being honored by these dignitaries and two Presidents was an incredible feeling and I’ll never forget it.
]]> Wed, 23 Sep 2009 10:06:26 GMT <![CDATA[Commissioning Anniversary will be Special Day]]> By Mike Hallahan President
USS Intrepid Association

On August 16 the Intrepid will celebrate the 66th Anniversary of the ship’s commissioning.

The keel of Intrepid was laid on December 1, 1941 but the ship wasn’t commissioned until August 16, 1943 in Newport News, Virginia. At a ceremony, Captain Thomas L. Sprague accepted command of the Intrepid that day.

Sunday, August 16 will be 66 years later to the day and it will be a very special day here at the Museum. We will have Former Crew Members from all over the country here and they will be sharing their stories and experiences with guests of the Museum. We will have the guys stationed throughout the ship talking about some of the things they used to do on board and pointing out special areas of interest.

We always look forward to sharing our stories and talking about the Intrepid. It was our second home and will always be a special place to us. One of my aircraft is located on the Hangar Deck – it even has my name on it – and I’ll be there proudly talking about my time on this great ship.

So bring your families and come on down for a visit this weekend. And if you see a Former Crew Member, stop and ask him to share his experiences with you. He will be happy to talk about this great ship and how great it is that so many people get to come aboard and spend time learning about the history of the Intrepid and the men that served her.
]]> Fri, 14 Aug 2009 11:27:04 GMT <![CDATA[Fleet Week Brings Sailors Together]]> By Mike Hallahan
President, USS Intrepid Association

As an active Crew Member, I was never a part of a Fleet Week but it is always a special time here in New York City and the Former Crew Members are very excited that the Intrepid is back in Manhattan and will again serve as a home base for Fleet Week.

Having served in the Military, I am always impressed by the might of the Navy that is on display during Fleet Week. When those ships roll past the Intrepid and take over the whole area, it is quite the spectacle. It makes you feel proud to be an American and it’s always great to see all the sailors and Marines around the city seeing the sites and having fun. As a sailor, it’s always nice to get off the ship and walk around a city so I’m sure they appreciate it too.

It’s great to watch the people staring in awe at the size and scope of the ships. Kids especially – they are so excited to get aboard those ships for tours.

Personally, I enjoy interacting with the sailors. I’ve gone out to dinner a few times with young sailors and we exchange sea stories and talk about all kinds of things. Some of what a sailor experiences never changes no matter how much time has gone by. But in some ways, they are so far advanced now. I’ve said to some of my cohorts that I don’t think I’d be able to get into the Navy today! With the technology and all that stuff, it’s amazing what these guys can do now.

Sometimes we will invite some sailors up to our crew member quarters on the Intrepid. We sit around, enjoy a cup of coffee and some snacks, and chat. We exchange old stories and talk about all the things we have seen and done in the Navy. It’s always a good time and allows us to get to know some of the younger guys a little bit better.

Once in a while, a ship will offer something to the Intrepid. We have a TomCat aircraft on the flight deck and some of the armament that is on it was donated to us by the USS John F Kennedy. They came during Fleet Week and saw that aircraft and then offered us some armament to add to the display.

This year, we’re going to have the USS Roosevelt here in NYC, a ship named after the two presidents, and we are going to feed the crew. We are going to bring them some big hero sandwiches or something and feed them and talk to the sailors. We will go into the galley and relieve the cooks and give them a little bit of the NYC deli cuisine experience. A few years ago we fed the crew of the USS Anzio and it was the first time I had been aboard one of the new cruisers. I was amazed at the galley. They have cappuccino machines and Coca-Cola and anything you could want. When I was in the Navy, we’d run out of milk two days after we left port! It’s like a bistro now! But the guys deserve it.

When the old Navy meets the new Navy, we get the chance to share ideas. And the young guys are always great about telling us they are just upholding our traditions. I always enjoy Fleet Week and I invite you and your family and friends to come down to Intrepid and celebrate with us. If you see a former Crew Member, don’t be afraid to ask him some questions or talk to him about his time onboard this amazing ship.

]]> Mon, 11 May 2009 12:56:31 GMT <![CDATA[An Event I Remember]]>
For some unknown reason, we sailed out of Norfolk one day and while off the Virginia coast went to flight operations, launching a number of A4D’s. Then, later in the day we proceeded to perform a refueling exercise with the USS Canisteo, a large Navy oil tanker. We pulled along side the oiler, got our lines across, and start the refueling operation. The ocean looked rough, icy cold and ominous. Many of our personnel scratched their heads and wondered, what are we doing out here refueling in rough seas one month before we have to leave for the Med. Parking a 42,000 ton aircraft carrier along side of a 553 ft. long oil tanker is no small feat , let alone doing it in rough seas. Things were going well enough when all of a sudden the oiler veered to port and slammed into the Intrepid! The two ships were locked together scraping alongside and causing damage to both ships. The general alarm sounded “ collision at sea” which was the equivalent of going to General Quarters, closing all doors and hatches, and personnel going to their assigned damage control stations. For what seemed to be an eternity , the ships were stuck together! Then finally they became separated. Any kind of spark could have started a fire either with the fuel oil or aviation gas that had spilled or was stored aboard. We were thankful and relieved that nothing worse came of it. No one was injured nor was there any loss of life. Our B&A crane punched a hole in the tanker revealing the after crew berthing quarters. For the Intrepid, many of the gun sponsons, rails and ladders on the starboard side were torn up or damaged. We sadly made our way back to port and headed for Portsmouth where shipyard crews assessed the damage and proceeded to make repairs.

There was a Board of Inquiry, and our Captain, Capt. Masterton, kept his job. Speculation was that the other Captain’s naval career came to an end. In accidents like this, someone will be held accountable as in this case. We left for the Med on February 13th, 1959 with everyone on the ship wondering, “did we really need to go to sea in January and do a refueling exercise?”
]]> Mon, 15 Sep 2008 16:05:18 GMT