FORRESTAL AVT 59

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Forrestal Class Attack Carrier Keel Laid 14 July 1952 as Large Aircraft Carrier (CVB) Redesignated Attack Carrier (CVA) during construction Launched 11 December 1954 USS FORRESTAL CVA-59 Commissioned 1 October 1955 USS FORRESTAL CV-59 Redesignated Aircraft Carrier (CV) 1 July 1975 USS FORRESTAL AVT-59 Redesignated Auxiliary Aircraft Transport (Training) (AVT) 4 February 1992 Decommissioned 30 September 1993 Currently awaiting disposal at Newport, R.I.

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. USS Forrestal CVA-59/ CV-59 / AVT-59 Covers Page 1    (1955-1993)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Image

 

Locy Type FDC 2 (1955)

1955-10-01

CVA-59. First Day of Commissioning, rubber stamp cachet.

 

Locy Type 2 (1955)

1955-10-25

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 2 (1958)

1959-10-27

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (CVA,USS)

1965-09-19

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. F-39

1962-05-16

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. F-39a

1965-09-19

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. F-39c

1977-09-17

As CV-59

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D1,USS)

1982-12-25

As CV-59

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (D2,USS)

1985-10-13

As CV-59
Navy Day. Cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (A,USS)

1990-12-25

As CV-59

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (A,USS)

1990-10-01

As CV-59. 35th Anniversary, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (AVT,USS)

1993-09-11

As AVT-59. Inactivation Ceremony, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 7dit(n+u) (USS,POW/MIA)

1971-10-18

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 7tnu

1971-10-18

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 7t(n+u) (USS)

1968-09-02

As CVA-59

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (B,USS,CV)

1987-11-21

As CV-59. Dependent's Cruise, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (B,USS,CV)

1990-10-01

As CV-59. 35th Anniversary, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (A,USS,CV)

1992-02-04

As AVT-59

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS,AVT)

1992-02-04

As AVT-59

 

Locy Type LDC 2-1(n+) (CV)

1993-09-30

Decommissioning, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC 9-1(n+u) (CV)

1993-09-30

Decommissioning, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

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USPS Pictorial Postmarks

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "First Forrestal Reunion Station" Philadelphia PA

1983-07-15

Shipmate Reunion. Cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "First Forrestal Reunion Station" Philadelphia PA

1983-07-16

Shipmate Reunion. Cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "Decommissioning" Philadelphia PA Locy Type LDC 2-1(n+) (CV)

1983-09-30

Decommissioning. Cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS. From the George Marcincin collection.

 

Other Information

USS FORRESTAL earned the Joint Meritorious Unit Award Ribbon, the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (3 awards), the Navy "E" Ribbon (2 awards), the Navy Expeditionary Medal (2 awards), the National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal and the Vietnam Service Medal (w/ 1 Campaign star) during her Naval career.

NAMESAKE - James Vincent Forrestal (1892-1949)
Forrestal was named First Under Secretary of the Navy in August 1940, charged with building the world's largest Fleet. His brilliant work in procurement and production led to his appointment as the 48th Secretary of the Navy in May 1944. Forrestal carried out this new assignment with such distinction that he was the natural choice as the first Secretary of Defense, a position to which he was appointed in September 1947, and in which he continued outstanding service to the Nation, until he resigned in March 1949. He had served in the U.S. Navy as a naval aviator during World War I.

The ships sponsor was Mrs. Josephine Forrestal, widow of Secretary of Defense Forrestal.

 

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