At some point, ghosts became fashionable. There are television series devoted to searching them out, a rather ironic state of affairs if one assumes the whole point of being a ghost is the mystery of it all, dancing just on the periphery of awareness.
Whether or not you believe in ghosts, there are certainly an abundance of tales, especially at this time of year. Even the Navy has ghost stories.
Two Navy ships are purported to be haunted — the USS Hornet (CV-12) and the USS Lexington (CV-16). Both are Essex class aircraft carriers commissioned in 1943. Both are now floating museums — the Lexington is in Corpus Christi, Texas, and the Hornet is in Alameda, Calif.
The Blue Ghost
Even the USS Lexington’s nickname is spooky — “The Blue Ghost.” The ship got the name for a couple of reasons: First, the Lexington was painted dark blue as opposed to the standard haze gray. Second, the Japanese believed they sank the Lexington at least four times during the course of World War II, leading the Japanese propagandist Tokyo Rose to dub the ship “The Blue Ghost.”
In fact, the previous USS Lexington (CV-2) was lost in the Battle of the Coral Sea in May, 1942. CV-16 was originally to have been named Cabot, but she was renamed while under construction to commemorate CV-2.
The “new” Lexington was decommissioned shortly after the war, but updates led it to be reactivated in the 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA) and then an antisubmarine carrier (CVS). Nearly 30 years of her service time was spent as a training carrier (CVT). The Lexington remained active until 1991, longer than any other Essex-class ship. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
With such a long history, it’s not surprising there are tales of the unexplained surrounding the Lexington. There are reports people have heard screams and cries in one of the shower areas below deck. According to reports, 30 crewmen lost their lives there when the ship was torpedoed.
According to the website www.ghosteyes.com, there have been more than 200 reports from visitors who have encountered a young, blonde-haired, blue-eyed man during their visits, some even speaking to him. To this day, an engine room operator killed in battle is said to remain at his post.
In Dec., 2009, the USS Lexington was featured in an episode of “Ghost Lab,” a program on the Discovery Channel.
Haunted Hornet
The USS Hornet is said to be one of the most haunted warships in the U.S. Navy. There have been numerous reports of supernatural events taking place on board since the ship became a museum in 1998.
The Hornet was also to have borne another name. Originally named the USS Kearsarge, she was renamed in honor of the USS Hornet (CV-8), which was lost in the Battle of Santa Cruz in October, 1942, and is the eighth ship to bear the name.
During the course of her service, the Hornet came under attack 59 times, but was never hit. The carrier’s aircraft destroyed 1,410 Japanese aircraft; 10 of her pilots attained “Ace in a Day” status; 30 out of 42 of her Fighter Squadron (VF) 2 pilots were aces. In all, the Hornet earned nine battle stars for her service in World War II. She became part of the Pacific Reserve Fleet in 1947. She recommissioned in March, 1951 to sail from San Francisco to the New York Naval Shipyard, where she was decommissioned once again and converted to an attack aircraft carrier (CVA).
From 1960 to 1970, the Hornet was deployed on a regular basis to the 7th Fleet for operations from the coast of South Vietnam to the shores of Japan and the Philippines. She was also part of the Apollo program, serving as a recovery ship for unmanned and manned spaceflights. The Hornet was decommissioned in June, 1970, and mothballed at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton. She was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1991 and in 1998, was opened to the public as a museum.
The Hornet now hosts a variety of events, including the annual Monster Bash, which will be held on board Saturday. The party plays up the ship’s reputation, which stems from stories like heavy doors opening and closing by themselves, vanishing tools that reappear after much time searching, objects moving on their own and people who have reported being grabbed or pushed when no one is around. (Go to www.hauntedbay.com/features/usshornet.shtml for more accounts.)
A number of paranormal-related television shows have featured the Hornet, including MTV’s “Fear,” “Ghost Hunters,” on the Syfy Channel and the Travel Channel’s “Ghost Adventures.” Beyond Investigation Magazine also conducted an investigation of large sections of the ship for “Scariest Places on Earth.”
The White Lady
A little closer to home, one Whidbey Crosswind reader wrote in to share a story that didn’t actually happen to her, but to someone she knew.
According to Carol Scott, former wife of the late Master Chief Aircraft Maintenanceman Douglas Scott, many veterans of the Vietnam era who spent time at Naval Air Station Cubi Point or Naval Station Subic Bay in the Philippines were familiar with stories of one particular woman.
“There was an apparition named the ‘White Lady,’” Scott recalled. “She wandered one road on base at night. The road ran between the base proper and the Naval Hospital. It was said she was searching for her husband, killed in World War II.”
Scott said drivers of the local cab company told of seeing “the lady,” and would refuse to take fares on the road at night unless there was a return fare guaranteed.
“I took it with a grain of salt until a friend, who was a doctor at the Naval Hospital, told me his story,” Scott said.
“He lived in quarters at the hospital compound and told me that late one evening he was sitting in the living room and watched the cafe-type doors between the kitchen and the living room silently swing open, while a ‘fog’ passed through. The doors closed just as silently,” she continued. “Afterward, he said he smelled the slightest wisp of rose water. He said he had no explanation, but he knew what he saw. I never knew him to change his story.”
Happy Halloween!
