USS New Jersey (BB-62), ("Big J" or "Black Dragon") is an Iowa-class battleship, and was the second ship of the United States Navy to be named in honor of the U.S. state of New Jersey. New Jersey earned more battle stars for combat actions than the other three completed Iowa-class battleships, and is the only U.S. battleship to provide gunfire support during the Vietnam War.

During World War II, New Jersey shelled targets on Guam and Okinawa, and screened aircraft carriers conducting raids in the Marshall islands. During the Korean War, she was involved in raids up and down the North Korean coast, after which she was decommissioned into the United States Navy reserve fleets, better known as the "mothball fleet". She was briefly reactivated in 1968 and sent to Vietnam to support U.S. troops before returning to the mothball fleet in 1969. Reactivated once more in the 1980s as part of the 600-ship Navy program, New Jersey was modernized to carry missiles and recommissioned for service. In 1983, she participated in U.S. operations during the Lebanese Civil War.

New Jersey was decommissioned for the last time in 1991, having earned a Navy Unit Commendation for service in Vietnam and 19 battle and campaign stars for combat operations during World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Lebanese Civil War, and service in the Persian Gulf. After a brief retention in the mothball fleet, she was donated to the Home Port Alliance in Camden, New Jersey, and began her career as a museum ship 15 October 2001.

 

Talk about a big bang .....

 

The fifth USS Independence (CV/CVA-62) is a Forrestal-class aircraft carrier that was launched by New York Navy Yard 6 June 1958; sponsored by Mrs. Thomas S. Gates, wife of the Secretary of the Navy; and commissioned 10 January 1959; Captain R. Y. McElroy in command.

One of the newest class of supercarriers at the time of her commissioning, Independence conducted shakedown training in the Caribbean and arrived her home port NS Norfolk, Virginia, 30 June 1959. On 25 August, during suitability trials on board Independence, an A3D Skywarrior, piloted by Lieutenant Commander Ed Decker, took off—at a gross weight of 84,000 pounds (38,000 kg), which at the time was the heaviest aircraft ever to take off from a carrier.