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December 7, 1941...
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...lest we forget President
Roosevelt's own words, "A date which
will live in infamy".
At 7:53 am the attack began with the battle cry "Tora! Tora! Tora!" and
changed the focus of United States Navy from a battleship-based force to one
based on the striking power of the Aircraft Carrier. It became the mission of
naval carrier aviation and our submarine force to stop and push back the
Japanese expansion in the Pacific.
Our
losses at Pearl Harbor were great with 2,335 servicemen and 68 civilians
killed, and 1,178 wounded. In the attack five battleships were sunk; all eight
were damaged. Three light cruisers, three destroyers and three smaller vessels
were destroyed along with 188 aircraft.
U.S. Pacific Fleet aircraft carriers, Lexington, Enterprise and Saratoga were at sea and
therefore escaped the attack.
Victory at sea in the Pacific was dependent upon
carrier aviation. Advances in aviation, the advent of the jet engine and the
need for continued presence worldwide in our role as Super Power led to the
evolution of the Super Carrier in the
last half of the 20th century. The Super Carrier became the dominate vessel to project United States'
power during the "Cold War" and in hot wars in Korea, Vietnam and elsewhere.
This includes the current wars in the Middle East and trouble spots elsewhere.
The carrier is also a means of maintaining
freedom of the seas for all nations ensuring free trade and commerce as well as
providing humanitarian relief in natural disasters.
The success of Naval Aviation is well documented
in Aircraft Carriers At War by
Admiral James L. Holloway III, USN (Ret.), published by the US Naval Institute,
2007. His book is a must read to
understand the role of aircraft carriers as a critical element in protecting
freedom and projecting military strength around the world.
The USS
Ranger Foundation's mission is to preserve this Super Carrier for the American Public to commemorate the legacy of
these magnificent vessels whose dominance arose in the aftermath of the
devastating attack on Pearl Harbor. It is fitting USS Ranger be displayed
on the West Coast where carrier aviation came into its own in the Pacific Theater of World War II.
I urge you to support our efforts in this
endeavor with a year-end donation to provide funds for the application process
to bring Ranger back to life in her new role. She will serve as a
representative of our Navy Aircraft Carriers past, and in service today as a
key element of our national power. We are
making significant progress in obtaining a mooring site so visit our web site
frequently to follow our activity.
Thank you,
Captain
Peter W Ogle USN (Ret)
President
and CEO, USS Ranger Foundation
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Finish Your Holiday Shopping and Support Ranger at the Same Time!
We have added some great items for the holiday season and there is still time to have them in your hands before Christmas.
 Don't miss the spectacular glass stein laser-engraved with either the Foundation logo or the CVA-61 logo. This stein is made in America, is high quality and is engraved by a Ranger sailor.
 Or, remember the Ranger with a 30 minute DVD of the Navy documentary of the 1990-1991 Gulf War Cruise. This video
covers the entire Gulf War deployment of the USS RANGER. It starts with
great shots from the air. Then it covers the ship leaving
for the Gulf. Once underweigh, the video documents every aspect of life
aboard this ship. This video has one of the best flight op sections ever seen...lots of footage of take-offs and landing arrests,
in-flight footage, and flight deck action. There are also scenes of
bombing sorties the RANGER launched into Iraq during the war with lots
of shots of targets being hit and jet launches.
The perfect Ranger Sailor Bear!
Limited Edition Ranger Ornament in beautiful cobalt glass with a laser engraved logo. Packaged in a crush-proof box and a velvet  bag, your tree will be complete with this spectacular addition!
Visit the Ranger Store now for more exciting gift ideas!
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USS RANGER
MUSEUM FOUNDATION
A registered, non-profit corporation established March 5, 2001.
Organized
for the purpose of securing, maintaining and operating the
decommissioned super carrier USS RANGER CV-61 as an educational center,
museum and Military Memorial.
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