When I was in Hawaii a few years ago, I never had the chance to travel to Honolulu to see Pearl Harbor. Though I’ve visited Mobile, Alabama more than once, I still haven’t had a chance to see the USS Alabama. So, finally, when in California I made time to honor our military by visiting the USS Hornet. Learning about what the crew of an aircraft carrier actually does was a great way for me to honor the service of this vessel and of the personnel who operated it and called it home.

Located in Alameda, California, (a 25-minute Uber ride away from the Residence Inn-Berkley where we stayed) the USS Hornet was awarded nine (9) Battle Stars for Pacific service during WWII. Plan to spend a couple of hours exploring. Afterall, this baby is nearly 900 feet long and is 19 decks tall!

Honor Our Military: USS Hornet, Alameda
I wouldn’t want to see this guy flying my way.
Honor Our Military: USS Hornet, Alameda
Check out that lovely city in the background.

While we saw the crew quarters, medical facilities, briefing rooms, and a collection of aircraft, there were two things that stood out to me. Clear favorites, you might say.

  1. Visiting the flight deck and learning about how the pilots land on such a short “runway”.
  2. Seeing an exhibit dedicated to women who served. This spanned uniforms from the 1940’s all the way to modern heroines and their accomplishments.

Honor Our Military

Some people think that visiting a place such as this is a political act. I suppose that could be true. But, for me, it is about setting politics aside and acknowledging people who (often) volunteer for this life. It is also about learning more about the innovations born of hard work, creativity and perseverance. Building these vessels, launching them, living on them, flying off them and landing on them have influenced industry and American history. It’s fascinating any way you slice it. May you all have a peaceful Veteran’s Day.