Famed USS Forestal arrives in Texas to be scrapped

BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The U.S. Navy's first post-World War II supercarrier arrived at its last port of call in mid-February. The massive aircraft carrier USS Forrestal completed its final sail Feb. 18 when it arrived at a south Texas scrapyard from Philadelphia.

The carrier left Philadelphia under tow Feb. 4. The 60-year-old ship was sold for scrapping to All Star Metals for 1 cent.

The USS Forrestal was decommissioned in September 1993, after more than 38 years of service. Its flight deck was the site of a 1967 fire that killed 132 crewmen and injured 62 others.

The Navy made the USS Forrestal available for donation as a museum or memorial but reported it received no feasible applications for reuse.