USS Enterprise Completes Its Final Voyage
USS Enterprise Completes Its Final Voyage
The USS Enterprise returns to Norfolk Naval Station in Norfolk, Va., on Sunday, Nov. 4, 2012. (AP Photo/The Virginian-Pilot, Steve Earley)The world’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier ended its remarkable career at sea on Sunday when it pulled into its home port for the final time after participating in every major conflict since the Cuban Missile Crisis of 1962.
The USS Enterprise began shutting down its eight nuclear reactors almost as soon as it arrived at its pier at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia, where thousands of cheering family members and friends welcomed the ship home from its 25th and final deployment after nearly eight months at sea. The ship will never move on its own power again and will eventually be scrapped in Washington state, making its final voyage a sentimental one for those who have sailed aboard “The Big E.”
