The Last Cold War Cruise

USS Forrestal (CV-59) was a historic ship that happened to make some history, too. Her crew affectionately knew her as "The FID," an abbreviation for "First In Defense," due to her christening in honor of James V. Forrestal, first Secretary of Defense. She was the first super-carrier of the Cold War. Until her decommissioning in 1993, FID represented the extraordinary cost of the conflict. She was lead ship of her class that included Saratoga, Ranger and Independence. At commissioning, she was t