Pensacola, Fla. (May 15, 2006) - The decommissioned aircraft carrier USS Oriskany (CVA 34) is towed out to sea one final time. It is planned that the ship will be scuttled 22 miles south of Pensacola in approximately 212 feet of water in the Gulf of Mexico, May 17, 2006, where it will become the largest ship ever intentionally sunk as an artificial reef. After the Oriskany reaches the bottom, ownership of the vessel will transfer from the Navy to the State of Florida. The public will be allowed to fish and dive on the ship two days later. Known as the "Big O," the 32,000-ton, 888-foot aircraft carrier was built at the New York Naval Shipyard and delivered to the Navy in 1950 where it later became a highly decorated veteran of the Korea and Vietnam conflicts. U.S. Navy photo by PhotographerUs Mate 2nd Jeffrey P. Kraus (RELEASED)
