USS Intrepid (CV-11), known as "The Fighting I," was an Essex Class carrier built during World War II, launched on 26 April 1943 at Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Co. and commissioned on 16 August 1943. She earned one of the most distinguished service records of any Navy ship through active service in the Pacific Theater, including the Marshall Islands, Truk, Leyte Gulf, and Okinawa, and at the war's end she supported occupation forces with air support and supply services. Beyond wartime combat, she served as a recovery ship in the Gemini and Mercury space programs. After 30 years of distinguished service, she was decommissioned on 15 March 1974 and scheduled for disposal, but a campaign saved her and she was converted to a museum in 1982. Four years later she was designated a National Historic Landmark and is now moored in New York City, where she has hosted special events and served as an FBI operations center immediately following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
