USS Forrestal Memorial (CVA/CV/AVT-59)

On July 29, 1967 the United States Navy suffered a devastating tragedy onboard the USS Forrestal while conducting flight operations in the Tonkin Gulf (Yankee Station) off the coast of Vietnam. There was a fire and multiple explosions that resulted in the loss of 134 of the finest sailors who ever walked the decks of a naval vessel. As you look around we hope you will understand our determination and the importance of honoring these men we lost and those who are still alive today.

Our heavenly Father, we see this day as one minute and yet a lifetime for all of us. We thank you for the courage of those who gave their lives in saving their shipmates today. We humbly ask You to grant them peace and to their loved ones the consolation and strength to bear their loss. Help us to renew the faith we have in You. We thank You for our own lives. May we remember You as You have remembered us today. From our hearts we turn to You now, knowing that You have been at our side in every minute of this day. Heavenly Father, help us to rebuild and reman our ship, so that our brothers who died today may not have made a fruitless sacrifice.

Offered by Captain John K. Beling, Commanding Officer, USS Forrestal, July 29, 1967

Mission Statement

The USS Forrestal Memorial Organization is located in Longview, Texas near the East Texas Regional Airport. We are creating this memorial to honor all the men who served and died aboard the USS Forrestal on July 29, 1967, additionally honoring all our servicemen who fought in Vietnam. Initially, we will be displaying a Navy A4 Skyhawk at the main entrance to our East Texas Regional Airport. This A4 will be displayed in the VA-46 "The Clansmen" paint scheme, which was one of the squadron's aboard the Forrestal in July of 1967. It is also in our plans to display a Navy F4 Phantom next to the A4 as we move into "phase 2" of this memorial by the year 2010. By having this memorial, it is our hope that we will be able to educate the public by making them aware of the many sacrifices that were made that day in 1967 and throughout the Vietnam War. This is a part of our American history that needs to be honored and respected by all Americans. Through our relentless efforts and your support we will pay tribute to our Veterans with this memorial that everyone will be proud of.

Memorial Location Map

Longview, Texas - 32.52N 94.79W (Elev. 397 ft)

Please take a second to sign our guest book at the bottom of this page. We appreciate it.

Also, please don't forget to visit our "Links" page. There, you will find more information related to the Navy and the USS Forrestal.
Please have your audio speakers turned on as well.

For more brief information on the history of the USS Forrestal and her porposed fate, please visit the "USS Forrestal Specifications" page of this website.

Happy 4th of July!.....

I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG, OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA , AND TO THE REPUBLIC, FOR WHICH IT STANDS,
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL!

For all of our other military personnel, where ever they may be.
Please Support all of the troops defending our Country.

And God Bless our Military who are protecting our Country for our Freedom.
Thanks to them, and their sacrifices, we can celebrate the 4th of July.

We must never forget who gets the credit for the freedoms we have,
of which we should be eternally grateful.

I watched the flag pass by one day. It fluttered in the breeze.

A young Marine saluted it, And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform; so young, so tall, so proud.
With hair cut square and eyes alert, he'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil; how many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down? How many died at sea?
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves? No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night, when everything was still.
I listened to the bugler play And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times That Taps had meant 'Amen.'
When a flag had draped a coffin of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children, of the mothers and the wives,
of fathers, sons and husbands With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard At the bot tom of the sea.
Of unmarked graves in Arlington. No, freedom isn't free.

Enjoy Your Freedom
and
God Bless Our Troops.

Please stop for a moment
and say a prayer for our servicemen.

Of all the gifts you could give a U.S. Soldier, prayer is the very best one.