Did you know that the USS Lexington has participated in almost every major American naval war? If you’re wondering how this is possible, it’s because the USS Lexington has been the name of not one but five U.S. Navy ships, all named after the Revolutionary War’s Battles of Lexington and Concord in Massachusetts.
The Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, commonly known as ‘the shot heard ’round the world,’ signaled the start of the Revolutionary War. A clash between minutemen militia and British Redcoats, these battles proved that American soldiers could stand up to British forces – starting the conflict that would escalate into the historic fight for independence.
During the Revolutionary War, one of the first ships of the United States Continental Navy was dubbed the Lexington in honor of that battle. This first iteration of the Lexington, a brigantine ship, sailed down the Delaware River in March of 1776, evading the British blockade and fighting in several key battles in the Chesapeake Bay and around coastal areas of Delaware.
The Revolutionary War brigantine was only the first of many iterations of the USS Lexington. In the nineteenth century, a steam-powered ship also dubbed the Lexington fought for Union forces in the United States Civil War. Later, a CV-2 Essex Class aircraft carrier, nicknamed “Lady Lex,” was involved in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.
Another ship, commissioned in 1943, is the current iteration of the USS Lexington. Originally named the USS Cabot, it was under final construction when its predecessor, “Lady Lex,” was sunk in the Coral Sea while engaging with Japanese troops. During World War II, this aircraft carrier participated in almost every major maneuver in the Pacific Ocean.
After World War II, even while not engaged in direct combat, the Lexington continued to provide logistical support, training naval troops during the Cuban missile crisis and the Vietnam War. In 1991, the current Lexington was decommissioned and brought to Corpus Christi, Texas, where it now serves as a ship museum.
In Lexington, Massachusetts, visitors can see the USS Lexington Memorial, a tribute to each of the five navy ships that have held this name – a name steeped in the history of the American fight for liberty and independence.
