Landing Ship Tanks" weren't deemed noble enough even to have names. They were not thought of as warships even though they were always the first floating metal to touch fire-swept beaches from North Africa, to Sicily, to Normandy, and from the Philippines to Iwo Jima and Okinawa. the story of these ships is therefore one of an unsung hero, as it reveals not just the considerable war-long battle action of one ship, but exemplifies the collective saga of a design class that had absolutely no military precedent before the first keel was laid in June of 1942. We learn the dire necessity of these ships from crucial roles in D-Day--how the date was postponed to allow for more to be constructed, and how precariously close they came to disaster with the tragic story of Exercise Tiger, the botched D-Day dress rehearsal that claimed the lives of hundreds of LST sailors and put the entire mission in jeopardy.

Not all hero ships were built for battle. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien served as a beacon of hope as it was one of many liberty ships that kept the supplies flowing. The ship miraculously survived the D-Day invasion, and is currently harbored in San Francisco, and participates in Fleet Weeks and cruises across the world.

The first Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413, perished in the greatest naval battle ever fought. In October 1944, as part of minimal force protecting jeep carriers in Leyte Gulf, the vessel faced a tremendously superior Japanese fleet. Fighting to the death, the DE-413 was able to fend off much of the Japanese force before sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The name Samuel B. Roberts appeared two more times, including the FFG-58, launched in 1984, participating in Desert Storm, and today is on-call for homeland security.

A technical and historical thumbnail of the US Navy from 1912 through 1945, the USS Texas fought in some of the most horrendous naval battles of the 20th century, including D-Day Normandy, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Today she's been renovated and set up as floating museum in LaPorte, TX, a glorious reminder of two great wars.

Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses.

America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam.

The original Enterprise, CV-6, gained immortality as "The Fighting Lady" of WWII. A dwarf among modern carriers, the "Big E" was a main target of the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and barely away at sea when the blow fell. Miraculously spared, she became the war-long leader of America's naval counterattack, playing key roles in decisive battles of the war. Despite her glorious past, she is sent to the scrap yard, but redemption comes in 1957 with the launching of CVN-65, her great namesake and the world's first nuclear-powered carrier. From then until now Enterprise has been a mainstay of American strength, and today she remains on the high seas in the front lines of American's military engagements.

Also known as "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution holds steady as one of the U.S. Navy's most powerful accomplishments in craftsmanship and endurance. It is one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Navy Act of 1794, and today still remains afloat, serving as a training facility for the Navy's CPO.

Landing Ship Tanks" weren't deemed noble enough even to have names. They were not thought of as warships even though they were always the first floating metal to touch fire-swept beaches from North Africa, to Sicily, to Normandy, and from the Philippines to Iwo Jima and Okinawa. the story of these ships is therefore one of an unsung hero, as it reveals not just the considerable war-long battle action of one ship, but exemplifies the collective saga of a design class that had absolutely no military precedent before the first keel was laid in June of 1942. We learn the dire necessity of these ships from crucial roles in D-Day--how the date was postponed to allow for more to be constructed, and how precariously close they came to disaster with the tragic story of Exercise Tiger, the botched D-Day dress rehearsal that claimed the lives of hundreds of LST sailors and put the entire mission in jeopardy.

Not all hero ships were built for battle. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien served as a beacon of hope as it was one of many liberty ships that kept the supplies flowing. The ship miraculously survived the D-Day invasion, and is currently harbored in San Francisco, and participates in Fleet Weeks and cruises across the world.

The first Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413, perished in the greatest naval battle ever fought. In October 1944, as part of minimal force protecting jeep carriers in Leyte Gulf, the vessel faced a tremendously superior Japanese fleet. Fighting to the death, the DE-413 was able to fend off much of the Japanese force before sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The name Samuel B. Roberts appeared two more times, including the FFG-58, launched in 1984, participating in Desert Storm, and today is on-call for homeland security.

A technical and historical thumbnail of the US Navy from 1912 through 1945, the USS Texas fought in some of the most horrendous naval battles of the 20th century, including D-Day Normandy, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Today she's been renovated and set up as floating museum in LaPorte, TX, a glorious reminder of two great wars.

Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses.

America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam.

The original Enterprise, CV-6, gained immortality as "The Fighting Lady" of WWII. A dwarf among modern carriers, the "Big E" was a main target of the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and barely away at sea when the blow fell. Miraculously spared, she became the war-long leader of America's naval counterattack, playing key roles in decisive battles of the war. Despite her glorious past, she is sent to the scrap yard, but redemption comes in 1957 with the launching of CVN-65, her great namesake and the world's first nuclear-powered carrier. From then until now Enterprise has been a mainstay of American strength, and today she remains on the high seas in the front lines of American's military engagements.

Also known as "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution holds steady as one of the U.S. Navy's most powerful accomplishments in craftsmanship and endurance. It is one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Navy Act of 1794, and today still remains afloat, serving as a training facility for the Navy's CPO.

Landing Ship Tanks" weren't deemed noble enough even to have names. They were not thought of as warships even though they were always the first floating metal to touch fire-swept beaches from North Africa, to Sicily, to Normandy, and from the Philippines to Iwo Jima and Okinawa. the story of these ships is therefore one of an unsung hero, as it reveals not just the considerable war-long battle action of one ship, but exemplifies the collective saga of a design class that had absolutely no military precedent before the first keel was laid in June of 1942. We learn the dire necessity of these ships from crucial roles in D-Day--how the date was postponed to allow for more to be constructed, and how precariously close they came to disaster with the tragic story of Exercise Tiger, the botched D-Day dress rehearsal that claimed the lives of hundreds of LST sailors and put the entire mission in jeopardy.

Not all hero ships were built for battle. The SS Jeremiah O'Brien served as a beacon of hope as it was one of many liberty ships that kept the supplies flowing. The ship miraculously survived the D-Day invasion, and is currently harbored in San Francisco, and participates in Fleet Weeks and cruises across the world.

The first Samuel B. Roberts, DE-413, perished in the greatest naval battle ever fought. In October 1944, as part of minimal force protecting jeep carriers in Leyte Gulf, the vessel faced a tremendously superior Japanese fleet. Fighting to the death, the DE-413 was able to fend off much of the Japanese force before sinking to the bottom of the ocean. The name Samuel B. Roberts appeared two more times, including the FFG-58, launched in 1984, participating in Desert Storm, and today is on-call for homeland security.

A technical and historical thumbnail of the US Navy from 1912 through 1945, the USS Texas fought in some of the most horrendous naval battles of the 20th century, including D-Day Normandy, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa. Today she's been renovated and set up as floating museum in LaPorte, TX, a glorious reminder of two great wars.

Two hero ships bearing the same great name; the original, CV-5, was a martyred hero of the war's two turning-point battles, the Coral Sea and Midway. Her successor, CV-10 went on to avenge her destroyed namesake through all the rest of WW II in every significant assault on the Japanese-held island fortresses.

America's most decorated surviving warship, the USS New Jersey has fought in more battles than any other fighting ship in US naval history. From WWII, to Korea and Vietnam, Lebanon and Syria, the USS New Jersey was on the front lines, lending support in every major engagement. This episode includes the emotionally stirring first reunion in three decades of two shipmates who served together on the USS New Jersey during Vietnam.

The original Enterprise, CV-6, gained immortality as "The Fighting Lady" of WWII. A dwarf among modern carriers, the "Big E" was a main target of the Japanese at Pearl Harbor and barely away at sea when the blow fell. Miraculously spared, she became the war-long leader of America's naval counterattack, playing key roles in decisive battles of the war. Despite her glorious past, she is sent to the scrap yard, but redemption comes in 1957 with the launching of CVN-65, her great namesake and the world's first nuclear-powered carrier. From then until now Enterprise has been a mainstay of American strength, and today she remains on the high seas in the front lines of American's military engagements.

Also known as "Old Ironsides," the USS Constitution holds steady as one of the U.S. Navy's most powerful accomplishments in craftsmanship and endurance. It is one of the six original frigates authorized for construction by the Navy Act of 1794, and today still remains afloat, serving as a training facility for the Navy's CPO.