USS Lake Champlain (CV-39)

USS Lake Champlain (CV-39) was an Essex-class aircraft carrier commissioned by the United States Navy in 1945. Although she arrived too late to participate in combat during World War II, she played a vital role in Operation Magic Carpet, repatriating American servicemen from Europe and the Pacific. Reactivated for the Korean War, Lake Champlain provided air support for United Nations forces and later served in the Atlantic and Mediterranean during the Cold War. She was also notable for recovering the Mercury-Atlas 7 astronaut in 1962 before being decommissioned in 1966.