USS Shangri-La (CVA-38)

• Unique Name Origin: USS Shangri-La was named after the mythical place "Shangri-La" from the novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton. President Franklin D. Roosevelt referenced "Shangri-La" as the secret base for the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo, inspiring the ship’s name. • Essex-class Carrier: Shangri-La was an Essex-class aircraft carrier, one of the largest and most successful classes of aircraft carriers built during World War II. • Commissioning: Shangri-La was commissioned on 15 September 1944, late in World War II, and joined the Pacific Fleet in early 1945. • Combat Debut: The carrier’s first combat action was in May 1945, launching air strikes against Okinawa and the Japanese home islands. • Kamikaze Attack: On 4 May 1945, Shangri-La was hit by a kamikaze aircraft, causing damage and casualties, but she remained operational after quick repairs. • Post-war Service: After World War II, the ship was decommissioned in 1947 but was later modernized and recommissioned in 1951, serving throughout the Cold War. • Angled Flight Deck: Shangri-La was one of the first aircraft carriers to receive an angled flight deck during her modernization from 1952 to 1955, allowing for more efficient jet operations. • Space Program Support: The carrier played a role in the U.S. space program, serving as a recovery ship for astronaut Scott Carpenter’s Mercury-Atlas 7 mission in 1962. • Vietnam War: Shangri-La conducted multiple deployments to the Western Pacific in support of operations during the Vietnam War, providing air support and patrols. • Decommissioning and Fate: The ship was decommissioned for the final time on 30 July 1971 and eventually sold for scrap in 1988, ending her long and distinguished service.