Lawrence Batchelor

The USS Lexington is a name carried by several distinguished ships in the United States Navy, most famously by the aircraft carrier CV-2. Commissioned in 1927, this "Lady Lex" played a pivotal role in the early Pacific campaigns of World War II, including the Battle of the Coral Sea in May 1942. During that battle, she was heavily damaged by enemy aircraft and ultimately sunk, marking the first aircraft carrier lost by the United States in the war. Despite her loss, the USS Lexington’s crew and air group contributed significantly to halting Japanese expansion, and her name was later passed on to the Essex-class carrier CV-16, which served throughout the remainder of the war and beyond.

USS LY SPEAR (AS-36) was a submarine tender commissioned by the United States Navy in 1970. Named after Chief Warrant Officer Lycurgus M. Spears, the ship provided vital maintenance, repair, and logistical support to nuclear-powered attack submarines of the Atlantic Fleet. Stationed primarily in Norfolk, Virginia, USS LY SPEAR played a key role during the Cold War, ensuring the operational readiness of submarines assigned to the U.S. 2nd Fleet. The vessel served honorably until it was decommissioned in 1996 after over 25 years of service.