On 8 May 1942, the Imperial Japanese Navy sank USS Lexington (CV-2) during the Battle of the Coral Sea. Seventy-six years later, the wreckage was located in that Sea thanks to the efforts of billionaire Paul Allen and the crew of his research vessel R/V Petrel.
“To pay tribute to the USS Lexington and the brave men that served on her is an honor,” Allen said in a statement.
“As Americans, all of us owe a debt of gratitude to everyone who served and who continue to serve our country for their courage, persistence and sacrifice.” (Quote ref. from US Naval Institute [USNI] website at https://news.usni.org/2018/03/05/video-billionaire-paul-allen-finds-lost-world-war-ii-carrier-uss-lexington)
Read the full USNI report on finding Lexington HERE. You can also find a summary of Lexington’s history on Wikipedia HERE.
You can also find out why her immediate WWII replacement, USS Lexington (CV-16) was named the “Blue Ghost” on Wikipedia by clicking HERE. (Hint: It had to do with a shipyard workers’ request to the Secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox.)
(Above photo from US Navy History and Heritage Command website at https://www.history.navy.mil/our-collections/photography/alphabetical—donations0/l/ua-564-19-uss-lexington–cv-2—cv-16–collection.html)
Naval Order of the US - Northwest 