The USS Hancock Comes to Rest after 32 years
Decommissioning - 30 January 1976

A Proud - but Sad Crew says Good-Bye to a Proud Lady

The following news clip photo was taken from Sunday, February 3, 1976 Washington Post
Colors is stricken for the last time on the Fighting Hannah

Text: Out of Service - Marine Corps Sgt. David Schneider, left, and Capt. Arnold N. Manella take down the ensign on the stern of the flight deck of the USS Hancock as the 31-year-old aircraft carrier is decommissioned at the Naval Air Station at Alameda, Calif. The Hancock was commissioned during World War II on April 13, 1944, in Quincy, Mass. In the right background is the superstructure of the carrier USS Enterprise.

This is Hannah as she was tied up at Terminal Island Annex Long Beach, California 1976 - After the end of the Vietnam War Awaiting her fate. Unfortunately....

She was stricken from the Naval List and Scrapped

Picture courtesy of Mike Donegan of  NavyDaze

Perhaps the very last view of her for many of us

A Sad Ending

The USS Hancock (CV/CVA-19) Served with the Fleet for over 32 years before her ending on 30 MAR 76 at Terminal Island Annex, Long Beach, California. She was commissioned 15 April 1944, and was one of the oldest Aircraft Carriers still active with the Fleet during the Vietnam war, and though, for her size (45,000 tons) and her age, she proved herself quite capable in the modern Navy of the Vietnam Era, and won many campaign Ribbons and Awards including...

For WWII

Five Engagement Battle Stars on her Asiatic-Pacific Campaign Ribbon:

1 - Operations off Leyte
2 - Operations off Luzon
3 - Operations off Iwo Jima
4 - Operations off Okinawa
5 - Third Fleet Operations off Japan

plus two non-engagement Stars

WWII Navy Unit Commendation

For Viet Nam

Five Battle Star Vietnam War Era

Please see Hannah Awards

and the Hanna Awards Informaiton Page

All anyone has to do is ask any former Hancock Officer or Bluejacket what he thought of her - and then sit down and prepare yourself for a very long session of praise, accolades and reflections in Pride.

We all were proud to serve on her and every last one of us who still lives today will agree with me, that she is an 'Experience' and a Mighty ship none of us will ever forget.

Most of us, from WWII times on down through the Vietnam war, who served aboard her during their 'coming of age' will take with them, the same Pride and Great memories of a Proud and Noble Lady:
and no ship is a ship without her crew.

The USS Hancock today is only a memory, but her Ghost lives in all of us, and atop her Mast still flies the Colors...

Though now only a Ghost, she will live on in our Memoires forever,
and we will now remember her as the...

During her 10 years involvement in the Vietnam Conflict, she proved herself a Reliable Ship on Yankee Station, amid the other Super Carriers, The Fighting Hannah always showed her 'Stuff!' A ship is only a ship when she has a crew. We who served on her are proud of the Hancock Heritage and will never forget her.

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Disembark Hannah for the Final Time - The Brow