USS LEXINGTON Former Crew Member

Name: Simpson, Ginger L.

Service Dates: 1984-1987

As the Blue Ghost aged, her new hull number took on a “T” for training and gave me the opportunity to serve aboard ship as senior enlisted woman; for a while, the only senior enlisted woman with 96 junior enlisted women integrated and several female officers.
My tour was full of makeover, recognition, and challenges. Lexington was awarded the prestigious “Golen Anchor” Award for outstanding retention programs and promotion rates on my watch for the Atlantic Fleet.
The ship experienced several challenges, not the least of which was a stall in the SE quandran of a hurricane GILBERT off the coast of Key West.
We were in the Yards in Philly and Mobile to receive a new flight deck and new turbine engines, which was about 13 months of my 39 month tour.
Harold Bernsen, Paul Ferran and Woody Sprouse were the Commanding officer’s during my tour; men of true grit in Naval Aviation in their time.