This Sunday, August 16, 2015, is the 72nd anniversary of the commissioning of USS Intrepid (CV-11). To celebrate the occasion, we are excited to share an account of the commissioning ceremony from one of Intrepid’s plank owners, or members of the ship’s very first crew. This account comes from a diary that was recently donated to the Museum.

Richard Lee Montfort joined the U.S. Navy as a warrant officer in 1942. He served on board Intrepid as an electrician until April 27, 1945. Montfort kept a series of diaries from 1941 through 1945. In our collection, Montfort’s diary stands out for its comprehensiveness. He wrote a detailed entry almost every day, covering major events in the war as well as daily life.

Here is a transcription of Montfort’s diary entry from August 16, 1943, the date of Intrepid’s commissioning ceremony. We can’t quite make out all the words. If anyone has any suggestions, let us know!

Monday, August 16, 1943
228th Day—137 days to follow

Left Newport News about 0700 for Portsmouth. Went over _____ Range on way docking around 1000. Took 10 tugs to get us into pier. Had rehearsal at 1100. After chow went up to look for Florence & Carol but no signs of them. At 1330 assembled on flight deck. Commissioning went off fine. First an official of the Drydock Co. presented ship to Admiral – Admiral accepted & colors were raised. Then Capt Sprague read his orders & Exec set the watch. Several men were awarded Purple Heart also Unit Citation to Torpedo Squadron 8.
            After secure immediately ___ for ___  ___ – Had to trust to luck that nothing would happen. No one on one of the boat[?]. Had Fire Drill also.
            Left ship around 1800 & went to WO’s [Warrant Officer’s] Club – joined & cashed check $42.00.  Got back to ship around 0100.

We thank the family of Richard Montfort for donating the diary to the Museum.

Be sure to stop by the Intrepid Museum on August 15–16 for activities in honor of Intrepid’s 72nd commissioning anniversary and the 70th anniversary of Victory over Japan Day (V-J Day). We are offering themed tours and talks that delve into the history of the war and holding a special ceremony on the starboard aircraft elevator to celebrate Intrepid’s anniversary. Find listings and the schedule here!