Ancient History

The ancestory of the ships called Ranger spans over 200 years, eight separate ships have served the United States of America.

The Sloop-of-War

In 1777, an 18-gun Continental Sloop-of-War was built in Portsmouth, NH and launched on May 10th. On July 4th, the crewmen hoisted the first "Stars and Stripes" flag flown on a Continental warship. This ship was named Roger's Rangers, in honor of the Portsmouth militia. Displacing 308 tons, she was the pride of the new American colonies. Her first Commanding Officer was Captain John Paul Jones, a Scot by heritage and the father of the United States Navy. Captain Jones certainly lived up to his famous quote: "I wish to have no connection with any ship that does not sail fast, for I intend to go into harm's way."

The Ranger joined the fight for America's independence and he sailed her into harm's way. Her sailors and Marines went ashore and successfully harassed unsuspecting British towns and villages. Captain Jones further embarrassed the British by sinking two of their ships that out-gunned the Ranger. On 24 April 1778, off Carrickfergus, Ireland, the Ranger engaged the 20-gun Sloop-of-war HMS Drake, forcing the Drake to strike her colors after an hour and five minutes.

Along the way, Captain Jones and his 150 man crew sailed into French waters at Quiberon Bay and received the first formal salute at sea from the French fleet. The salute was the first official salute to the Stars and Stripes received by a Continental ship. However, the first recognition of the Flag by a foreign power occurred on November 16, 1776, when the Dutch saluted the Grand Union flag flown by the USS Andrew Doria, in the West Indies.

The second Ranger, an armed schooner purchased in 1814 was sold after seven years of routine service.

The Third Ranger was a 14-gun brigantine. She operated with Commodore Chauncey's squadron on Lake Ontario during the War of 1812.

The Fourth Ranger was a fully rigged iron vessel powered with auxiliary steam built during 1873-1876.

Historical Note: the next ship to be named Ranger was never completed, and because of the Washington Treaty her unfinished hull was sold for scrap in 1923.

The fifth ship to take on this beloved name was converted from a steel yacht built in 1910. She patrolled the East Coast of the USA during WW1.

Next, was a mine sweeper commissioned in 1918.

In 1934 an aircraft carrier (CV-4) was commissioned. Unlike the carriers Saratoga (CV-2) and Lexington (CV-3), which preceded her and were built on converted battle cruiser hulls, the seventh Ranger (CV-4) was the first United States ship to be designed and constructed as an aircraft carrier from the keel up. During World War II, CV-4 deterred German naval activity in the Mediterranean and was instrumental in providing air cover for the successful allied invasion of North Africa.

Now we come to the ship we know and love. This Forrestal class ship was designed as an angle deck carrier from the keel up, thanks to the British configuration. Her older sisters, the Saratoga and Lexington were built as an axial deck and later converted to the angle deck configuration.

The new Ranger, commissioned on August 10, 1957, joined the Atlantic Fleet two months later. After several months of acceptance trials, she sailed around Cape Horn for her new homeport of Alameda, California, where she provided a deck for pilot qualification training, as well as training excercises with the Pacific Fleet.

Her first WESTPAC deployment in early 1959 involved operations with SEATO naval units. She patrolled along the southern coast of Japan and returning to Alameda in late July 1959. She participated in fleet operations in her home waters then departed in early 1960 for her next WESPAC deployment. This deployment lasted from mid-1961 to early 1962. After several months of intensive training, Ranger began another WESPAC deployment. Sailing from Alameda in late November to Hawaii for various operations, she then set course for the South China Sea in May to support possible Laotian operations.

She came home in 1963 to undergo an overhaul at Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard. After some refresher training, her next mission took her to the Far East, in August of 1964, in response to the North Vietnamese PT boats attacking the US destroyers Maddox and Turner Joy. Whilst in transit, the Ticonderoga and Constellation engaged the North Vietnamese.

In October 1964, the Ranger became the flagship of RADM Henry Miller, USN, who commanded Fast Carrier Task Force 77. In early February 1965, the Ranger, Coral Sea and Hancock destroyed military targets in North Vietnam in response to Viet Cong attacks around Pleiku. The Ranger continued to strike targets in Vietnam until mid-April when a fuel line broke and ignited a fire in her #1 main machinery room that unfortunately killed a sailor. She sailed for her homeport and arrived in Alameda in early May 1965 and entered Hunters Point Naval Shipyard for an overhaul until late September.

Following this overhaul, she completed additional training and departed for her sixth deployment in December of 1965. During this next deployment, under the command of Captain Leo B. McCuddin (USN), the Carrier Air Wing 14 and Ranger's crews received the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service during combat operations in Southeast Asia from January to August 1966.

In late August of 1966 she returned to Alameda for two day cruise with dependents to Puget Sound in Washington State. After an extensive overhaul and training, she embarked with Attack Carrier Air Wing 2 in mid September and WESPAC deployment with the new A-7 Corsair II and UH-2C Seasprite turboprop recue helo. On her way to Yankee Station with Commander Carrier Division 3 (COMCARDIV3), she stopped in Yokosuka, Japan and Subic Bay, Philippines. Over the next five months, the Ranger and other carriers from DIV3 destroyed numerous military airfields, installations and other targets.


This particular deployment included a Bob Hope Christmas celebration, welcome visits to Yokosuka and Hong Kong. Afterwards she headed home, with a layover in Puget Sound. Following three months of in-port maintenance and training, the Ranger left for her eighth WESPAC deployment, which lasted from late October through mid-May of 1969. Then another deployment in December, and returning to Alameda in early June of 1970.


After operations off the west coast of California, Ranger departed for her next WESPAC deployment in late September 1970. During this deployment, Ranger and carriers Kitty Hawk and Hancock disrupted and destroyed entry corridors leading into South Vietnam from Laos. Ranger returned to Alameda in early June 1971 where she remained undergoing regular overhaul until late May 1972. During this yard period Captain Hank P. Glindeman, USN, became Ranger's 15th Commanding Officer. Captain Glindeman retired as a Real Admiral and is the Chairman Emeritus of the USS Ranger Foundation.

After training and operations in home waters, Ranger embarked on her next WESPAC deployment in mid-November 1972. In mid-December 1972 peace negotiations in Paris stalled. Pilots from Ranger, in company with carriers Saratoga, Oriskany and America flew 505 sorties during Linebacker II strikes in North Vietnam. The North Vietnamese returned to the peace table in late December and a cease fire went into effect on January 27, 1973.

She returned to her homeport in August 1973 and remained in home waters until she departed on her next WESPAC deployment in early May 1974. During this deployment, Ranger again operated off Yankee Station during the withdrawal of military forces there. She returned home in mid-October 1975. During her deployment in late May 1976, helos from Ranger, Camden, Mars, White Plains and NAS Cubi Point assisted in Philippine disaster relief in flood ravaged areas of central Luzon.

In mid-July 1976, Ranger and her escorts entered the Indian Ocean and operated off the Kenyan coast in response to a threat of military action by forces from Uganda. In February 1977, Ranger departed from Naval Air Station North Island, San Diego, California, for Puget Sound for a major overhaul. She received technological upgrades, refitted engineering spaces, new flight deck gear and she was armed with Sea Sparrow missile defense systems. Her yard period was completed in March 1978 and she began shake down cruises and sea trials. She deployed for her fourteenth WESPAC deployment in late February 1979. Unfortunately, she had to return to Subic Bay in early April for temporary repairs and then to Yokosuka, Japan, for permanent repairs after a collision with a tanker near Singapore.

Ranger completed additional WESPAC deployments. In early November 1983, a fire broke out in a main machinery room that unfortunately killed six crewmen. She returned to Subic Bay after 121 consecutive days at sea.