CVB-42 was named after Franklin Delano Roosevelt (1882-1945), 32nd President of the United States of America (1933-1945).

Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Mr. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves.

He later sought to keep the United States out of the war in Europe, yet at the same time to strengthen nations threatened or attacked. When France fell and England came under siege in 1940, Roosevelt (who had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy under President Wilson) began to send Great Britain all possible aid short of actual military involvement. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, Roosevelt directed organization of the Nation's manpower and resources for global war.

Feeling that the future peace of the world would depend upon relations between the United States and the Soviet Union, he devoted much thought to the planning of a United Nations, in which, he hoped, international difficulties could be settled.

Port oblique view of USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) at anchor, with Carrier Air Group 4 (CVG-4) aboard, 1948–1949.

Ships of the U.S. Sixth Task Fleet, commanded by Vice Admiral Forrest P. Sherman, silhouetted by the evening sun while anchored in Phaleron Bay off Piraeus, Greece, 17 October 1948. The ships are (from left to right): USS Little Rock (CL-92); USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42); USS Providence (CL-82); and USS Albany (CA-123).

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) operating at sea during her second Mediterranean tour, 28 November 1948.

Grumman F9F-2 Panther jet fighter on the deck edge elevator of USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42), circa 1950.

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB-42) launches a Lockheed P2V "Neptune" bomber with "JATO" assist, during a Task Force 21 cruise, 2 July 1951.

Off Nice, France, on 24 October 1951, with crewmen in formation on the flight deck spelling out "Vive La France".

Courtesy of Captain H.H. Smith-Hutton, USN (Retired), via Captain Paul B. Ryan, USN, 1975.

Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, 10 August 1954. USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) getting her hurricane bow (Photo # NY8-11561).

Seattle Branch of the National Archives photo.

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42), from Our Navy magazine, 1 February, 1958.

Photo taken in 1956-1957, with Carrier Air Group 17 (CVG-17) aboard. Note mixture of color schemes: some aircraft were painted in the new light gull gray over glossy insignia white scheme (as directed by MIL-C-18263, 23 February 1955) while others were still painted in the old overall glossy sea blue scheme.

Underway, September 26, 1956 after her two-year SCB-110 modernization. FDR conducted Air Wing training and other CarQuals from Mayport, Fla., Aug 9-Oct 25, 1956.

SCB-110 included the installation of the angled flight deck and three type C-11 steam catapults (that fitted to the angled deck was later removed). Although the number of 5"/54 Mk.39 and 3"/50 guns was reduced, she retained a considerable gun battery. New SPS-8A and SPS-12 radars were carried on the new mast, and an old SC-2 was retained behind the funnel (see NS024214).

(Thanks to Robert Hurst, who provided additional info).

Summer 1960, in the Med.

Note radome-enclosed SPN-8 blind-landing radar mounted abaft the funnel and a Mk.37 GFCS, with Mk.25 radar, mounted on a pedestal. The mattress-like antenna served a wartime-designed, long-wave, SC-series air search radar, retained in service to complement the shorter-wave SPS-6 and -12.

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) underway at sea, 3 March 1963.

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) underway in the Gulf of Tonkin, during her Vietnam War combat deployment, 19 October 1966. A UH-2 "Seasprite" helicopter is in flight at left. Photographed by PH1 Hendricks.

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) photographed from the cockpit of a Grumman A-6A "Intruder" aircraft making its final approach for recovery aboard the ship, during operations in the Caribbean Sea, August 1969. The aircraft is assigned to Attack Squadron 176 (VA-176). Photographed by Ph2(DV) William R. Curtsinger.

Naples Gulf, mid-1970, with Carrier Air Wing Six (CVW-6).

Naples Gulf, mid-1970. Note the view ports for the secondary conning station (the seven port lights at the gallery deck level) and the "oil canning" effect on the hurricane bow plating caused from slamming into heavy seas.

Naples Gulf, mid-1970. Five F-4J Phantom IIs assigned to the "Jolly Rogers" of VF-84 are visible on deck, along with an A-7B Corsair II.

Naples Gulf, mid-1970. Clearly visible atop the island and mast are a Mk.37 GFCS, with Mk.25 radar; an SPS-30 height-finder; and an SPS-43 long-wave, long-range air search radar.

Underway in the Mediterranean Sea, 6 June 1971. Photographed by Ph2 W. Striegel.

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVA-42) underway. Official US Navy Photograph #1157465, received in October 1973 by the US Naval Photographic Center, Naval Station Washington DC. Judging from air wing composition, this picture appears to have been taken circa 1971.

Underway at sea, circa 1970-73. The original print accompanied a 26 January 1974 press release concerning the Meritorious Unit Commendation awarded to Franklin D. Roosevelt in recognition of her performance during a ten-month Sixth Fleet deployment, from 9 March to 1 December 1972.

"The aircraft carrier USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV[A]-42) underway." From NAVSEA Journal.

This photo was probably taken at about the same time as the photo above (note plane spotting and flight deck activity).

USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.

Welcome Aboard, 1976–1977.

Decommissioning Ceremony invitation for the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CV-42), October 1, 1977.