Fellow battle cruiser sailors,

   I have been in contact with Northrop Grumman Ship’s Systems and even the local TV stations in Pascagoula and I regret to report that no one had a professional or even semi-professional video made of the decommissioning ceremony.   While some of it got a bit long winded (names withheld) I found the Skipper’s and Dr. Dur’s comments quite moving.  Almost as moving as the bonging off of Nick Mathews. 

   In my opinion, the History of the USS Yorktown (CG-48) would not be complete without a DVD dedicated to the decommissioning.  So I have made it my quest to find any and all video footage of the ceremony and events surrounding it to master a Decommissioning DVD.  If you have a video tape or pictures from the decommissioning and resulting parties, please contact me via the email link below.  I would like to get a copy of any and all video footage, especially ones with good audio of the speeches.  I will do my best to edit all the sections together to recreate the ceremony as best I can. 

   Currently, I can digitize any NTSC video in Beta I, II and III, VHS, VHS-C, 8mm and Super 8mm formats.  I can digitize (scan) any photo up to 8.5” x 11”.  If you used a video format not listed above I will try making special arrangements so I can capture your video as well.

   In exchange for loaning me your video and/or photographs, I will burn the digitized video/pictures to a DVD and mail it to you, along with your originals if you didn’t send me copies.  All I ask is that the footage be copyright free.  My current agreements with various TV stations are that the video will not be used for profit.  It seemed fair as I was not going to charge for them anyway. 

   Having decommissioned one other ship early in my Navy career I cannot tell you how special videos of the “Good Old Days” can be.  The longer we wait the harder locating these memories will be.  I’m still working with TV stations and NBC trying to locate old Yorktown footage.  Let us at least capture her send off so that all former Yorktown sailors can enjoy. 

   Lastly, for all those that did not get a copy of the USS Yorktown (CG-48) History Vol 1 DVD, contact me and as time and funds permit I will make you a copy and send it to you.  For those that already have a copy, I hope to have a Rev-A of that DVD out by the end of this year.  I have been working with WAVY TV 10, NBC and other stations to get better copies of the video segments contained on that DVD.  As soon as my slush fund runs out I’ll use as many clean videos as I could afford to re-master the Vol-1 DVD.   

Hope to hear from you guys,

Roy McGinn

USN, Retired

USS Yorktown

CE01  (84-87)

ramsoft@ix.netcom.com

P.S.  To make sure any email makes it through my SPAM filters make sure that the word Yorktown is in the subject somewhere.