I visited the Intrepid Sea Air & Space Museum last weekend. A terrific experience learning about life on an aircraft carrier: the biggest warship in the Navy.

“Located in Manhattan, New York, the USS Intrepid (CV-11), the third Essex class aircraft carrier built by the United States, was commissioned on August 16, 1943. It served as part of the Pacific Fleet during World War II and later served in Cold War and the Vietnam War. 50,000 men served on Intrepid during the ship's service.”

My grandfather Ajja and granduncles were part of the armed services, so this museum had a special meaning for me. I was fondly remembering them as I walked the halls.

A couple of interesting facts that I learned:

• Landing an aircraft on a carrier is considered a “controlled crash.” A pilot decelerates from 150mph to 0 mph in 2 seconds. They can launch a plane every 50 seconds.

• The runway is about 300 feet long—a mere 3% of the length of a normal airport runway (around 8000 feet). Imagine trying to land an aircraft on an extremely small surface—adding in high wind and a churning ocean (!!)

• A captain commands a ship, and an admiral commands a group of ships. If a ship is the lead ship of a group of vessels, it’s considered a “flagship” — that’s where the word comes from!

• Cakes were frequently used to boost the morale of sailors; and the Intrepid had its own local newspaper, written by the crew and printed on board.

• A fo’c’s’le, short for ‘forecastle,’ is the forward part of a ship with the sailors' living quarters.

A huge salute to all active duty and veterans who took on so much to protect us. We are grateful for your service!