CV-36 was named after a major battle in the American Civil War fought along Antietam Creek near the town of Sharpsburg in northwestern Maryland. It was the climax to the first of General Robert E. Lee's two major attempts to bring the war home to the North. Fought on 17 September 1862, it is renowned as the bloodiest single day in American military history. Though the battle ended in a tactical draw, it was a northern victory strategically because Lee was forced to withdraw, give up the offense, and resume a defensive posture in northern Virginia.

Ships that had previously borne the name:

1. A screw sloop.

NS023636a: Antietam. Map courtesy of Google Maps.

NS023636: Battle of Antietam, the charge of Iron Brigade near the Dunker Church, on the morning of 17 September 1862. Painting by Thure de Thulstrup (1846–1930). Chromolithograph published in 1887 by Louis Prang and Company. Source: website of the Old Print Shop, New York City.

"PREFABRICATED SHIP—A huge pre-welded island, three deck levels high, is lifted into place on aircraft carrier Antietam at the Philadelphia Navy yard in speeded up building system."

The Sub, Groton, Connecticut, Thursday, 12 October 1944.

Mrs. Eleanor Davies Tydings Ditzen, wife of Senator Millard Tydings, D-Md., christening Antietam (CV-36), Sunday, 20 August 1944.

USS Antietam (CV-36) anchored off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 28 April 1945, beginning post-shakedown availability.

Navy Yard Philadelphia, Pa., photo # 1124-45.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum photo # 1996.488.061.003.

USS Antietam (CV-36) off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, Pennsylvania, 2 March 1945. She is painted in camouflage Measure 32, Design 17a.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History & Heritage Command (# NH 97363).

Aerial off the bow view of USS Antietam (CV-36) underway off Philadelphia Navy Yard, 2 March 1945.

Navy Yard Philadelphia, Pa., photo # 1129-45.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum photo # 1996.488.061.005.

Surface view, stern, of USS Antietam (CV-36) underway off the Philadelphia Navy Yard, 2 March 1945.

Navy Yard Philadelphia, Pa., photo # 1128-45.

National Museum of Naval Aviation photo # 1996.488.061.007. Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection.

Starboard bow view of USS Antietam (CV-36) anchored and being maneuvered by a tug. Unknown location and date.

Australian War Memorial, photo # 302539.

Undated view of USS Antietam (CV-36) anchored at Sydney, NSW, Australia.

Australian War Memorial, photo # 302540.

USS Antietam (CV-36) anchored off Norfolk, VA, mid-July 1945. Source: Kitsap County Library System.

Same photo as above, (apparently) used for commercial purposes and stamped: "U.S.S. Antietam. 'Flying Hotel' 27,100 ton Aircraft Carrier. Length 855'10" 150,000 h.p. speed 30 knots. Main battery 12-5"/38. Aircraft 80. Crew 2500."

Victory dinner aboard USS Antietam (CV-36) celebrating Japan's surrender, 22 August 1945.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-338366.

View of fueling and high-line activity aboard USS Antietam (CV-36), 23 August 1945, as seen from USS Harrison (DD-573). Air Group tail markings are clear. Antietam, Harrison, and Ringgold (DD-500) were detached from TF-38 and en route to Guam at that time.

Photos by Tom McCann, Swede Gronlund.

USS Antietam (CV-36) alongside oiler USS Chiwawa (AO-68), 6 September 1945, operating off Korea in Task Force 72. This image shows the added structure on the starboard face of the island.

From a USS Chiwawa web site.

Aerial of Jinsen (Inchon), Korea, 19 September 1945. Photographed by aircraft from USS Antietam (CV-36). Photographed from reference card.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) photo, # 80-G-416792.

USS Antietam (CV-36) at Guam in 1945 (October?). Photo taken from USS Hooper Island (ARG-17).

A TBM-3E Avenger of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 95 in flight over USS Antietam (CV-36) off Hawaii, possibly in 1945.

US Navy and Marine Corps Museum/Naval Aviation Museum, photo No. 1996.253.1559. Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection.

USS Antietam (CV-36), Curtiss SB2C Helldiver aircraft on the carrier's flight deck, with officers and men on her island watching flight operations, circa 1946–47. The plane in the left foreground is an SB2C-5, Bureau # 83332.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command, # NH 97366.

USS Antietam (CV-36) just passed under the Golden Gate Bridge (Note shadow of the bridge's roadway). She is likely heading for Naval Air Station Alameda. Probably in October 1947.

Courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

USS Antietam (CV-36) off San Francisco, 18 November 1948.

Courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

Undated photo of Antietam at Hunters Point, San Francisco, in the early 1950s—at least before August 1952, when she left for the East Coast to receive her angle deck. It could be when she was reactivated for service in Korea.

Source: San Francisco Naval Shipyard – Hunters Point, Historical Shipyard Photographic Collection 1904–74 NARA Pacific Region (San Francisco).

USS Antietam (CV-36) was re-commissioned on January 17, 1951 at Alameda Naval Air Station. Left to right: CAPT George J. Dufek (CO Antietam) receives a flag from VADM George E. Murray (Commander, Western Sea Frontier), Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz and CAPT J. P. Heath (Chief Staff Officer Western Sea Frontier).

Courtesy of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum.

A Corsair launching from USS Antietam sometime in the 1950s.

USS Antietam (CV-36) at sea on 27 August 1951, shortly before deploying for Korean War duty. Crewmen are in formation on her flight deck, spelling out "The Flying =A= is on the way".

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-448673).

Off Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, en route to the Far East for her first Korean War deployment. Photo is dated 26 September 1951. Diamond Head is faintly visible in the right distance.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-442409).

USS Antietam (CV-36), circa 1951–1952.

USS Antietam (CV-36) alongside the stores ship USS Polaris (AF-11) and destroyer USS Hopewell (DD-681).

These photos were likely taken during Antietam's only combat tour, to WestPac and Korea, Sep. 8, 1951 – May 2, 1952. Air Group was CVG-15, tail code "H."

USS Tolovana (AO-64) refueling USS Shelton (DD-790) and USS Antietam (CV-36), possibly off Korea in 1951–52.

Many planes of Carrier Air Group (CVG) 15 are visible on Antietam's deck, and carrier USS Essex (CV-9) is in the background.

U.S. Navy photo.

Aircraft carrier USS Antietam (CV-36) moored at Piedmont Pier in Yokosuka, Japan, during her only Korean War deployment (8 Sept 1951–2 May 1952). Seen on deck are two Douglas AD Skyraider aircraft at the ends of their rows. They are from Carrier Air Group 15 (CVG-15): an AD-4NL from Composite Squadron VC-35 Det.D "Night Hecklers" (starboard, tail code "NR"), and an AD-4W from Composite Squadron VC-11 Det.D (port, tail code "ND"). US Navy photo.

Underway off the east coast of Korea, while operating with Task Force 77. She has Air Group 15 embarked. Photo is dated 16 October 1951, soon after Antietam's arrival in the Korean War zone.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-434525).

Vought F4U-4B Corsairs, Grumman F9F Panthers, and Douglas AD Skyraiders on her flight deck. (Thanks to Robert Hurst.)

View of the island of USS Antietam (CV-36), during Korean War operations, circa early 1952. Smoke emerging from the stack indicates that the carrier is getting up speed for launching aircraft. The signal flag Fox (a red diamond on a white field) flying from her port halliards is flown in response to the order Launch Aircraft. The 40mm gun mount in the upper left is manned in answer to a call to Battle Stations or General Quarters. Photograph was released by the Department of Defense on 25 August 1952, several months after Antietam's return from Korea.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command, # NH 97368.

"Johns Livingston, Photographer's Mate Third Class, USN, ... inspects aerial photographs taken by the photo planes of the aircraft carrier USS Antietam. The strike for the day was against main rail lines between Sonjin and Wonsan, anti-aircraft gun emplacements and other targets that could be found."

Photograph and caption were released by Commander Naval Forces, Far East, under date of 12 January 1952. The target areas named in the caption are on the eastern coast of North Korea.

Official U.S. Navy photograph, from the All Hands collection at the Naval History & Heritage Command (# NH 97097).

"De-Briefing Session—After returning from strikes on enemy targets in the Wonsan area, these three Navy pilots on the aircraft carrier USS Antietam go into a de-briefing session, and check themselves on targets hit and damaged. Left to right: Ens. Robert L. Thomas, ... Lt(jg) Robert F. Baker ... and Ens. Howard E. Foabn." (last name given is unclear.)

Photograph and caption were released by Commander Naval Forces, Far East, under date of 12 January 1952. Note pilots' flight suits and life vests with attached survival equipment.

Official U.S. Navy photograph, from the All Hands collection at the Naval History & Heritage Command (# NH 97098).

USS Antietam (CV-36) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64) steam alongside USS Rainier (AE-5) as she pulls away after supplying ammunition to the carrier and battleship, in Korean waters. Photo is dated 8 February 1952.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-440189).

USS Rainier (AE-5) replenishing USS Antietam (CV-36) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64) off Korea, 8 February 1952.

US Navy photo.

USS Antietam (CV-36) and USS Wisconsin (BB-64), Tokyo Bay, Japan, February 1952

"FLIGHT DECK formation of white hats spells out amount of money collected by crew members of USS Antietam (CV 36) to help crippled persons." All Hands magazine, August 1952 issue.

USS Antietam (CV-36) underway circa 1952, location unknown.

National Naval Aviation Museum (NNAM), Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection, # 1996.488.061.017.

"Official Navy Photo. Released by Dept. of Defense"
"Aircraft carriers of the fleet: USS Antietam (CVA-36) with new canted flight deck, upper left; USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) upper right; USS Midway (CVA‑41), lower left; USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31), lower right; center, artist conception of the USS Forrestal (CVA-59). The Forrestal's keel was laid at Newport News (7-14-52) and is scheduled for launching in 1954."

USN Official Photo, # 484875, dated 15 Jul 1953.

David comments: "[P]erhaps unknowingly, the people of Navy Public Affairs or whoever put this montage together, certainly did a great job of assembling a 'past, present and future' of carrier aviation, including the airship, first canted (angled) deck, first large carriers, first supercarrier, and a link to World War II in the form of the as-yet unmodified CVA 31."

USS Antietam (CVA-36). From Our Navy magazine, mid-December 1954.

This photo was possibly taken in December 1952, just after Antietam had been converted to the first American "canted" deck carrier at the New York Naval Shipyard.

USS Antietam (CVA-36) underway, circa 1953. Official USN photo.

A series of photos of USS Antietam (CVA-36) underway, possibly conducting trials, circa 1953.

Photos show an AJ-1 Savage from Composite Squadron (VC) 7 "Peacemakers of the Fleet" (NS023653–023653c), TBM-3R Avengers from Transport Squadron (VR) 22 (NS023653d,by the island), plus an F2H Banshee and an AD Skyraider.

USS Antietam (CVA-36) conducting flight operations in the Virginia Capes area on 14 January 1953, "to obtain a critical evaluation of the operational suitability of canted flight decks as a primary means of operating carrier aircraft" (quoted from the original caption).

Antietam had just returned to service following installation of the then-experimental angled ("canted") flight deck. An F9F Panther jet fighter has just left the angled deck, just forward of her midships elevator. Other planes (all jet fighters) parked on deck include F9F Cougars (forward), F2H Banshees and an FJ Fury (immediately forward of the ship's island).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval Historical Center (photo # NH 97364).

Captain Samuel G. Mitchell, Commanding Officer of USS Antietam (CVA-36), and Commander J.D. Blitch, Executive Officer, inspecting the ship's various divisions, while she was at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, 31 January 1953. Note Marine guard at left and Grumman F9F-5 Panther fighters parked at the bow. Planes are (left to right): Bureau #s 125275, 125471 and (probably) 125476.

Official U.S. Navy photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (# 80-G-K-14214).

A Royal Navy Armstrong-Whitworth Sea Hawk F1 (s/n WF172) on the flight deck of the U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Antietam (CVA-36), on 23 June 1953, as the ship was operating in the English Channel. Antietam had recently been fitted with an experimental angled flight deck.

The Sea Hawk WF172 was delivered to the Royal Navy on 6 May 1953 and finally retired on 4 March 1963. Here, the aircraft seems to wear the "Ace of Diamonds" markings of 806 Naval Air Squadron.

Naval History & Heritage Command photo, # 80-G-625926.

"USS Antietam (CVA-36) takes time out to refuel USS Corry (DD-817) during tests of 'angle' flight deck." Text from All Hands magazine, June 1953 issue. Photo from Jane's Fighting Ships, 1954–55 edition.

"USS Antietam (CVS-36) launches a red-painted F9F Cougar jet fighter, during extremely well-lighted night operations, circa 1953-55. Other planes on her flight deck include F9F Panther and F3D Skynight fighters." (Quoted from official caption).

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, now in the collections of the National Archives (photo # 80-G-K-16839).

Joseph Y. Love, ETCM, USN (Ret.), points out: "As a crew member (1952-1953) on board when the picture was taken, I do believe that I know the true circumstances of the picture. It was in full color, and is one of the best photos ever made of the ship. I was the chief in charge of the electronics division. [This picture] was a publicity stunt for one of the flash bulb makers (I seem to remember that the bulbs were Sylvania ones). There were NO real flight operations: the planes were duds set up to look like take off and landing operations. To make them show up better, they were painted with highly colored paint that could be simply washed off afterward. The flight deck was lined with wooden poles with flashbulb holders in reflectors, and the island had many of the same kind of sockets with reflectors on every surface. This was the largest night flash bulb photo ever taken. Thousands of flash bulbs were used, and the blimp off the port side had the camera aboard. A radio signal was used to set off the flash bulbs, and the camera shutter was left open. The ship's radars were shut off, so that the bulbs would not be set off with the radiation. The picture was taken in 1953 and I remember that it appeared in Parade magazine shortly afterward."

William P. Jones adds: "It was one of a series of night shots lit by flash bulbs as a promotion."

As an ASW carrier, sometime in 1953-57.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) underway in 1954, with a Douglas F3D Skyknight launching off the deck and one forward of the first forward gun mount. F9F Panther jets near forward elevator.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) operating at sea, circa 1955–57, with HSS-1 helicopters and S2F airplanes on her flight deck. Note that some of the helicopters are wearing the light grey color scheme introduced in 1955, while others are still painted midnight blue. The original print is dated 31 January 1951, several years before this view was actually taken. Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History and Heritage Command, # NH 97365.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) in the mid-1950s, with a Seabat HSS-1 helicopter, forward, and what appears to be a Tracker S2F, aft.

Photos by LT(JG) George V. Vuscavage, maybe from USS Caloosahatchee (AO-98).

USS Antietam (CVS-36) operating off the Virginia Capes, 10 March 1955, with a Vought F4U-4 Corsair visible launching. Other Corsairs and Grumman S2F-1 Trackers are visible on deck.

National Naval Aviation Museum, photo # 1996.488.061.001.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) deployed to the Mediterranean Sea, 5 January–15 March 1956, with the following squadrons embarked: Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 26, S2F-1 Trackers; Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 1 "Seahorses," HSS-1 Seabats; Composite Squadron (VC) 4 Det. 50 "Nightcappers," F4U-5N Corsairs; and Helicopter Utility Squadron (HC) 2 Det. 50 "Fleet Angels," HUP-2 Retrievers. This photo also appeared on the cover of Naval Aviation News, June 1957 issue.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) arriving off Mayport, Florida, as the new training carrier, 1957. The crew is forming "Hi Jax" on deck to greet the training base Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Florida. The planes are still of her anti-submarine air group, Douglas AD-5W Skyraiders next to the island and Grumman S2F-1 Trackers aft. Destroyer USS Forrest Royal (DD-872) is steaming alongside and being refueled.

Photo from Naval Aviation News, June 1957 issue.

Lockheed T2V-1 SeaStar makes its first carrier landing, during carrier suitability tests on board USS Antietam (CVS-36) off the U.S. east coast, circa 7 October 1957.

This photograph was originally released by the Lockheed Newsbureau on 9 October 1957, with the caption: "SeaStar Flexes Sea-Legs — U.S. Navy's Lockheed T2V-1 SeaStar skims in for its first 'sea duty' landing aboard the U.S.S. Antietam. The new ship-or-shore duty trainer recently completed primary carrier suitability tests during operations held off the East Coast. Designed to combine top performance and safety in a two-place school-plane, the SeaStar is in quantity production at Lockheed's California Division."

Lockheed Photograph, from the collections of the Naval History & Heritage Command (# NH 97367).

USS Antietam (CVS-36), Booklet of General Plans, 3 January 1944; corrected to suit ship, 25 June 1958.

Vertical aerial photograph of the Boston Naval Shipyard Annex, taken in May 1958. This print has been annotated to mark warehouses used by the U.S. Army. A large number of ships are present, among them twenty Reserve Fleet escort aircraft carriers. Identifiable ships are USS Norfolk (DL-1), at left at the end of the wharf extending from the drydock; USS Antietam (CVS-36), in lower left; and USS Dayton (CL-105), in right center, among the escort carriers.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph, from the Collections of the Naval History & Heritage Command (# NH 94199).

As a training carrier, date and place unknown.

Four U.S. Navy Lockheed T2V-1 Seastar trainers of Basic Training Group (BTG) 9 from Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida, in formation over USS Antietam (CVS-36) at anchor in Pensacola Bay. Photo dated 14 June 1959.

BTG-9 was redesignated Training Squadron (VT) 4 on 1 May 1960.

National Naval Aviation Museum photo, # 1996.488.168.027.

Another photo of USS Antietam (CVS-36) as a training carrier, location and date unknown.

Sometime in 1959-62. VIPs that had taken a tour of the Antietam; AB3c Shelby Todd Jr. is at the very left.

A U.S. Navy North American T2J-1 (later T-2A) Buckeye trainer aircraft (BuNo 148200) of training squadron VT-7 on the catapult of the training aircraft carrier USS Antietam (CVS-36) in the early 1960s. U.S. Navy photo.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) operating training aircraft, 19 April 1961. Planes on deck include T2J "Buckeyes" amidships and forward and AD "Skyraiders" parked aft. Note "dayglo" paint on the aircraft and "mothballed" 5"/38 guns in the carrier's port side sponsons.

Official U.S. Navy Photograph (photo # KN-4834).

Another view, as above.

A 411-foot plastic balloon, manned by Commander Malcolm D. Ross, USNR, and Lieutenant Commander Victor A. Prather, MC USN, is about to be released from USS Antietam (CVS-36) during project Strato-Lab, 27 April 1961.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), photo # USN 1054266.

USS Antietam (CVS-36) during Project Stratolab, 29 April 1961. The first manned balloon carrier landing is made. The balloon being hauled down to the flight deck, manned by Commander Malcolm D. Ross, USNR and flight surgeon Lieutenant Commander Victor A. Prather (MC) USN.

National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) Photo, # 1054271.

Stern view of USS Antietam (CVS-36) in drydock at Norfolk, Virginia, on 29 July 1961.

National Naval Aviation Museum, Robert L. Lawson Photograph Collection, # NNAM.1996.488.061.039.

Fleet ocean tug USS Luiseno (ATF-156), right, assisted by rescue and salvage ship USS Hoist (ARS-40), towed ex-USS Antietam from Quonset Point, RI, to Philadelphia, PA. Photos come from the Photographic Laboratory aboard the repair ship USS Cadmus (AR-14) and are dated 7 February 1969 (photo # AAF-2380-11-68).

As above (photo # AAF-2382-11-68). Luiseno in the foreground, left; Hoist in the foreground, right.

As above (photo # AAF-2384-11-68). Luiseno is only partially visible, left; Hoist in the foreground, right.

Ex-USS Antietam (CVS-36) in "mothballs" at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, November 1971.

Ex-USS Antietam (CVS-36) at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, December 1973.

NS023677: Former U.S. Navy ships awaiting scrapping by the Union Minerals and Alloys Corporation at the site of the former Federal Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Kearny, New Jersey (USA), June 1974. The Lincoln Highway Hackensack River Bridge is just behind that with the Pulaski Skyway and Kearny Generating Station beyond. Identifiable in the foreground are:

• The heavy cruiser ex-USS Oregon City (CA-122), outboard
• The destroyer ex-USS Niblack (DD-424)
• The destroyer escort ex-USS John Willis (DE-1027)
• The destroyer escort ex-USS Hooper (DE-1026)
• The aircraft carrier ex-USS Antietam (CVS-36) is being scrapped in the background

Note that the ship ahead of John Willis and alongside Oregon City still seems to be painted in World War II camouflage Measure 21.

NS023677a–NS023677c: Scenes at the Union Alloy Metals yard on the Hackensack River of ex-USS Antietam scrapping in August 1974. The destroyer in the views is ex-USS Perry (DD-844).

Program for the Ship's Company Dance, held on 18 & 19 November 1946, at the Green Room 150 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA.

Card that was passed out to visitors aboard USS Antietam (CV-36) on Navy Day, 27 October 1947.

"'Four Horsemen' Part Ways"—Dennis Milton, Paul Fuller, Kenneth Farrell and William Peterson, known as the Four Horsemen, were assigned to USS Antietam (CV-36) in 1951 and continued to serve aboard until they were honorably discharged from the Navy in 1954. When Antietam and USS Shangri-La (CV-38) swapped crews on 5 September 1952, the Four Horsemen were the only members of Antietam's crew who remained aboard CV-36.

Newspaper clipping from the Rockford Morning Star, Sunday, 22 August 1954.

"Secretary of Navy Orientation Cruise, Naval Air Basic Training, NAS Anacostia, CNATECHTRA, 15–17 December 1959, Headquarters, Naval Air Training and Naval Air Basic Training Commands, U.S. Naval Air Station, Pensacola, Florida" USS Antietam (CVS-36).

The photo was taken circa 1953 (when Antietam's hull number was CVA-36).

A rare, Town & Country, hand-painted Zippo made for USS Antietam (CVS-36) in 1961.

Zippo lighter, USS Antietam (CVS-36).

Cap patch, USS Antietam (CV-36).

USS Antietam (CV-36/CVA-36/CVS-36) anchor, at the National Museum of Naval Aviation.

USS Antietam (CV-36/CVA-36/CVS-36) ship's bell, as seen at the Antietam National Battlefield. Photo taken on 5 July 2008.