Haunted Ships of the U.S. Navy: Legends and Stories

Would you believe that the U.S. Navy is said to have some of their ships haunted?

Now haunted ships are not something new. A number of preserved vessels are said to be home today to the spirits of those who lost their lives while serving on board. Ships like the U.S.S. Salem, U.S.S. Hornet, and U.S.S. Lexington are considered to be some of the haunted locations in the United States.

Urban Legends within the U.S. Navy

But it might surprise you to know that there is an urban legend within the United States Navy that a number of their active vessels are also said to be haunted as well. One of the most famous cases is that of the Super Carrier USS Forrestal, which had a rather unfortunate history.

On July 29th, 1967, Forrestal was conducting flight operations off Vietnam when an electrical surge caused a rocket to go off and strike another parked aircraft. The resulting fire would result in 134 dead, with another 161 wounded, as well as extensive damage to the flight deck. The Forrestal was able to make it back to port for repairs and was back in service less than a year later. But in the years following the disaster, many of her crew would report strange happenings on board the carrier. The sound of men yelling, as well as the scent of “burnt flesh,” was a common occurrence, with the bulk of these incidents happening near one of the large freezers on board, which was normally used to store food but was also used to store the Forrestal’s dead after the fire.

Other Haunted Vessels

But there are other ships that are currently active that are also said to have some level of paranormal activity as well. The U.S.S. Winston Churchill, a guided missile destroyer, is also said to have strange happenings occur on board, especially in the ship’s lower levels, as crew have heard voices and loud “bangs” coming from the bulkhead. It’s believed that this is a result of an incident that occurred when the ship intercepted a boatload of refugees in the Indian Ocean. When attempting to render assistance, some of the refugees began to panic, and the overloaded vessel capsized as a result. Many of them drowned, and their bodies were stored on board the Churchill.

~NC