Association News

In Memoriam

The Yorktown Association has been blessed for many years with outstanding individuals from the crew and from those who love our crew and country.  Over the past few months, we have lost three of our Board or ex members;  Ed Hewitt in October of 2025,  Admiral James H. Flatley III in December 2025 and Danny Rodriguez in January 2026.

Ed was a former crew member, Danny the son of former crew and a retired Navy LCDR, and what can say about Admiral Flatley.  The Flatley family has and continues to serve our country for multiple generations.  Although the Admiral did not serve on the Yorktown, he served on our board and was the Executive Director of Patriots Point for many years.  He truly contributed to our work and the work of Patriots Point in making the complex one of the finest in the country.

These men demonstrate how the legacy of our Association continues; by being former crew, or the family of former crew, or one who loves the service and those who serve.  Our Association is working hard to make these men, and many others, proud of what we stand for and what we accomplish as an Association.

We thank these men, and you for continuing the legacy.

Ron Meacham

Reunion Hotel Reservation

 

Book Yours Today!!!

 

The 2026 Reunion will use the Comfort INN in Mt. Pleasant as our home base hotel.  Details will be available shortly; however, reservations can be made now referencing the USS Yorktown REunion and the dates you wish to book.

Reunion Registration Coming Soon

The 2026 Reunion is taking shape, it will include our Welcome Pizza Party, 2 optional tours, our famous Meet and Greet and of course the very moving Memorial Service for the brothers we’ve lost.  Registration will be available online and via the mail.  

Thank you for being a USS Yorktown Association member and we look forward to seeing you at the 78th Reunion.

Ron Meacham,

Board Chair and Reunion Cordinator

Meet the Veterans of the USS Yorktown

 

Saturday, October 10, 2026
9:00am -12:00pm

The veterans of the USS Yorktown will reunite on their beloved aircraft carrier “The Fighting Lady to share stories of their service from World War II through the Vietnam War. Visitors to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will have the Opportunity to participate in a Meet and Greet with these Veterans. Posters will be given to those who would like to get autographs from the veterans while learning about life on board an aircraft carrier. 

The Meet and Greet is included in the admission to Patriots Point. Get your tickets in advance.

USS Yorktown to be Permanent Structure

The US Coast Guard has requested that Patriots Point Development Authority register the USS Yorktown as a Permanently Moored Vessel.  This certification will mean that the Coast Guard would not need to inspect the Yorktown, since it was removed from navigation years ago.  Of course, it has been common knowledge that the Yorktown is permanently moored, but the formal paperwork was apparently not completed with the Coast Guard.

Examples of PMVs like the Yorktown include showboats, theaters, hotels, gaming sites, restaurants, museums, and business offices on a barge.

Remediation Plans on USS Yorktown

On Monday, July 11, 2022 SC Governor Henry McMaster announced his intention for “a complete remediation and removal of hazardous materials from the hull of the USS Yorktown, including hundreds of thousands of gallons of old petroleum, polluted ballast waters, and polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, or PCBs that were not removed from teh ship’s 428 vessel tanks and compartments by the Navy.”  First steps will be a cost study.  

McMaster requested the funds for the project during his address to the state assembly in January 2022 as part of a $300 million budget recommended for the Office of Resilience for Environmental mitigation and remediation. The budget also includes projects like reconstruction after natural disasters.

As of October 2025, the two year, $31.6 million cleanup effort was completed, with crews removing 2 million gallons of hazardous fuel, oil and contaminated water from the belly of the Fighting Lady. 

Five Things to Know When You Donate to the USS Yorktown Association
  1. We are a 501(c)(19). As a veterans non-profit, all donations made to us are tax deductible. Simply keep your receipt for your taxes.
  2. We are the veterans who served on the USS Yorktown and their families – and we’re proud of it! Let’s just say our patriotism comes from personal experience.
  3. We’ve been in existence for 75 years! That’s right. We were founded in 1948 by the veterans who served on the USS Yorktown in World War II. These men and those of us who served on the ship throughout her history, pooled resources and military influence to save the ship from being scrapped in 1970. We came with her to Charleston, South Carolina in 1975 and created her first exhibits, built the Smokey Stover Theater, acquired World War II aircraft for her decks…the list goes on and on. We’re not done yet.
  4. We are on the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum, but we do not receive any proceeds collected from ticket sales, tours, or the gift shop. Patriots Point is a state agency. While their revenue takes care of salaries, maintenance, and exhibits, sometimes they could use a little extra help with special projects and renovations. That’s where non-profits like us come in. But we must raise our own funds for it. That’s where you come in!
  5. We are grateful for every dollar you donate. Because of donors like you, we’ve been able to share our stories on the USS Yorktown, host an annual reunion on the ship, and memorialize our fellow veterans. Every dollar you donate is a blessing to our cause.