<P> The Japanese referred to Lexington as a "ghost" ship for her tendency to reappear after reportedly being sunk . This, coupled with the ship's dark blue camouflage scheme, led the crew to refer to her as "The Blue Ghost". Rumors existed during the war that the ship was so badly damaged, it had to be scuttled at one point, but a newly built aircraft carrier was immediately deployed with the same name, in an effort to demoralize the Japanese . </P> <P> Lexington was commissioned in February 1943 and saw extensive service through the Pacific War . For much of her service, she acted as the flagship for Admiral Marc Mitscher, and led the Fast Carrier Task Force through their battles across the Pacific . She was the recipient of 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation . Following the war, Lexington was decommissioned, but was modernized and reactivated in the early 1950s, being reclassified as an attack carrier (CVA). Later, she was reclassified as an antisubmarine carrier (CVS). In her second career, she operated both in the Atlantic / Mediterranean and the Pacific, but spent most of her time, nearly 30 years, in Pensacola, FL as a training carrier (CVT). </P> <P> Lexington was decommissioned in 1991, with an active service life longer than any other Essex - class ship . Following her decommissioning, she was donated for use as a museum ship in Corpus Christi, Texas . In 2003, Lexington was designated a National Historic Landmark . Though her surviving sister ships Yorktown, Intrepid, and Hornet carry lower hull numbers, Lexington was laid down and commissioned earlier, making Lexington the oldest remaining fleet carrier in the world . </P> <P> After a shakedown cruise in the Caribbean, Lexington sailed via the Panama Canal to join the Pacific fleet . </P>

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