As hundreds of veterans looked on solemnly, the Navy blew holes in a
retired aircraft carrier and sent the 888-foot USS Oriskany to the
bottom of the sea Wednesday, creating the world's largest manmade reef.


The rusted hulk took 37 minutes to slip beneath the waves, about 4 1/2
hours faster than predicted, after more than 500 pounds of plastic
explosives went off with bright flashes of light and clouds of brown
and gray smoke.

Korean and Vietnam War veterans aboard a flotilla of 300 charter boats
watched from beyond a one-mile safety perimeter as the "Mighty O" went
down in 212 feet of water, about 24 miles off Pensacola Beach.

Lloyd Quiter of North Collins, N.Y., who served four tours on the ship
in Vietnam, played the attention-all-hands signal on his boatswain's
pipe, and wept.

"I'm a little stunned. It's a little hard to take," he said.

After the blasts, an acrid smell hung in the air near the ship. The
carrier went down stern first, the bow lifting up into the air and
creating a giant spray of water as it came down. The blue ocean churned
a foamy white as the deck - bright orange with rust - slid under.
Hundreds of surrounding boats blew their horns in tribute.

The Oriskany (pronounced oh-RISK-uh-nee) became the first vessel sunk
under a Navy program to dispose of old warships by turning them into
diving attractions teeming with fish and other marine life.

Over the years, other ships have been turned into reefs, including the
warship USS Spiegel Grove, a cargo vessel that was scuttled in 2002 off
Key Largo. But that was a civilian project, paid for with a combination
of county and private money.

Jack Witter of Fort Pierce, who served as an aviation ordnance operator
during the Korean War, joined 34 other veterans to watch the Oriskany
go down. The group saluted as the ship vanished underwater.

"I felt good about it," Witter said. "I guess there was a little tear
in my eye because a good part of my life went down with her, but it was
a fitting end for a good ship."

The Oriskany, commissioned in 1950 and named after an American
Revolutionary War battle, saw duty during the Korean War and was home
to John McCain when the Navy pilot and future senator served in
Vietnam. It was also among the ships used by President Kennedy in a
show of force during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. It was
decommissioned in 1976.

McCain was shot down over Hanoi in 1967 after taking off from the
Oriskany and was held as a prisoner of war for five years.

"It was a small, old carrier that fought very valiantly, and I'm very
proud to have been a part of the air wing that served with great
courage and distinction," McCain told CNN on Wednesday.

McCain said he had hoped the ship would be turned into a museum, but
the artificial reef will "provide a lot of recreation and a lot of good
times for people."

The $20 million sinking was delayed for nearly two years by hurricanes
and environmental permitting problems. The ship will not be open to
recreational divers until at least Friday, so that Navy divers can
explore the wreck and check for any hazards.

The Environmental Protection Agency in February approved the sinking of
the ship, which had toxins in its electrical cables, insulation and
paint. EPA officials said the toxins will slowly leach out over the
estimated 100 years it will take the carrier to rust away, and should
pose no danger to marine life.

Marine wildlife experts planned to monitor the waters.

Local leaders hope the reef brings a long-awaited economic infusion
from sport divers and fishermen. A 2004 Florida State University study
estimated Escambia County would see $92 million a year in economic
benefits from an artificial reef.