The best navy prank of all time
US Navy photograph by Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Jim Hampshire
Aside from its history-making service and options, the Kennedy additionally was the setting of one among the best navy pranks of all time.
In 1986, the Kennedy was set to alleviate the Kitty Hawk-class supercarrier USS America after a six-month deployment within the Mediterranean.
What was meant to be a standard change of command shortly was a hilarious sensible joke, as aviators aboard the America dropped off an uncommon payload on the brand new arrivals: three greased pigs dyed with crimson, white, and blue meals coloring.
Brian Christoff, an aircrewman with the HS-11 helo squadron aboard USS America, shared a video of the occasion in a since-deleted submit on Fb in 2023.
“We had been on the finish of a 6-month deployment to the Indian Ocean/Mediterranean Sea,” Christoff wrote. “We had been being relieved by the USS Kennedy. The fighter jet jocks bought with us and got here up with this slant, on an age-old custom, of releasing a greased pig, onto the deck of the relieving ship.”
“Three pigs painted with Crimson, White, and Blue meals coloring and lathered in grease,” he continued. “The Kennedy by no means seen it coming!”
It is #NationalPigDay! Courting again to the early 60s, a prank performed by carriers within the Mediterranean was to shock their relieving service by releasing greased pigs on the flight deck. This 1986 video is of a helicopter from USS America dropping off pigs on USS John F. Kennedy. pic.twitter.com/LL6UHnfk0V
— U.S. Naval Institute (@NavalInstitute) March 1, 2022
