To anyone interested in JFK reference material,
I proudly served on the JFK from 9/83- 6/85 and was deployed off the coast of Lebanon after the Beirut Marine Barracks disaster. I was the rating of GMT-2 at the time, which translates to Gunner's Mate Technician 2nd Class (E-5) for all non-Navy types and we were assigned to maintain the special weapons. Two years on the JFK brought took me into the ship's library many times to research the history of the ship.
The John F. Kennedy (CV-67) was orginally designated to be nuclear powered, the two reactors were slated to be installed during the first phases of construction which were the critical stages for this step, the U.S.A.F. got the money alocatted for this and received ten new ICBMs for the money.
The JFK is in an Aircraft Carrier class by itself and no scale model kit that I have ever seen or heard of is the exact model replica, additionally the JFK was first designated to be in the CVA class but this was dropped soon by the Navy as all A/Cs were eventually placed into two basic classes CV and CVN (Nuclear). It is the last of its kind and remains in service in Mayport FL, and used to train pilots for carrier landings. The crew consists of about 1/3 Active duty Navy and the rest are Navy Reservists who use the ship for annual training. The latest info and background can be located on many military websites.
"Super Carrier" was a book on the operations and life aboard the JFK written during the Lebanon Crisis with the author living amongst the crew collecting the material for the book. There is a great deal of info about the real goings-on while deployed in that region.(Oct 83- May 84)
Good reading,
GMC John M. Staehle, USNR (Ret.)