USS Yorktown
One particularly cool exhibit on the USS Yorktown was a wall full of aircraft carrier photos, documenting dozens of ships commissioned into service during the 1st and 2nd World Wars. I noticed that many of the ships were painted in wild, blocky, patterns, and I remembered hearing about dazzle camouflage. Apparently, creative methods were employed to gain advantage in warfare:
We visited the USS Yorktown at Patriot’s Point in Charleston, SC on President’s Day, and learned a lot about life aboard an aircraft carrier in World War II.
In addition to the requisite photos of the kids sitting in the cockpit of a fighter plane, and at the controls of the anti-aircraft weapons, I was drawn toward examples of art and design on the ship (big surprise, I know). There were insignia painted on the tails of planes, camouflage on ships, colorful award badges marked on the side of a ship, or an officer’s uniform, signs, charts and other wayfinding devices, and even a print shop on the ship.
Apart from designing a logo for his unit, I’m not sure to what extent my grandfather’s art was put to use during his service in the Army Air Force. Hopefully, I can get some family and friends to assist in getting those answers…