The USS Intrepid survived World War II. But the huge aircraft carrier was no match for Hudson River mud. In November, tugboats tugged but couldn't budge the massive ship from its dock. Last Tuesday, the Intrepid was freed for a short cruise to New Jersey.
The ship is a floating military museum. It had been docked in the Hudson since 1982. In New Jersey, Intrepid will undergo a $60-million face-lift. It took five tugboats to free the ship. The Navy removed enough mud to fill 4,000 dump trucks. As the carrier pulled away from the shore, former crew members cheered. "It brings back memories," said Joe Cobert, 84.