On this day in 1967, the USS Forrestal became a floating battlefield. (The Archival Footage)

On this day in 1967, the USS Forrestal became a floating battlefield.

A single rocket—fired by accident during routine flight ops—ripped across the deck and struck a fully-fueled A-4 Skyhawk. In seconds, the jet fuel ignited. In minutes, bombs were detonating. The firestorm that followed tore through the flight deck, swallowing men and metal alike. Flames shot skyward. Ordnance cooked off in violent blasts. The cries of the wounded were drowned beneath alarms and explosions. Sailors ran into the blaze—some never came back.

By the time it was over, 134 were dead. 161 wounded. It was the worst loss of life aboard a U.S. Navy ship since World War II.

This reel stitches together rare archival footage and newly restored sound to bring the horror and heroism of that day into stark clarity. You’ll hear the chaos. See the fear. Feel the fight to survive.

No enemy did this—just fate, fire, and a deadly chain reaction.

Restored with reverence by Ghosts of the Battlefield.