Silent Reminders of Disaster on USS Forrestal
Two inert Zuni rockets in our collection recall the split-second failure that devastated USS Forrestal 59 years ago.
July 29, 2026
On this day 59 years ago (July 29th), a 5-inch Zuni rocket accidentally fired across the flight deck of USS Forrestal, beginning a chain of fires and explosions that became one of the deadliest shipboard disasters in U.S. Navy history.
Ghosts of the Battlefield preserves two inert examples of that same type of rocket in our collection.
Today, they sit silent and harmless—but they remain haunting reminders of how a single malfunction, lasting only a fraction of a second, can change hundreds of lives forever.
The ghosts are never far away.
These stories deserve more than remembrance—they deserve preservation. Click here to help us preserve America's military history.