Hi, clueless don. Yes, it's debatable whether the U.S.S. Enterprise is indeed the most famous American warship. I'd say it certainly was during World War II, and for good reason, since it played a key role in virtually every important Pacific Theatre carrier battle of the war (with the exception of the first one...Battle of the Coral Sea). The starship Enterprise was most certainly named after that aircraft carrier.

However, the frigate Constitution may indeed be more famous. So might the Maine or the Monitor or the Confederate ironclad Virgina (Merrimac). It all depends on your outlook, I suppose. The Arizona is also very famous, of course, for the same reason as the Maine...it blew up in a spectacular fashion at an unexpected moment, and served as the inspiration for Americans going to war.

The Missouri was famous because the Japanese surrender ceremony took place on her deck.

Well, take your pick, I guess. For the finest fighting record it has to be either the Constitution or the Enterprise, both of which served gloriously, and survived their wars. The Enterprise unfortunately was broken up for scrap sometime in the 60's. Too bad. I think she should have been preserved as World War II's most tenacious and successful aircraft carrier. The Japanese had a really good shot at sinking her in two battles...Eastern Solomons and Santa Cruz, but were not quite able to manage it. They did manage to sink her two sisterships, the Yorktown and the Hornet, and her near-sistership the Wasp, and also the giant Lexington at Coral Sea. Of the original big six US carriers in service in Dec '41 only 2 survived the war...Enterprise and Saratoga.

- LH