This Day in Naval History – May 5

1944 - USS Comfort is commissioned in San Pedro, CA; first ship to be manned jointly by Army and Navy personnel

1948 - VF-17A becomes first carrier qualified jet squadron (USS Saipan)

1961 - CDR Alan Shepard Jr. makes first U.S. manned space flight. Flight of Freedom 7 (Mercury 3) which lasted 15 minutes and 28 seconds reached the altitude of 116.5 statute miles with a velocity of 5,134 mph. Recovery was by HUS1 helicopter of HMR(L)-262 from USS Lake Champlain(CVS-39).

1980 - USS Robert E. Peary rescues 440 Vietnamese refugees from disabled craft south of Thailand

(Source: Navy News Service)