MC&T Staff 
Last month, Americans across the nation celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 space flight, during which humans landed on the moon for the first time. We saw the folks at General Motors launch the eight generation Corvette just in time to coincide with the anniversary, with former astronauts Mae Jemison and Scott Kelly opening the presentation. While the Corvette has a storied history involving American astronauts, it’s not the only vehicle to hold an event harkening back to the Apollo 11 mission.
Jeep hosted a customer experience event last month aboard the deck of the USS Hornet, an Essex-class aircraft carrier that ended its illustrious 24 year service career as the recovery ship for both the Apollo 11 and Apollo 12 missions. The Jeep experience included obstacles placed on the aircraft carrier that Jeep said would “showcase the brand’s legendary attributes, such as capability, body strength, agility, traction and more,” though we figure that nobody working at the brand would want to pass on the chance to host an event on a freaking aircraft carrier.
Attendees could choose between taking the wheel of a new 2020 Jeep Gladiator, or a 2019 Jeep Wrangler. There was a variety of trim levels of each model available to drive, including a Willys inspired custom JL Wrangler. There is currently not a Jeep Wrangler Willys Wheeler package available for the JL Wrangler, but we are willing to bet the trim package will come eventually along with others like the Black and Tan Edition.
Jeep also brought out a number of their historic vehicles, including a 1944 Willys MB and a 1951 M38 Navy Jeep, further tying in with the USS Hornet and Jeep’s own military service .
The USS Hornet is one of the most decorated ships in American Naval history. During her service in WWII, the USS Hornet withstood 59 air attacks without taking serious damage, and her airmen were responsible for shooting down 1,410 Japanese aircraft, the second most of any US carrier. You can visit the USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum at 707 West Hornet Avenue in Alameda, California.
