The United States Navy recently finalized a $418.5 million contract to completely dismantle and scrap the ex-USS Enterprise (CVN-65) in Mobile, Alabama. This brings the total retirement and disposal bill to roughly $1.43 billion—funds being spent entirely to turn an irreplaceable piece of American history into razor blades and industrial scrap metal. Commissioned in 1961, the Enterprise revolutionized maritime warfare as the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. Powered by an unprecedented eight Westinghouse nuclear reactors, she proved that American engineering could achieve limitless global reach and endurance. To scrap her is to destroy the physical monument of the dawn of the nuclear navy. For over five decades, CVN-65 stood on the front lines of global freedom:Space Exploration: Supported NASA’s Project Mercury, serving as a critical tracking station for John Glenn's historic orbital flight in 1962. The Cold War: Stood face-to-face with the Soviet Union, enforcing the naval quarantine that successfully averted disaster during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Global Superpower: Circumnavigated the globe entirely without refueling during Operation Sea Orbit (1964) and launched vital combat operations from the Vietnam War through the post-9/11 wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. The name Enterprise is stitched into the fabric of American victory. CVN-65 inherited its name directly from the World War II legend (USS Enterprise CV-6)—the most decorated ship in U.S. history, which turned the tide of the Pacific at the Battle of Midway. CV-6 was tragically scrapped in 1958, a loss naval historians still regret. We must not repeat that exact same mistake with CVN-65. While the Navy cites the immense complexity and cost of defueling and stripping the eight reactor compartments as the reason for dismantlement, the defueling process has already been completed. We demand that the Department of Defense and Congress intervene to: Halt the final structural tearing down of the ship's historic upper decks and hull superstructure. Repurpose the $418 million away from destruction and toward stabilizing the ship for civilian custody. Authorize a Public-Private Trust to transition the gutted hull to a national museum city—similar to the USS Intrepid in New York or the USS Midway in San Diego—allowing corporate sponsorship, tourism, and educational grants to pay for its long-term upkeep. Taxpayers are currently paying nearly half a billion dollars just to erase history. Let us instead use our resources to honor the millions of sailors who served aboard the "Big E" and inspire future generations of innovators, astronauts, and defenders of freedom. Do not scrap the Big E. Save the USS Enterprise.