Surviving members of the Doolittle Raiders paid tribute to the U.S. Navy and USS HORNET (CVA 8) during a wreath laying ceremony at the Navy Memorial. The HORNET was the aircraft carrier from which all the Doolittle flyers flew from during the famous WWII raid. (U.S. Air Force PHOTO by STAFF SGT. Madelyn Waychoff) (Released)

Aircraft carriers are warships that act as airbases for carrier-based aircraft. In the United States Navy, these consist of ships commissioned with hull classification symbols CV (aircraft carrier), CVA (attack aircraft carrier), CVB (large aircraft carrier), CVL (light aircraft carrier), CVN (aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion) and CVAN (attack aircraft carrier (nuclear propulsion). The first aircraft carrier commissioned into the United States Navy was USS Langley (CV-1) on 20 March 1922.