Episode 35: The USS Hornet and the Stone Tape Theory
Step aboard the most haunted ship in America…
Episode Transcripts
When it comes to the paranormal, there is one criticism that I often encounter. Why is it that some places are haunted while others are not? I mean, if ghosts are truly real then wouldn’t it make sense for spirits to be everywhere rather than confined to specific locations?
I know, these are loaded questions that likely don’t have a single, cut-and-dry answer. After all, there are so many theories that present compelling and equally valid explanations for this conundrum.
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Take, for instance, the stone tape theory which accounts for what paranormal investigators call residual hauntings. As you can likely deduce from its name, the stone tape theory likens alleged paranormal activity to that of a simple tape recording.
These recordings can and will present themselves to the living observer in a variety of ways. From disembodied sounds or even visual phenomena, this residual activity is more often than not a key event of the location’s past that’s playing on a loop. In other words, places with, let’s say, colorful pasts are much more likely to exhibit paranormal activity.
Don’t believe me? Well, that’s okay. This week we’ll explore the stone tape theory through a real-world example—evaluating many of its haunts as we go. And by the time we’re through, maybe we’ll know if this theory holds any water.
I’m Courtney Hayes and you’re listening to haunts. Stay tuned.
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It was November 29, 1943, when the USS Hornet first set sail. Built strong from concrete and steel, this carrier ship set a course for the Pacific rim.
Throughout her wartime career, the USS Hornet played a vital role in the war effort—taking center stage in several key battles of the Second World War. Acting as a mobile base of operations, the Hornet maneuvered her way through the Pacific theater on a long and treacherous 4-year tour.
Throughout this journey, she hauled military aircraft and naval servicemen from the Philippines to Japan and even New Guinea, witnessing the atrocities of war in the process. Then after all was said and done, she led the Calvary home—bringing US troops back to the States as a proud participant of Operation Magic Carpet.
In the decades that followed, her military work continued—serving the US Navy throughout the Korean and Vietnam wars. Then while withstanding the frigid tension between the USSR and the United States, this navel vessel hosted the Apollo 11 mission crew who had only just returned from their excursion in the vacuum of space.
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Today, the USS Hornet has taken on a more peaceful yet equally prestigious existence. Now permanently docked in Alameda, CA, she is spending her retirement as an air, sea, and space museum—paying tribute to her career as an unwavering military vessel.
Simply put, this legendary ship has seen her fair share of history, loss, and bloodshed. The remnants of which are still ever-present, frozen in time beneath her masts.
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Okay, before we dig any deeper into the stone tape theory, the USS Hornet, and the different sorts of hauntings dwelling there, I think we first need to set the record straight. So what are the different types of hauntings and how exactly are they identified?
Truth be told, there are a multitude of classifications when speaking in terms of the paranormal. There are, of course, the human spirits—the souls or energy of those who have passed on. Then there are the inhuman entities, i.e. demonic beings, elementals, and the like.
Now, at least in my own opinion, there are two umbrella categories that any of these hauntings could fall under. Residual hauntings and intelligent ones.
Simply put, intelligent hauntings are ones that are self-aware. These entities can and often will interact with the living as well as the world around them. So, if you encounter one of these spirits on an investigation, you’d likely be able to engage in some sort of dialogue with them—that is if they are willing to talk.
Residual hauntings on the other hand deal in energy. Meaning that these sorts of haunts aren’t so much aware as they are consistent.
You see in a general sense, residual hauntings are merely the essence of an individual or an event that has long passed. As such, these spirits do not engage in the environment that’s currently around them but instead reply in an environment that once was.
Some would even argue that there is no spirit involved in this residual activity. That the person’s soul has already passed on and that the haunting itself is simply just their residue.
And that makes sense when you really stop to think about it. After all, energy cannot be created or destroyed—it can only change forms.
So there you have it—residual and intelligent hauntings in a nutshell. But what does that mean in the real world and is there any evidence backing for these claims? Well, as luck would have it, the spirits aboard the USS Hornet may just be able to shed some light on this subject.
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So they claim, the USS Hornet is haunted by an array of spirits. Both of a residual and an intelligent nature.
Of course, that shouldn’t come as a shock. After all this 27,000-ton vessel is floating in the marina at Alameda’s the former Naval Air Station, and we all know that water has an energizing effect when it comes to the paranormal. So really it’s no wonder why the hornet is said to be the most haunted ship in America.
Now the spirits lurking here are thought to be former servicemen who were once stationed aboard the ship. So as it seems, these officers never officially ended their watch.
According to countless visitors, volunteers, and museum staff, this skeleton crew of sorts is still performing their naval duties. Many report hearing disembodied whispers aboard the ship while others claim to have encountered shadow figures or even the full-bodied apparitions of men in vintage naval uniforms.
It’s this kind of activity that has attracted paranormal enthusiasts and investigators from around the globe, each of whom is hoping to document the paranormal phenomena that the hornet is known for. And as you can imagine, they have stories to tell.
So let’s learn more about the varied hauntings aboard this renowned ship from the very people who have experienced them firsthand. Starting with the dress whites ghosts.
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It was February 2009, when Bob Eiess was volunteering on the USS Hornet. At the time, Bob and a group of fellow US Coast Guardsmen were working to paint the interior of the ship.
Eventually, the group began to run low on paint. So Bob took it upon himself to find a refill.
Now this shouldn’t have been a big deal. After all, there was a full-time Hornet employee making rounds with additional paint. But keep in mind, Bob didn’t work for the hornet full-time, and as such he didn’t exactly know its winding corridors like the back of his hand.
Eventually, Bob had somehow gotten turned around and found that he wasn’t entirely sure how to get back to his group. He likely felt a twinge of anxiety at this realization. Well, that is until he saw one of his colleagues—a man dressed in all white—walking ahead of him just a ways up the corridor.
Relieved, Bob called out to his companion—shouting his name loudly down the hall. But instead of turning around to greet Bob, or even waiting for him to catch up, the man kept walking, eventually rounding the corner without so much as a second glance.
In turn, Bob hurried along after him so they could walk back to their group together. Only when Bob rounded the corner only a few seconds later he found that he was along once more.
Eventually, Bob found his way back to the group on his own. And when he did scolded the companion who had left him. Only this individual was adamant that he hadn’t left their station in over an hour. Meaning that he couldn’t have been the officer who Bob had seen.
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Sometime later, Bob mentioned the experience to Hornet staff. And oddly enough they weren’t surprised by his story.
As it turns out, it’s quite common to encounter this particular officer while wandering the halls of the USS Hornet. This spirit is most commonly identified by the uniform he is wearing—it’s what naval officers call their dress whites. So it would seem, Bob hadn’t encountered another living person after all. No instead, he had been playing a game of chase with a ghost.
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Now if it’s all right, I’d like to back up for a moment and acknowledge a key part of Bob’s story. One that lends some legitimacy to the stone tape theory.
As we all know, this apparition was fully visible to Bob’s naked eye; in fact, it was so vivid that he easily mistook it for a living person. And yet this spectral officer didn’t so much as acknowledge Bob’s presence.
And really how could he? I mean this residual haunting as it were doesn’t have the capacity to interact with our living world. Instead, it’s simply going through the motions, likely reliving the same events that transpired nearly 80 years ago.
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Kathleen was exploring the USS Hornet when she too caught a startling glimpse into the past.
Earlier that afternoon, she and her husband had walked along each deck as a part of a guided tour. But as the day came to a close, the couple decided to venture further into the Hornet on their own.
At some point during their exploration, Kathleen and her husband found themselves in an area of the ship that wasn’t exactly open to tourists. Admittedly, Kathleen hadn’t been thrilled about that fact—telling her husband that they were sure to be caught wandering about in a restricted area.
Then, almost as if on queue, a uniformed sailor rounded the corner and began to approach them. As soon as she saw him, Kathleen was sure that they were in for trouble. So you can imagine her surprise when the officer walked by them without saying a word.
They watched in confusion as he continued down the hall—eventually ducking into a room about 10 feet ahead. Of course, the couple thought this lack of acknowledgment was strange. After all, they had been in a restricted section of the ship. So why hadn’t the sailor told them to vacate the area?
With that question in mind, Kathleen hesitantly approached the room, only to find that it was completely empty. She couldn’t believe her eyes, but sure enough, this silent sailor was nowhere to be seen. It was almost as if he had vanished into thin air.
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Now if you’ve been paying attention, then Kathleen’s story likely sounds all too familiar. Like Bob Eiess, the couple had encountered the residue of a naval officer who once was. That’s two different experiences, two different spirits—two entirely different stories coming to the same bizarre end.
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Pardon my pun, but by now, I think it’s quite apparent that the USS Hornet holds a boatload of residual energy. But this is not to say that there aren’t at least a few intelligent spirits still lurking along her decks.
Now many say that these, let’s say self-aware haunts, are also the spirits of fallen servicemen. And as such, they have the tendency to watch out for the Hornet’s living crew. Take the following experience, for example.
It was a Friday night aboard the USS Hornet and Bill Fee was finishing up a ghost tour. He had just closed the door behind the last of his guests—locking it right with a heavy metal latch.
And with that Bill was left alone on what many consider to be the most haunted ship in America. It was just him and the ghosts.
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After closing up shop, Bill made his way back to his quarters—guided only by the illumination of the flashlight in his hand. Sure he could have turned on the red lights that lined the corridors, but what was the point? He was the only one aboard the ship, his flashlight had plenty of juice, and was heading to bed anyway.
Before long, Bill made it back to his quarters without incident. And after a long night of ghost tours and storytelling, Bill collapsed into bed where we found sleep easily.
That is until about 2:30 in the morning when he heard the sound of clicking coming from the hall outside his door. For Bill it was a noise that was all too familiar—this clanking echo was undeniably the sound of lights switching on along the corridor.
That fact alone pulled Bill from his bed. He padded across the room, pushed open the door, and just like that the clicking ceased. Bill was now standing alone in a very brightly lit hallway.
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In a radio interview with the Bay Area’s 97.1 FM, Bill Fee shared his thoughts about the experience. According to this testimony, Bill never felt threatened standing there in that empty hallway, even though he knew he wasn’t alone.
Quote: “They knew I was here, so they turned the lights on for my safety." end quote.
It’s this sort of camaraderie that is shared among the crew working aboard the USS Hornet. It’s an unwavering sentiment—one that’s felt between the living as well as the dead.
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Okay, I feel as though I should mention that the USS Hornet is just one of many real-world haunts that can attest to the stone tape theory. So hopefully, as we bring this episode to a close, you can see that there is at least some proof to this pudding.
But I’m sure there may be a few of you who remain skeptical. First, let me applaud you for your objectivity. If you’ve been listening to the show for a while, then you know that I try to approach each case with a skeptically open mind. And I can appreciate the need for some hard evidence when it comes to such haunting claims.
So in light of that, I think it’s only fair that I share some information about visiting the USS Hornet. That way, my skeptical-minded friends can experience the activity firsthand.
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According to the Hornet's official website, the museum offers of variety of tours. Ranging from overnight visits, themed group events, and educational experiences, it’s clear that this historic vessel has a little something for everyone.
Now, for our purposes, it would probably be best to book the Hornet’s aptly named history mystery tour, which delves into the many hauntings aboard the ship. The history mystery tour is offered on the second Friday of every month and tickets tend to sell out quickly. So if you’re interested in visiting, make sure you plan accordingly.
As always, I will have information on how to book these tours linked in today's show notes at hauntscast.com. And hey, maybe I'll see you there. Because I’m sure speaking for most of us when I say that I’m just dying to check this haunt out.
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https://amyscrypt.com/haunting-of-the-uss-hornet-ghosts-in-alameda/
https://hauntedwalk.com/news/the-stone-tape-theory/
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Tape_Theory
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Hornet_(CV-12)
https://abc7chicago.com/uss-hornet-sea-air-and-space-museum-the-alameda/5658335/
https://www.its.caltech.edu/~drmiles/ghost_stories.html
https://www.military.com/off-duty/now-you-can-sleep-aboard-uss-hornet-most-haunted-ship-america.html
https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2013/01/30/five-ghost-stories-from-the-uss-hornet/amp/
https://www.kalw.org/show/crosscurrents/2018-10-29/a-visit-to-the-haunted-uss-hornet-in-alameda