USS Bonhomme Richard on fire at Naval Base San Diego

Fully repairing the USS Bonhomme Richard to warfighting capabilities would cost $2.5 billion to $3 billion and take five to seven years, said Rear Adm. Eric H. Ver Hage of the Navy Regional Maintenance Center. Restoring it for another use, perhaps as a hospital, would take several years and cost $1 billion. The preferred option to decommission the ship will take nine months to a year and cost $30 million, Ver Hage said.

Ver Hage said about 60% of the ship would likely need to be replaced to have it fully restored, including the flight deck, mast and many levels directly below the flight deck.

To be "lost at shore" is a sad and ironic fate for a ship of that name.

The problem is that the integrity of the decks and hull cannot be relied on because of the heat of the fire. We need to learn from this. The ship needs to be taken apart slowly and sections of the decks and hull need to be tested for strength and other properties. Document this and the value of it to new construction and damage control training may pay dividends down the road.