Gah, you're right. Of course it was battle damage.
I don't think age should really be a factor... supposedly by that time, there were still fighters and capships lurking from well before the WC time period still striking the fear of God into people, and lets not forget the age of the Vic, look what she accomplished.
Also, and I know I'm crossing Universes here, but in Star Trek, the second oldest class of ships still being used was the Constellation class, yet the class leader got honorable mention a couple of times in DS9. A ship that was easily over 100 years old, from a class that was mostly mothballed, was still doing great things, I think that backs up two statements:
"Carriers don't fly themselves Admiral." -Blair
and
"Just because somethings old, doesn't mean you throw it away." Geordi Laforge.
And since people like to compare it to history, heres my two cents: We lost a lot of carriers during WW2, Yorktowns, Independents, the Ben Franklin was put out of action, the Wasp, and the Lexington, however the Saratoga, the second oldest carrier still in action was a frontline fighter during most of the war, she was strickened soon after, but she held on the longest...
Why she was bombed and not turned into a museum is beyond me... if they wanted to see a carrier sink, why not the Ranger? She did nothing during the war...
(Ok rant over)
I think old age should be taken out of the polls and "war record" should be added in. A ship that spends its carreer on the front lines is bound to live a much shorter life then one thats a 3rd rate fighter.