America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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' ' ' ' ' - '- -W. 'ns-sw-r--111 . - . ,ff ' I M-It , 'K vp ' K , f KEEL Lmrmo' cvAee JAN 9 :sea ' N N s 60 D C0 mvom News VA M'- The ceremonial platform rests upon the blocks which will support the ship as she comes to life. Shipway no. 10, Newport News - the beginning of the new aircraft carrier, AMERICA. History 15

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Q-L-l-----A---.--Q-1 .,... ,,.., ' ' ' HISTORY O AMERICA Continuing the proud heritage The keel of the aircraft carrier AMER- ICA was laid Ianuary 9, 1961, as Hull 561 in Shipway 410 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company, Newport News, Virginia. Following three years of construction, the ship was launched February 1, 1964, and was com- missioned in ceremonies at the Norfolk Naval Station Ianuary 23, 1965. AMERICA made her first major de- ployment in 1966 to the Mediterranean Sea. During the next few years, AMER- ICA made three deployments to South- east Asia, and was one of four aircraft carriers on Yankee Station when the Vietnam Peace Agreement went into ef- fect in Ianuary 1973. In Ianuary 1974, AMERICA began her fourth deployment to the Mediterranean. She returned to Norfolk August 2, 1974, prior to participating in the NATO ex- ercise Northern Merger in September of that year. The carrier embarked on her fifth Mediterranean deployment April 15, 1976 and returned October 25, 1976. After a three month maintenance pe- riod, AMERICA deployed as part of a seven-ship task force to South America. During this period, AMERICA conducted exercises with units of the Brazilian Navy. Shortly thereafter, AMERICA de- ployed on her sixth Mediterranean de- ployment. On March 13, 1979, AMERICA em- barked on her tenth major deployment, returning to Norfolk on September 2, 1979, AMERICA conducted initial carrier qualifications for the F f A-18 Hornet air- craft prior to a one-year overhaul and maintenance period at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard. During that upkeep period, AMERICA was fitted with the NATO Sea Sparrow missile system and Phalanx close-in weapons system. 14 USS America I ,1-...1--y -. W ,-..,,.1,., ., , ...,., W ,, 1 - - . YW' - -' 'Y 1 -1...--Y-..-f-M.-ww.-. ir Work progresses on the catapults and island superstructure .

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- ' ' 'Y ' ' -'--A --' ' 7 V 5-1'-Ii- lil-t1f1f '--Z.',37'f.':'T 1551 Af 'fl-9S.?':ffY'5J5555f53'f37.5f I5! W5?'3I Lf- lfT5'7i1?f7 l7t..1.' - .' ' '- V ' -- . V - K , I . .,..,,- wk., .,,, ., ,H . . .. . . 113 171, .f.. I , .,,, - .. . . -. . . M . , , .K . -.f ,.,,.,.,-,,.y.:: ,.,.,. ef ,E -.:f-:-f.:.'.- 1.g.:-pu. .-,.-.c1.-a,ff,f. Aff-'11, -,. .,:,,,, f 7 f . . . V ., ., . . -1 .. ......,,,..., ,.., ... .,.. Y .,,... , x.. .f..,,,, ..,, ,. , ., , , . . AMERICA made her first deploy- ment to the Indian Ocean in 1981, and during this period, she became the first carrier since 1967 to transit the Suez Canal. In 1982, AMERICA participated in the exercise Northern Wedding '82 as well as operations in the Mediterranean in support of U.S. forces in Lebanon. The carrier re- b ' .3 , 'f'f T ':-r'1zfr-1f'Pr1Wf-f.w,' . :si-ff-Y-fur-f -was..-ml--,,,s.,.,.,4 . . . ,. M , ,, ,, , ,V ,I fe. 1 ' Aff fvff ,.f ,f f ww ' Mi ,-V 122 ., ,,B,!,,,,: , 1, .,,, , K ' . . !7'f E , ,, W,,Zf,,,. A I I l I turned to Norfolk in November 1982 - I to prepare for a regularly scheduled deployment to the Mediterranean I I and Indian Ocean, departing Nor- W1 ' folk December 8, 1982, for six I I months. AMERICA left homeport April 24, I 1984, participating in exercise I Ocean Venture before transiting the Atlantic Ocean enroute to the I Mediterranean for another six month deployment. n AMERICA celebrated her 20th anniversary of commissioned ser- I vice in Ianuary 1985 in homeport. I That fall, AMERICA participated in exercise Ocean Safari '85 in the I North Atlantic, Norwegian Sea, and in Vestiiord, Norway in the process I becoming the first U.S. aircraft car- rier to operate inside a Norwegian I fjord. I- Aerial view of AMERICA as construction continues at Newport News Shipbuilding. I as : mm? N 1 l l I l l 1 l l I S I - l 1 16 USS America AMERICA at anchor for another liberty port. . . . ., ...,, . ,,,.,- -,,,.,.,.,..,.. ,. I, ,., ..,...-......,.. .,f. .,,...-.,.1..,.u- --........,..4...,....,.i ,,,,A-,,