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Page 6 text:
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Sp1'1'1't of the old Pride of the new It was from the proud flag of a newly-born nation that she drew her name - CONSTELLA TION. A growing nation revealed its spirit in the new ship. She was 180 feet long, with 38 guns and a crew of 309 dedicated sailors. From the first, the USS CONSTELLATION had a reputation for speed. With her clipper lines and an open wind, she ran at 12 W knots. In combat, she was unequaled in her time. Insurgente was the first to feel her might. CONSTELLA TION defeated the French Frigate in West In- dies waters. At the time the Insurgente was reputed to be the fastest ship in the French Navy and the World. The next year saw CONSTELLATION defeat another French Frigate, the Vengeance The French ship was wrecked beyond repair, while the CONSTELLATION was unscathed. In 1802, she fought numerous battles against the pirates of the Barbary Coast. After these battles, she was not called to war for a half century. After achieving an outstanding record in the Civil War, CONS TELLA TI ON never went to war again. She continued in the service of her country by teaching midshipmen the ways of the sea. She was finally retired from government ser- vice in 1955, after 160 years of unfailing service to her nation. She is now serving as a floating national shrine in Baltimore, Maryland. That spirit which inspired and dominated the first CONSTELLATI ON survives in the motto of the second . . . Spirit of the Old, Pride of the New. The second ship to bear the proud name of CONSTELLATION Was commissioned on October 27, CNavy Dayj 1961. She was CVA-64, an attack aircraft carrier. Since that day of commissioning, she has steamed almost 250,000 miles and made 7 combat deployments to Southeast Asia. Her first deployment was in 1963 when she spent six months on a show the flag cruise to the Western Pacific. On May 3, 1964, she again set sail for WESTPAC. The situation in Southeast Asia was more critical this time, and she spent up to 57 days at a time on station in the Tonkin Gulf. It was on this cruise that CONS TELLA TI ON received the word that enemy boats from North Vietnam had at- tacked United States' ships operating in international waters. Planes were striking back from the CONSTELLATI ON almost immediately. She was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation for exceptionally meritorious service in sup- port of operations in the Gulf of Tonkin. It was nine months before CONS TELLA TI ON steamed into her homeport of San Diego again. Her stay was short, however, for she was headed to the shipyards at Bremerton, Washington for a major overhaul. After an eight-month overhaul and months of training, CONSTELLATION once again set sail for the Tonkin Gulf. During seven months of air strikes against Haiphong, Con- nie's pilots destroyed 88070 of the target areas. CONS TELLA TI ON was on her next deployment when President Lyndon B. Johnson came aboard in the Tonkin Gulf on February 18, 1968. On still another cruise, Connie pilots flew the last bombing mission over North Vietnam before the bombing halt of January 31, 1969. After a short stay in San Diego, CONSTELLATION rejoined the Seventh Fleet to provide air support for U.S. ground operations in South Vietnam. On June 2, 1970, Con- nie was once again sent to the yards in Washington for a much-needed overhaul. On December 22, 1970, CONS TELLA TI ON became the first attack carrier to light her boilers and run on the new Navy Distillate fuel, a cleaner- burning, more economical fuel. On October 1, 1971, CONSTELLATION sailed from San Diego to embark on her sixth combat deployment to the South China Sea, resuming strikes into North Vietnam. In furious dogfighting over North Vietnam, Connie pilots shot down an unprecedented seven MIGs in one day. That day was May 10, 1972, and LT Randy Cunningham and LT C jgj Willie Driscoll became America's first Aces of the Vietnam War. They shot down three MIGs that day, a total of five in four months. On the first of July, 1972, CONSTELLATION returned to San Diego, after being ex- tended in combat three months beyond her scheduled six- month cruise. CONSTELLATION set sail again for the Gulf of Tonkin on January 5, 1973. She and her crew were prepared for a ten-month combat deployment. But less than a month after her arrival in the combat zone, the N avy's actual par- ticipation in combat came to an end with the signing of the Laotian cease-fire. Connie and her air wing then stood by, remaining on station the entire month of March while tense negotiations continued for the release of American Prisoners of War. Her aircraft then flew in support of the minesweeping operations in North Vietnamese waters. With the coming of peace, the inport time came more frequently. CVW-9 aircraft still flew 26,000 hours before the end of the cruise on October 11, 1973. For the major part of her cruise, CONSTELLATI ON had served as Flagship for Task Force 77. During the nine months of her cruise, Connie crewmen donated over 541,200 to charities at home and abroad. On June 21, 1974, CONSTELLATION set sail for the Western Pacific, leaving San Diego and America at peace for the first time in 11 years. It was her ninth deployment to Asian waters, and only her second departure in peace. '- fa:.:,w - ' f .:- . '
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Page 7 text:
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