Dwight Eisenhower (CVN 69) - Naval Cruise Book

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Returning to Naval Station Nor- folk Virginia in late July IKE got ready to participate in the largest NATO joint sea exercise the world had seen in 25 years of maritime history. Soon Magic Sword - Ocean Venture - Ocean Safari became synonomous with USS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER During these NATO exercises IKE made visits to Lisbon Portugal and Portsmouth England where her impressive size and well-mannered crew acted as true ambassadors of the Navy the United States and her people on foreign shores. IKE again returned home to Norfolk Virginia and her families proud of the participation and recogni- tion. After nearly a month in home port IKE set out for another great test - Operational Readiness Exercises in the Caribbean. During this short deploy- ment USS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER again distinguished herself by repeated successful planned exercises with the USS JOHN F KENNEDY ICV 671 Two-carrier operations became the plan of the day and IKE again proved the great reliability of the aircraft carrier and Air Wing. 1: L31 ,Ffim 1-1.25 .1., Following an enjoyable port visit in Bridgetown Barbados IKE and CVW-7 completed the Operational Readiness Exercise. IKE again returned to Nor- folk Virginia in time for an appreciated holiday period and to get ready for yet another challenge - Deployment to the Mediterranean in support of SIXTH Fleet Operations During 1981 USS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER continued to distinguish herself as the greatest aircraft carrier in history by earning the coveted COMNAVAIRLANT Battle E for the third consecutive year. Additionally the following departments in IKE won awards for excellence in their respec- tive fields' Operations IGreen EI, Engineering IRed EI Weapons IBIack WI, Supply IBlue EJ Damage Control IRed DCI and Deck ISeamanship lnsignial. On January 5 1982 IKE along with CVW-7, departed Norfolk for her second six month deployment to the Mediterranean. IKE relieved USS NIMITZ and became the flagship for Rear Admiral James E. Service, Commander Task Force Sixty. Follow- ing a month of operational exercises at sea, IKE anchored in the Bay of Naples for twelve days of crew liberty. The ship next visited Tangier, Morocco for four days of sightseeing and crew liberty following nine days of operational exercises. IKE's next port visit was to Haifa, Israel, where IKE crewmen traveled to the inspiring cities of Nazareth, Beth- lehem, and Jerusalem. Athens, Greece provided a pictur- esque seven day port call in March. Following a visit to Alexandria Egypt and her second visit to Naples IKE joined in to participate in the multinational NATO Exercise Distant Drum . The exercise provided training for naval amphibious and land based air forces placing heavy emphasis on sea control Once again the men and officers of IKE and embarked Airwing SEVEN proved their great mission capability, and high state of readiness. Following a final visit in Naples IKE became the first nuclear powered warship to call on the tiny principality of Monaco. It was here that crewmen were treated to the beaches of Monaco and near-by Cannes and Nice France IKEs final deployment port call was at the island of Pa ma Spain. 2,3 594252: . 5 5 5 5 5 . . 5 7 7 5 5 . ' I 5 5 5 5 5 1 ll , . 5 I5 5 5 5 5 5 5 , . . . . . . . I 5 ll 55 5 , . 5 5 1 5 5 5 5 5 Tragedy struck IKE and all were effected when on April 4, the wreckage of Mamie , IKE's C-1A logistics aircraft was located on a mountainside near Souda Bay, Crete. 11 IKE passengers and crewmen perished. j ' V .,.l ' ,V Ia, I 5 li5l5l 5 , if I I I I f 'F I if I I ,I I x ., I I ar-IIA I I-'girl I I ,. , PQI, . 5 I . !If I I III' I if II-'fir255?Lv'IX2sefIsLIrIili II II I I I I II ttf I I:'iIit-SIQQIIQIEII ,sfttwwif .II Il II II II,IIwiftff' .IfII I I I I QI-.1 .f ?'vflYt.l.'QI'iflb'rC555I1-It.rl1Y5-wilwhv I Ir' I I -IRQ I, I to I I' I , I III a-I,.3wae,,w ww-.1.-Iwgif-,Iv II ' I II- II III' . im-s:IsLrIMII2-II.-fIa.et1fII f. IIIIII iv- 'Ill rip 'QI W t II., ' ,, ' , I I I who I . I I KI, I, I. M II. .Is ' I' IILII. lwysj I. .. - , I j rgwfjaltegtvfi C IIIIIIQQSFI . - T I ff I Iy,,jiI Y ' I 'S 5 7 :TQ I , ' 'WN ' W It I f f - I I1 I if I I I I I xgsuui 635513, I k ., 49- . QI Ha g L vim S , , P325 f -xx-fl Y wvtjxxt M If, in I -K rf K I f vtiiit Ig, X -ffl ,fjiitiIQ'ElV A Iwmfft 5, ' I., z lift W WI I V' F W if f:x1iiIIQ,i:tI?II I' e Wk' , agfxgrtf 'irjji I W Wwe Q D if :HF n I ' I it if 0 sim ig?,gIj,If,IIglIiw 9 52 Xfwkistj SM Q .M ivqerijif I IQ, I I i ,gghtuwqm 30 X I :ij M. Q, I if I II as A Aiwa ,I I tj IA, I , f V It ii: x ' I ll I , I ijmi jaw W NE I -I I MQ Ijji D .III 1 , .

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Capt EW Clexton Jr a native of Arlington, Va., enlisted in the Navy in January, 1955, at NAFITU, Anacostia In June 1956 he entered the U S Naval Academy and graduated with the class of 1960 Texas, he reported to NAS Miramar Calif., where he joined Fighter Squadron Fifty-Three jVF-53j and after the squa dron was redesignated Fighter Squadron One Forty Three QVF-143j, made two cruises to the Western Pacific aboard the USS CONSTELLATION QCV 64j. During the second cruise he participated in the initial retaliatory strikes against North Vietnam following the harassment of U.S destroyers in the Gulf of Tonkin in August, 1964. He attended the Naval Test Pilot School at NAS Patuxent River Md in 1965 where he was the recipient of the Navy League award as the outstanding member of his class He was then assigned to The Flying Qualities and Performance Branch of the Flight Test Preliminary Evaluation Team Leader for the F4K and F4M Phantom aircraft for the United Kingdom and project pilot for joint USNXUSAF F4 spin tests ln 1968 he was accepted as a Member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots After refresher training again at NAS Miramar he joined Fighter Squadron One Hundred Fourteen QVF 114j in December 1968 He made two deployments with VF 114 to Southeast Asia aboard USS KITTY HAWK QCV 63I accumulating over Edward W. Clexton, Jr Captain, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer 200 combat missions He then reported to Fighter Squa dron One Hundred Forty Two QVF 142j at NAS Oceana Va as Executive Officer and made a deployment to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean Sea aboard USS INDEPENDENCE ICV 62j He became the Commanding Officer of the Fighting Diamondbacks in June 1972 and deployed again to the Mediterranean before his transfer in November 1973 After attending Nuclear Power School in 1974 he reported to the Dwight D Eisenhower Precommissioning Unit as Executive Officer in October 1975 After two years of construction outfitting and training IKE was commissioned in October 1977 and Captain Clexton remained as Executive Officer for the first year of operational deployment He assumed command of USS EL PASO QLKA 117I in April 1979 during an extended overhaul at Sunship Chester Pa After sea trials in October 1979 EL PASO underwent a series of predeploy ment inspections refresher training and fleet amphibious exercises before he was transferred in August 1980 Capt Clexton assumed Command of USS DWIGHT D EISENHOWER on 3 July 1981 His decorations include the Meritor three Navy Commendation Medals with Combat V two Navy Unit Commenda tions two Armed Forces Expeditionary Medals the National Defense Service Medal the Vietnamese Unit Commenda tion and Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal Captain Clexton is married to the former Barbara Ann Wright of Arlington They and their five children Eric Zita Eddie Lisa and Davld reside in Hamp ton Va o.c. ' ' , ' ' After flight training in Florida and Division. His major projects were as Navy ious Service Medal, twelve Air Medals,