Kitty Hawk (CV 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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Pre-deploymenf Ajn and onload

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. prH t 1981 It seemed like only yesterday we had gotten back, and here we are heading west again. It had been 13 months since the Kitty Hawk had returned from WESTPAC and the Indian Ocean. Following a couple months of repair, it was back to sea to make prepara- tions for another cruise. It all built up to April 1st and another tearful farewell. The time was filled with lots of initials — ORE, REFTRA, CARQUALS — each an underway period in the Southern California Operating Area. It was also filled with time for our families or a visit home. March was spent in San Diego, loading tons of supplies and giving equipment a final check-out prior to leaving. Everyone knew that the simple job left undone in San Diego would be a major project underway in the South China Sea or the I.O. We even managed to squeeze in some recreation, for unlike the last cruise we knew in advance that this one would include some extremely long underway periods. Our golf and tennis games would exist only in our memo- ries for the next few months. When Departure Day arrived the supplies were still being loaded, but there was a different scene going on as well. Families were here for the painful farewell scenes that would be our final time together for almost eight months. The good-byes took many forms. There was the quick peck on the cheek to the long, tearful scene that every- one seems to love to hate. Then the time come. The Officer of the Deck shifted his watch from the Quarterdeck to the Bridge and the Kitty Hawk slowly inched away from the quay wall. Families and friends craned their necks for a last look at their sailor. Within minutes, though, it was business as usual aboard the ship as we entered into another adventure, and aimed the pointy end west.