America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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Prologue: 5000-man ambassador team When AMERICA left Norfolk in the pre-dawn hours of 10 June 1977, she began a five-week voyage which covered ten thousand miles, two con- tinents and helped bridge friendships between two nations. When the special sea and anchor detail was called away at 0530, most of the men aboard ship remained asleep, only to awake later to the steady hum, activity and gentle rolls that characterize a carrier at sea. Those men in topside Sea Detail stations could see an empty pier 12 swallowed by darkness as it drew into the dis- tance. AMERICA was underway. The ship's journey south was to demonstrate the United States' con- tinued alliance with the countriesi of South America. The deployment, ,ag- cording to Admiral Isaac C. KIDD, Atlantic Fleet commander, Hunders scores the U.S. commitment in th area and it demonstrates naval flex- ibility for meeting that commitment. The deployment came at a time when it was feared that U.S.!Brazilian relations had become strained and closely followed a goodwill tour of he Lady, Rosalynn CARTER. Working parties became the order of the day as the ship was outfitted for the southern odyssey. Prior to leaving Norfolk, the Supply Department had storerooms bulging with over 50,000 gallons of milk, two tons of coffee, 32,000 pounds of vegetables, 9 million cigarettes and 192,000 cans of soft drinks. The trahsitsduth,was marked in- itiallyg-abglfchop S ' easfarfgxyqualls but and the, mreasingly 115 s the ip gsk' t the coast F countriesfk N 9-Udsfnost. Onlymtigugh' ,aa geo shook: I Guy M and ,tb Netheffandk hir ..,-Those that AME,i' l' an wit 'R cam ,lEigaQed .ERE shix 1'0Ut HS jglnigxliimk lgfeeting: adolphin, lpgxppi 3 sclqiqls . gf flying fish, agggsocc nd eoesff marlinf 'N 1 j 9, ' if ,. fir Bermudajfriangle foiledxagaing if rss, Vgermhdau .llfanglen once again lay iii the-'shi'p'sFpath and while South America by America's First even those seasoned members of the crew laughed off the area's reputation, they had in the back of their minds the area's exact boundaries and were well- acquainted with its lore. The port visit in Salvador, Brazil proved to be a quiet few days as the city, although fairly large, was unac- customed to visits by large warships and did not have many of the facilitie to keep five thousand men entertained. The sincerity and friendliness of the Salvador's populace made up for what the city itself lacked. Since AMERICA's visit occurred in the midst of the Saint John's festival, liberty parties walked through parks where trees were strewn with colored lights and where they could hear the sporatic explosions of firecrackers thrown by small children. Scores of men were invited into Salvador homes where they sampled both native dishes and genuine Brazilian hospitality. The closeness of Salvador to the equator made the tropical climate a fact of life with its hot, humid days, cool nights and showers nearly daily. I just can't get used to this kind of weather where it rains on one side of the street and not on the other, said Mediterranean Trqo Follows America Deployed to outh tlantic By JOHN STEVENSON Virginian-Pilot Staff writer NORFOLK-The Norfolk-based carrier America was chosen for a special South Atlantic deployment, scheduled to begin today, because lt is the only flat- top that the Atlantic Fleet has available. Because of low availability, some believe that the carrier force has been overextended. They believe, in addition, that one of the reasons is a long-standing North Atlantic Treaty Organization commitment to keep two of the huge ships continuouslyin the Medi- terranean. Carriers now in the Mediterranean are the Ken- nedy and Independence, both from Norfolk. Two oth- er Atlantic Fleet flattops, the Nimitz and Forrestal, are undergoing shipyard maintenance, and a third, the Saratoga, is preparing for an unannounced com- mitment. This leaves only the aged Franklin D. Roosevelt, 4 The America must prepare for a six-month Medi- terranean trip after its retum from the five-week ex- pedition to South America, and some wives are complaining that its operational schedule is too heavy. The America will be the first U.S. carrier to oper- ate extensively in South American waters in years. This operation underscores the U.S. commitment in the area, and it demonstrates naval flexibility for meeting that commitment, said Adm. Isaac C. Kidd Jr., the Atlantic Fleet commander. A highlight of the trip will come when the Ameri- ca and four accompanying ships conduct exercises with the Brazilian Navy. The accompanying ships will be the nuclear cruiser South Carolina, guided missile destroyer Claude V. Ricketts, destroyer Dupont, and oiler Neosho, all from Norfolk. During an interview Wednesday, Vice Adm. John J. Shanahan agreed with Kidd that South American operations are desirable. Atlantic, said Shanahan, who will retire Fri commander of the 2nd Fleet and the North Treaty Organizations Striking Fleet. But Shanahan suggested that one sending the America south would be to pull a out of the Mediterranean and dispatch it in ica's place. He said that this could reduce on the tight carrier schedule, provide training and show-the-flag benefits, and even better demonstration of U.S. The fact that officials can't pull a the Mediterranean is indicative of too.much mg rigidity, in Shanahan's opinion. Why two carriers in the V asked. Why not three, one, or sometimes seems that we have fallen into a pattern . . ' don't we go back and look at why theyre . time. Do we need them there?

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VN Ll .unrumbwsllulmmmlllf sir I .Ki dx Q S. ' Agar H I I I T r 1 i N ' l 'O 5 iknlq, - ,ffmm iss 6 , J P1 I if lx W Q V? I xx ,I if I X. A, V, , fx f ' H ' I f If If r fjL '2.'?' Al OROQUI Xa 1 , PMI! - H llc ' .14 10 I I 'MJ , fl: Adu' X I m ,XV 4' 5 ' an , -WINIDADR, ,am - , f f ' 1 1 V V i I i 5 I n 5 I . ,,, ..-- 4' ' KL T Up ss of DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY Sw Of, . ' U.s.s. AMERICA lcv ee? 'Kaos' ,spec . I FPO NEW YORK 09501 nSailors, Shellbacks and Sugarloafu is a photographic document about a very memorable period in the life of every AMERICAInan . . The five-week South American cruise was remarkable not only in the number of roles and missions with which AMERICA was tasked, but also in the unmistakably professional perfor- mance of every single man embarked. Your role as an ambassador was not an easy task but its impact was gratifying. As our Task Group commander wrote, I have heard nothing but complimentary remarks from our Brazilian Navy counterparts when referring to your on-the-job abilities and willingness to make extra efforts where joint participation was involved. This cruise opened our eyes to a great many things: the comradeship found in traditions such as crossing the equator, the friendships nurtured during allied operations, the new friends made in foreign ports and the comraderie developed through teamwork. Remember, as you turn these pages, the coolness of a tropic night and the special flavor of life in a foreign port Remember the craziness of our Pollywog initiation, but remember as well, the long, usually arduous hours spent by the hundreds of men powering and steering AMERICA from point to point: remember the pilots and flight deck crew who launched and flew countless missions and those men whose vital support nkept the show on the road.u Congratulations on a job well done! .?-.MQW ROBERT B . FULLER Captain, U.S. Navy Commanding Officer Q - ' ' - '- '-1 ig- ' L 1 ..4...-lv..T..Hla-LLLLPZ-JlkIiLllJ..l.1l A - ' - -f-.. i

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. re rl minds d were Well. pulllllun Vadorr Blhzi' l. r llayS asthi gee Wag umm. alge warship of the lecillrle Qll entertained rrdlhress of eh, ode up for what ached, occurred in ,hi el0lll1'5 A ll Through Wg ell uith eolorel 5' could heur rlr ol fireeroeleg, ldreu. Scores of 0 Salvador hoof, holhnutiredirlrg re hospilollry, Slice lestirr f Salvador ro tle ropical chmuler hot, humid dejre wers nearly der. ed ro this liud rl ins on one side rr the olher. re1 .. .r r1r,.n.ggggpn-qogggiu W' my-.....v-..-...... Y H Z 1 . ..---f...-.... A. -,r makes oodwill tour to Brazil . . . the street and not on the other, said one sailor on his return in rain-soaked clothes.'Salvador was a city where the simple pleasures prevailed: the beaches, the sun, the friends. Joint operations a success Operations with the Brazilian Navy occupied much of the time between Salvador and Rio de Janeiro. The maneuvers were nearly flawless and spoke well of the training by both fleets. Operations as simple as forma- tion screening or as critical land often dangerousl as night refueling were per- formed with such ships as the Rio Grande de Norte, Serjipe and the Barros. We were impressedg they were impressed. The Brazilian Chief of Naval Operations wrote, The opera- tion conducted was a great success, and has resulted in a great improve- ment in the training of all our fleet per- sonnel, especially the pilots and per- sonnel associated with flight operations. The Task Group crews highly impressed us for their high degree of proficiency and left a strong favorable impression on our people during their stay ashore. I hope the future will bring us other opportunities for the presence of USN ships in our waters. Rio de Janeiro captivates everyone Rio de Janeiro will leave an im- pression in the mind of every man in the Task Group. A longtime favorite but seldom-visited port by U.S. ships, the city was first charted on 1 January 1502 by none other than the Portugese navigator Amerigo Vespucci. Mistak- ing Guanabara Bay iwhere AMERICA anchoredl as the mouth of an enor- mous river, the area was given the name Cidade de Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro iRiver of Januaryl. Settle- ment did not begin for another 63 years and today the city has a population of 4,500,000 people. Rio is complete in the variety of activities it offers. For those intent on sight-seeing, there is the fabled Sugarloaf and Corcovado, each offer- ing panoramas of the sprawling city below. For those seeking natural beauty, the Barre Tijuca had the lush jungle greenery and waterfalls ex- pected for the tropical climate. Those looking for beaches and nightlife had at last come to the right place. The in- ternationally famous beaches and nightclubs along Copacabana and Ipanema lived up to their reputation. Samba still the King Jet-setters, American sailors and local people alike flocked to the beaches by day and walked along the rambling, abstractly-designed sidewalks by night. Music from both the traditional Samba and modern hits filtered from second-story nightclubs onto sidwalk cafes below. Independence Day was celebrated while at anchor in Guanabara Bay. Sharing the day with more than one thousand local citizens, crewmen brightened AMERICA with signal flags, bunting and lights and presented programs, a 21-gun salute and an old- fashioned hot dog and hamburger pic- nic. Leaving Rio on 5 July, AMERICA remained with Brazilian naval units until beginning her return transit to Norfolk on the ninth. U Navy Task Group ar ive tad y First Naval Di RIO DE JANEIRO IBHJ - The five-shlp U.S. Navy Task Group - one of the largest U.S. Naval missions to O Brazil in many years - will arrive in Guanabara Bay this morning, firing a 21-gun salute. Braga de Far Commander V At noon, the the USS Amer p.m. V , Independence Day - will depart July 5 t0 Join :omblned exercises with the Brazilian Navy off The Task Group - whose visit will last through UESS coast r ' ll Air Operatl s , who WlllhlemlNavy and the leelaull 9 Saturday, Fr - gploel. . ou ll lj? would behind me could lm ' , au, ll of Mb VN he f ol lhlhlia lcatilf if me ls mad - nt l 'he Sh i 'ne' oraspallell I ' Senei. efl',,, reef' ' mir lille MZ'i'1fil for four days. on with aircraft fsmeem' 0110508 Nav? T 0 . GRQUY S Ana-9 e uve Qmpxpd DY t v ,,a...e- T t oi Uaeatg 0' meekos Stay - Guanib T5 1109 ed a W s W :till emu' grim WF ififelo YW' !?f..mn eElT'..e me sew M .. .A-u.4 Navy to send task force to S. America in June By HARRY PADGE'I'T Ledger-Star Staff Writer NORFOLK - The Navy will send a na- val task force, including the carrier Ameri- ca and the nuclear cruiser South Carolina, to South America in early June in a dem- onstration of increased United States inter- est in the area. The task force operation with ships of the Brazilian navy will follow closely a visit to that country by First Lady Rosalynn Carter. While Navy authorities here and in Washington, D. C., declined to confirm the operation at this time, other sources indi- to do more operations in the South Atlan- tic, a vital oil route from the Persian Gulf. As Supreme Allied Commander Atlantic, a NATO command, Kidd has been author- ized to draw up plans for operations in the South Atlantic, an area that lies outside the NATO command's responsibility, but which would be iinportant to the alliance in a war at sea with the Soviet Union. The participation of the South Carolina, a nuclear-powered guided missile cruiser, will be a first for South America. The Navy could not say this week when the last U. S. aircraft carrier operated at sea with a South American navy. re.oirri.rel.hr.ue 1 munruumum 1 mil 1 ilu i