America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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et . . a trail of events and accomplishments ipaie ' lis, il nd: l K FEBRUARY 2 February - Lethal fragments of Cosmo II found in Canada 2 February - Underway from Catania 12 February - Underway replenishment with USS CONCORD and USS WACCAMAW 15 February - Leon Spinks defeats Muhammad Ali 13-27 February - Port visit, PALMA de MALLORCA, Spain 15 February - Change of Command: VA-87 24 February - Miss Black America USO Show held in Hangar Bay I 27 February - Spain refuses USSR a Gibraltar base 28 February - Visit by CO., French carrier CLEMENCEAU MARCH 3-8 March - Port Visit, POZZOULI (Naples), Italy 12 March - Earthquake rocks eastern Sicily 13 March - President Carter invokes Taft-Hartley Act to end U.S. coal strike 15 March - Socialist-Communist party loses ground in France 15 March - Visit by CINCUSNAVEUR, VADM Moorer 16 March - Italy ' s ex-Premier Aldo Moro kidnapped 17 March - Visit by RADM Carius 18 March - CV66 Basketball team captures NAVEUR tourney • Trieste 20-28 March - Port visit, BARCELONA, Spain 21 March - Change of Command: VA-176 28 March - MM2 Jesse Hicks selected as AMERICA Sailor of the Year APRIL Port visit, VALENCIA, t Genoa 1-5 April Spain 7-10 April - Port visit, MALAGA, Spain 12 April - Rodeo Club captures first place in Rota tournament 13-15 April - Port visit and turnover, ROTA, Spain 14-17 April - Successful Propulsion Examining Board inspection 17 April - Change of Command: CAPT Meyer relieves CAPT Fuller as CO., USS AMERICA 19 April - Picnic and Casino Night in Hangar Bay I 25 April - Arrival, Norfolk, Virginia • Dubrovnik

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Seven months with the Sixth Fleet SEPTEMBER 29 September - Underway from Norfolk, Virginia OCTOBER 3 October - India ' s GHANDI jailed for corruption 9-13 October - Port visit and turnover, ROTA, Spain 12 October - Safety stand-down 13 October - Navy ' s 202nd birthday 17 October - Singer Bing Crosby dies in Spain 19 October - New York Yankees win baseball pennant 20 October - Concorde makes controversial landing in U.S. 23 October - Visit by VCNO, Admiral Long and RADM Chambers 24 October - Port visit, BRINDISI, Italy NOVEMBER 6 November - AMERICAmen participate in Italian Memorial Day observance 7 November - Underway from BRINDISI 9 November - Training anchorage, Souda Bay, Crete 10 November - F-14A lost at sea; aircrew recovered 10 November - Marine Corps birthday 11 November - EA-6B lost at sea; aircrew recovered 19 November - Anwar Sadat visits Israel 19 November - Training anchorage, KITHERA, Greece 22-26 November - Port visit, DUBROVNIK, Yugoslavia 24 November - Thanksgiving Day 27 November - Accusations made of Yugoslavian airspace violations 28 November - Port visit, TRIESTE, Italy DECEMBER 7 December - Training anchorage, Souda Bay, Crete 10 December - Boxing smoker in Hangar Bay I 13 December - Visit by British M(JEN Harrod and Swiss Parliamentarians 16-26 December - Port visit, PALMA de MALLORCA, Spain 17 December - Change of Command: VS-28 and VA-15 24 December - Actor Charlie Chaplain dies in Switzerland 25 December - Christmas Day 30 December - Port Visit, GENOA, Italy JANUARY I January - New Year ' s Day 10 January - Snowstorms cripple Northeast U.S. II January - HS-15 helos participate in rendering aid to burning merchant ship 14 January - Senator Hubert Humphrey dies 15-19 January - Port visit, NAPLES, Italy 17 January - Christian-Democrat government in Italy resigns 18 January - Change of Command: VF-142 24 January - Visit by COMSIXTHFLT: VADM Train 26 January - Missile exercise: On target! 29 January - Port visit, CATANIA, Sicily •%. ' » ' ' , • • rf«- .■■ • Jir ' it ' s . ' .

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Commanding Officers, USS AMERICA The role of Commanding Officer is awesome. The traininj; and well-being of five thousand men, the maintenance and upkeep of a stagKering variety and quantity of machinery and the guidance of an aircraft carrier through its fighting and diplomatic paces demands resourcefullness and exper- ience. Captain Robert B. FULLKR was born in Mississippi and raised in Jacksonville, Florida. Following a year of active duty as a Navy enlisted man at the end of World War II, he entered the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as an Knsign in 19ol. His duty assignments have includ- ed fighter and attack squadrons on both coasts, CIC School, Aide and Flag Lieutenant to Commander, Carrier Division SEVEN, Bureau of Naval Personnel and the Armed Forces Staff College. Captain FULLER was serving as CO. of VA-76 operating from USS BON HOMME RICHARD (CV-.Sl ) off Vietnam when he was shot down on 14 July 1967. He was held as a prisoner of war by the North Vietnamese until his release in March, 1973. Prior to his command of USS AMERICA, Captain FULLER was CO. of USS DETROIT (AOE-4). His decorations include the Navy Cross, two Silver Star Medals, Legion of Merit, four Distinguished Flying crosses, two Bronze Star Medals, eleven Air Medals, three Navy Com- mendation Medals and two Purple Hearts. 22