America (CV 66) - Naval Cruise Book

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This book represents the hard work, the good liberty, and the many memories of everything involved in a de- ployment to the Mediterra- nean. From its beginning to its end it was made possible through the efforts of ALL HANDS.

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USS America History AMERICA began her years of ser- vice as hull number 561 when the keel was laid on a cold January morning in 1961 at the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. Mrs. Catherine T. Mc- Donald, wife of the Chief of Naval Operation, christened the new ship on 1 February 1964 and AMERICA was formally commissioned less than a year later on 23 January 1965. Four previous ships have gallantly carried the name AMERICA to sea; a 1782 gun ship scheduled to be skip- pered by John Paul Jones but later presented to France, the winner of the first America ' s Cup race in 1852 and two passenger liners modified to carry troops during both World Wars. Name chosen by President USS AMERICA (CV 66) is the first United States warship to be named AMERICA and her title was the per- sonal choice of the late President John F. Kennedy. She is convention- ally powered and carried an original price tag of $156 million. At one point while still on the drawing boards, AMERICA was designated to be nuclear powered. Plans were changed, apparently before the keel was laid, but some diagrams and component blueprints still bear the name USS AMERICA (CVAN 66). She is a modified FORRESTAL-class car- rier, the major distinctions being ele- vator configuration and modernized island structure. Island built on centerline AMERICA ' S 300-ton island struc- ture was erected on the center of the flight deck. A .6 meter (24 inch) margin was deleted from the base of the structure and rewelded when the island was permanently posi- tioned. Moving the island housing Ship ' s Seal: History, Heraldry, Heroism SHIP ' S SEAL: History, Heraldry, Heroism The ship ' s seal or coat of arms has its origins in the lore and symbols of the American Revolution. The theme honors the father of the Unit- ed States Navy, John Paul Jones. The upper portion of the seal con- sists of a crest with an American flag was equivalent to moving a five-sto- ry building along a 31 meter (102 foot) sliding way. The 15.8 meter (52 foot) island was placed upon a greased wooden sliding platform and a crawler crane pulled the load along the deck. The operation re- quired 23 minutes. Attempting to compare the giant size of AMERICA is easy. For in- stance, if the Eiffel Tower was laid on her flight deck, the Paris landmark would overhang a mere 1.5 meters (5 feet). The carrier is twice the length of the Washington Monument and the gigantic Empire State Build- ing is only 61.7 meters (202.5 feet) taller than the length of AMERICA. Enroute to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba for her initial training, the car- rier ' s first catapult launch and ar- rested recovery were recorded by an A-4 Skyhawk flown by Cdr. Ken- neth B. Austin, the ship ' s Executive Officer. After a highly successful training period at Gitmo, AMER- ICA was presented the third highest mark ever awarded by the Fleet Training Group. Shortly thereafter, she left on her first deployment; a tour with the U.S. sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. AMERICA aids U.S.S. LIBERTY It was on AMERICA ' S second Medi- terranean deployment that she was awarded the battle efficiency E as the best Atlantic Fleet aircraft carri- er. During this 1967 cruise the Arab- Israeli war erupted in the eastern Mediterranean and at midday, 8 June, the technical research ship USS LIBERTY (AGTR-5) was at- tacked by unidentified air and sea forces. Within minutes, AMERICA ' S F-4B fighters were airborne to pro- tect the Task Force and aid LIBER- TY, only to find out from Tel Aviv that the attack had been accidental- of the Revolutionary War era, flying above a British sail. The sail is crowned by a golden oak wreath, symbolizing the most heroic event of John Paul Jones ' naval career, the victory of USS BON HOMME RICHARD over HMS SERAPIS. Jones defeated SERAPIS in a desperate fight and as his own ship was severe- ly damaged, he raised the American flag over SERAPIS and sailed her into the Dutch harbor of Texal. The two sea stags are borrowed from Jones ' personal coat of arms and their pendants feature a star ly committed by Israeli torpedo boats and aircraft. The next day, AMERICA rendezvoued with the crip- pled ship south of Souda Bay, Crete where 50 wounded LIBERTY crew- men were transferred aboard to be treated by the ship ' s doctors and corpsmen. The Vietman Years AMERICA began her first real test as a fighting vessel on 31 may 1968 when she was embarked Air Wing Six commenced flight operations in the South China Sea. For this war effort, involving not a single accident in more than 18,000 catapult launches and recoveries, AMERICA was awarded the Navy Unit Commenda- tion for exceptionally meritorious service, The Admiral Flatley Safety Award and the Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic Safety Award. AMERICA earned her second con- secutive Battle Efficiency E during this Pacific deployment. AMERICA entered the Norfolk Na- val Shipyard on 24 January 1969, just one day after her fourth birth- day for a ten-month, $26 million overhaul. During the shipyard peri- od, the ship ' s machinery and equip- ment underwent extensive repairs and modifications. Two major pro- jects undertaken were a moderniza- tion of the ship ' s weapons handling system and the installation of an Aqueous Fire Fighting Foam (AFFF) firefighting system. On 10 April 1970, AMERICA and Air Wing Nine departed Norfolk for a second Western Pacific deployment. Upon her arrival in Subic Bay, Re- public of the Philippines, the 77,000 ton carrier became flagship for the Seventh Fleet Attack Carrier Striking Force. She then began operating on Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin where she launched strike missions and fleur-de-lis, symbolic of the many awards bestowed on him by the American and French people. The two arrowheads represent the projection of seapower ashore and the coiled rattlesnake, a popular Re- voluntionary symbol, alludes to the American custom of never striking unless provoked. The Don ' t Tread on Me motto at the seal ' s base was common to many naval battle flags in our na- tion ' s early history and is still a char- acteristic of the traditions and spirit of the United S tates Navy. ii 18