Coral Sea (CVA 43) - Naval Cruise Book

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BACK ■i a i M lk ! ' iC»ii ji;;W -,i,K tili l ' l l»g -J After First Carrier Strike Into North Viet Nam, Admiral Tells Crew: STAY LOOSE! Within 12 hours after Washington gave the order to attack North Vietnam on February 6, Task Force 77 had assembled its ships from many directions and miles apart and had launched its planes for the strike. Few people aboard Coral Sea knew what was happening that night and fewer still ventured to guess what the implications of such a strike would mean . One thing was for sure, however: When the word go was given, Coral Sea came to life, and like the precise machinery of a perfect time piece, her men and eouipment functioned together so smoothly that an observer would swear this sort of work was routine. It wasn ' t routine, of course, and the success of this first mis- sion could be credited to something more than routine training. Those elusive Dualities of dedication, skill and courage might have had something to do with it. Shortly after the first strike into North Vietnam, Admiral Outlaw aboard his flagship Coral Sea told the crew to stay loose . They did.

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MOBILE CARRIER STRIKING FORCE CORAL SEA HITt

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