Forrestal (CVA 59) - Naval Cruise Book

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-i - - ea. PREPARE T O DEPLOY Predeployment training began in late Sept. 1977 with Refresher Training and culminated in FORRESTAL's successful completion of her Operation- al Readiness Evaluation on January 30, 1978. Green crewmembers quickly became seasoned hands due to the seemingly endless series of emergency drills and the fast operational pace. The long, hard days and nights at sea off Florida and in the Caribbean had payed large dividendsg we were ready for the Med.

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FORRESTAL in task group during underway replenishment. Food, Fuel and Supplies are passed between ships in non-stop fashion. After returning from the Sixth Fleet on july 6, 1973, FORRESTAL entered the shipyard for a three-month overhaul. On November 2, the overhaul was completed and the carrier began qualifications off the east coast. On March 11, 1974, FORRESTAL departed Norfolk for the Mediterranean. During this deployment with the Sixth Fleet, operations in the eastern Mediterranean in the vicinity of Cyprus .assured a great deal of sea time for FORRESTAL crewmembers. Following her return to the U.S. in mid-September and a brief yard period, she steamed back into the Mediterranean in March, 1975. Another yard period followed the return of F ORRESTAL to the U.S. in September, keeping her in the Norfolk Naval Shipyard until January 1976. Routine operations were conducted but excitement quickly grew aboard when the ship learned that F ORRES TAL was chosen to play Host Ship at the International Naval Review in New York City Harbor in july, 197 6. On July 4, FORRESTAL gained national exposure by hosting President Ford and over 100 VIPs and representatives of the news media who reviewed the arrival of the 40-odd Tall Ships participating in the International Naval Review from various countries around the globe. Another first was experienced by FORRESTAL when on September 13, she was selected to undergo a Shock Test, a demolition of high explosives near the hull to test whether a ship of capital size could withstand the strain of full close-order combat and still remain operational. After the successful testing of FORRESTAL and her crew, the ship returned to Norfolk and on October 1, 1976 began yet another in a long line of firsts : an attempt to complete an extensive overhaul, which usually takes 14 to 18 months, in only 9 months. Again she was successful and steamed out of the shipyard on june 14, 1977. From overhaul to Mediterranean deployment required an intense amount of dedication and effort by ship's company and Air Wing, with many short at sea periods, which began in August 1977. On October 1, 1977, FORRESTAL changed homeports from Norfolk, Virginia to Mayport, Florida. ORE and Type Training, with FORRESTAL under close scrutiny by many evaluation teams, were successfully accomplished. During this period, while in the Caribbean, FORRESTAL made a brief call at Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a port not visited by an American aircraft carrier in many years, and two short week-ends in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Then a final farewell to loved ones and friends with a highly successful Family Day Cruise on March 21, 1978. Underway April 4, 1978, USS FORRESTAL commenced her thirteenth Mediterranean cruise.

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FORRESTAUS 1978 MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE by Joi Mark stevens 1 APR. 4: The long wait is finally over. We're steaming toward the Mediterranean-FORRESTAL's 14th deployment. Anticipation has been building for a long time. Keep the home fires burnin', and keep those letters coming, Captain P. B. Booth instructed families and friends on the pier over the loud speaker. And we'll be back before you know it. , APR. 6: We rendezvoused with eight other ships southeast of Bermuda enroute to join the Sixth Fleet in the Med. APR. 8: Dozens of men are leaving the barber shops with nary a hair on their heads! Certainly this fad will die out before we return to Mayport in October. APR. 15: We've inchopped. Liberty is restricted in Rota and we get a good taste of waiting in line for our liberty boats. APR. 19: We passed through the Straits of Gibraltar, headed toward the Tyrrhenian Sea for NATO operation numero uno. APR. 27: It looks like we may have water problems off and on this cruise. An evaporator broke down, lowering the ship's water-making capacity by 20122. We're beginning to find out there are certain pleasures that are dispensed with on a Navy ship, such as Hollywood showers. MAY 9: That week-long visit in Naples was nice. For us who've never seen Italy before, Naples gave us something new: karimari instead of McDonald hamburger, narrow streets and Fiats rather than eight-lane freeways and Cadillacs, hustle-bustle activity instead of luxury, sidewalk vendors instead of K-Marts. An interesting place. MAY 11: It's AAW Week, with operations north of the island of Crete. MAY 15: The snow-capped mountains of Crete beckoned us but, anchored out, we could only enjoy People's Day-our first holiday-routine at sea with all the trimmings. MAY 19: Dawn Patrol started today, our first NATO exercise. The scenario portrays the mythical Blue and Orange forces at war. May fate and our strength and stragegy lead us, the Blues, to victory over the dastardly Orange forces. Of course there's those Russian ships out there too, monitoring our every action. MAY 30: We were told two weeks ago that our trip to Split, Yugoslavia was canceled. Instead, here we are at Catania, Sicily for five days. This town is quieter than Naples, and some of the sailors may have to contain their energy after being out to sea 22 days. 1 JUN 6: What kind of reception is this? Three water boats, a 'brass band on the pier, a few lucky wives to meet the ship in Marseille. JUNE 20: We feasted in their homes and in their restaurants, we trekkedl their streets. We've tasted the spirit of France. What a beautiful place to visit, this Marseille! The mini-shipyard period was a success, and so was our stay. JUN 23: The largest replenishment so far began this morning at 0430. Over 700 men mustered for working parties, they hauled aboard and stored 734 pallets of groceries. Replenishments of this magnitude will take place about once a month. I I JUL 5: Another stop in Naples. Many spent the 4th of July weekend at Fiesta Americana, where there was activity galore. JUL 6: FID joined in Operation Tridente, an Italian exercise involving about 20 ships from Italy, France, Britain, Greece and the U.S. . JUL 11: The mail just keeps on coming! 1 JUL 16: Here we are in Naples again. Mt. Vesuvius hasn't erupted yet. Buzzardex exercises begin today. It will be missile-for-missile as our pilots shoot out of the sky outdated Talos missiles being used as aircraft targets. JUL 23: National Week kicks off today.