Independence (CV 62) - Naval Cruise Book

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UTY ' U ' Y ' ' .A '41 pq D ack --3 'g' 11 B - I. 1 N Till... ' 'I I ' Mrs Thomas S. Oates. wife of the Secretary oft christened the ship June 6th. 1958 he navy. '-Juv USS INDEPENDENCE ICV 621 was commissioned asa Eorrestal Class attack aircraft carrier ICVA 621 at the Brooklyn Naval Shipyard. New York. on January 10. 1959. She was the fifth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name INDEPENDENCE. After commissioning. Freedoms Flag- ship was on the cutting edge in project- ing naval air power and protecting U.S. na- tional interests around the globe. Called on by President John F. Kennedy during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis. INDEPEN- DENCE provided a strong. visible re- minder of U.S. determination and resolve while it acted as a key participant in the U.S. naval blockade ofCuba. In 1964. the ship deployed for more than seven months. including 100 days in the South China Sea off the coast of Viet- nam. In 1973. President Richard M. Nixon delivered his annual Armed Forces Day address from the decks of INDEPEN- DENCE. While based in Norfolk. Virginia. the ship made deployments to the Mediterra- nean Sea and Indian Ocean. In 1982. the ship provided critical support to the mul- tinational peacekeeping force in Lebanon. In 1983. aircraft from the embarked air wing flew missions in support of Opera- tion URGENT FURY. the action to liber- ate the Caribbean nation of Grenada. Re- turning to Lebanon that same year. the ship's air wing conducted air strikes against Syrian positions. In .Iune 1988. INDEPENDENCE com- pleted the Service Life Extension Program tSLEPJ at Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. It was fitting that the ship should be rejuve- nated in Philadelphia. home of the Revo- lutionary War's Liberty Bell which is rec- ognized worldwide as a symbol of liberty and freedom. The Liberty Bell also serves as the ship's official seal. Later in 1988. the ship transited the tip of South America and arrived at her new homeport of San Diego. California. In August 1990. with Carrier Air Wing EOURTEEN embarked. INDEPEND- ENCE was sent to deter Iraqi aggression during Operation DESERT SHIELD. Indy was the first carrier to enter the Arabian Gulfsince 1974. The ship remained on sta- tion for more than 90 days and perma- nently recstablishcd a U.S. Naval presence in the region. INDEPENDENCE changed homeports 11321111 O11 September 1 1. 1991 - this time to Yokosuka. Japan. einbarking Cl11l'1'iCl' Air WINS FIVE and becoming the Navy's only

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Ship's Company Admin AIMD Air Chaplain Communications Deck Dental Engineering Legal Maintainenoe Medical Navigation Opeiations Public Affaiis Safety Supply Weapons CTF-7O!F1ag DESRON 15 CV W-5 VF-154 fB1ack Knightsj VFA-192 fGolden Dragonsj VFA-195 fD3111bUStCISD VFA-27 fRoya1 Macesj VS-21 fRedtailsJ VAQ-136 CGuantletsJ VAW-1 15 fLiberty Bellsj HS-14 fCh2lI'gCI'SJ VQ5, Det 5 CSea Shadowsj VRC-30 Det 5 CProvide1'sJ

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United States INDEPENDENCE . . . the city with a proud history Ship permanently forward-deployed air- craft carrier and flagship for Com- mander, Carrier Group FIVE. The ship deployed to the Ara- bian Gulf in mid-1992 and started Operation SOUTHERN WATCH, a multinational mission to moni- tor Iraqi compliance with the U.N.- established no-fly zonew below the 32nd parallel. On August 27th, 1992, aircraft from embarked Car- rier Air Wing FIVE began flying 'round-the-clock, missions in sup- port of the operation. INDEPENDENCE became the oldest ship in the Navy's active fleet on June 30, 1995. With this distinction, f'Frcedom's Flagship proudly displayed the Revolution- era First Navy Jack, commonly called the 'tDon,t Tread On Mel' flag from her bow until today. In November 1995, the INDE- PENDENCE and Carrier Air Wing FIVE team returned to Ja- pan after successfully completing their third deployment to the Ara- bian Gulf in support of Operation SOUTHERN WATCH. In March 1996, INDEPEN- DENCE was called upon to pro- vide a stabilizing presence during heightened tensions between Tai- wan and China. Upon returning to Yokosuka in April 1996, the ship was visited by President Bill Clinton as part of an official state visit to Japan. In November 1996, INDY re- turned to Japan after participating in the ANNUALEX exercise with our host-nation allies, the Japanese. This past year, I made a four month ffSouthern Swingv deployment, covering several major ex- ercises and seven ports of call. In- cluded in these ports of call were two historic port visits. The first was Feb- ruary 28 to the island territory of Guam. Indy was the first air- craft carrier to pull into Guam in 36 years. The second, two months later, was to Port Klang, Ma- laysia. Indy became the first aircraft carrier in the world to make a port visit to Ma- laysia. Before sailing back to Yo- kosuka, Japan, INDEPEN- DENCE made its last port call of the deployment in ' May to Hong Kong. Indy's port visit was the last U.S. Naval port visit to the terri- tory before its reversion to China on July 1, 1997. INDEPENDENCE de- ' ployed to the Arabian Gulf in Jan. 1998 to support nego- tiations between the UN and Iraq and to again participate in Operation Southern 1 Watch. Today, September 30th, 1998, lndependenceis commis- sioning pennant is hauled down 39 years, 9 months and 20 days after it was first proudly hoisted. Adm ??'??speaks of Indyis mighty accomplishments through the yearsjust as Admi- ral Arleigh 'S31-Knot Burke foretold of the protection and service Indy would provide America in his commissioning speech Jan. 10th, 1959. ENUENCE