Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 10 text:

it 5. . f s would st-t foot on Coronado again. lla-r di-stination was Vit-tnam, and tht- dm-tm-rmincd faccs on tht- mt-n aboard sliowcd tliat tliis would bt- no ordinary cruisc, but Kitty llawk's first combat. lfnroutc- to Yictnainvst- watt-rs, Kitty Hawk bt-camc Flagship for Rcar :Xdmiral jaincs R. RlflfUY, Commandcr Attack Carricr Striking lforcvs. l'.S. Scvcntli I-'It-1-r. llc 1-mbarkc-d liis staff aboard on NUYl'I1llN'f 23, IWJS. Un Ut-cvinbt-r sixtli blazing fire- broke' out in Numbm-r 'lqlircc Hain Nlacliincry Room during air opt-rations. 'liwo sailors we-rv killvd and twt-nty-ninc otln-rs wt-rc injurt-d in tht- smokc-clogga-d fin- be-low dt-cks. Only tht- quick turning-to of tba- crvw at Ch-iivral Quart:-rs as wt-ll as tln- bran-ry of tht- Fin- Figliting 'lit-:uns saw-tl tht- sliip from mort- 1-xt:-risiw dainagv and gr:-atcr loss of lift-. lfliulit opt-rations we-rc not int:-rruptcd and damagc' was kvpt to a minimum. Kitty llawk's contribution to tht- l'.S. 1-ffort in Vit-tnam was iiiiprvssiw during lwr first combat cruisv, During latt- V265 and tlu- first fill- montlis of l'?fi6, Kitty llawk's 1-mbarkcd Air Wirig IiI,IiX'IiN pilots droppt-d .1 total of lfl,73l tons of ordnanct-

Page 9 text:

1 5 . .f Kitty Hawk enters her homeport of San Diego for the first time November 1, 1961. Pt. Loma and Ballast Point visible in background. month later Captain H. H. EPES jr. relieved Captain CURTIS as Commanding Ufficer. One of the highest points in Kitty Hawk's history came on june 6, 1963. For a twenty-four hour period Kitty Hawk served as a Floating White House. The late President john F. KENNEDY was aboard to view the at-sea phase of a First Fleet weapons demonstration. On October 17, 1963 Kitty Hawk left San Diego for her second Western Pacific Cruise and duty with the U.S. Seventh Fleet. Nine months later on july 20, 1964 she returned to her home port of San Diego after spending 186 days at sea and 91 in port. While deployed to the Western Pacific during 1963-64 the ship participated in two large scale amphibious exercises: OPERATION BIG DlPPER and BACK PACK wherein the embarked aircraft of Air Wing ELEVEN provided air support and reconnaissance for assault troops below. United States units combined with National Chinese forces during both exercises to demonstrate how American and Allied forces work together. ' A significant award came on April 3, 1964 when Kitty Hawk received notice that she had officially become Top Carrier in the Pacific Fleet. She also won the coveted Battle Efficiency Award in the 1962-64 competition cycle with her sister Attack Carriers in the Pacific. On April 20, 1964 Captain j.L. BUTTS jr. relieved Captain EPES to become the ship's fourth Commanding Officer. Kitty Hawk's crew had three weeks rest and recreation in San

Page 11 text:

which was thi: most tonnage- vxpi-nflc-cl hx' anv carrivr in tht history of Naval Aviation. ln rt-cognition 'of thi-ir 4-fforts, the CVW-ll pilots wr-ri' awarrli-cl a total of 1-ight huntlrc-cl sixtv-onv Air Mi-dals, onr- Silwr Star and ont- Navy Cross. 1 Captain Paul E. PUGH ri-liz-wil Captain C,-XRNIODY in a Hangar Bay cc-rvmony july l8, l 66 Commanding Uffict-r. 9 to bvcoint- thi- sixth Kitty Hawk was the-rv with tht- punch again on U4-cm-inhvr Sth aft:-r ri-aching Yank:-v Station off thi- Via-tnamm-si' coast. From Ui-cvrnhc-r through Max' 'Xir kving FI FVFY intl Ki 1, . . . . .. 1 fry Hawk adclvrl oth:-r laurvls to an alrf-ally illustrious historv. 'lilu-v took part in tht' first strikt- against an airfivltl ir - ' 1 1 1 tht X ia-triziim-sv ll I War hy hitting K1-p Mig :Xirhasig 33 mile-s northi-ast of Hanoi. 'l.lll'V also tlvstroyvcl many of tht' 1-n4'rny's major military facilitii-s. ln all, thc- Air Wirig clroppvtl llflfll tons of orclnancv tluring 9,33l strikc- sortii-s, and for a si-concl timv svt a rc-cord for tht- most Kitty Hawk displays hm-r lf to signify winning tht- Hliattlc- lffficicncy rkwardn on :Xpril 3, IU04. tv - - -, . -4- tonnage- tlroppcil. Kitty Hawk ste-aint-tl Fast and arriu-tl at North lslantl on li ,ll lqfJ7 s x int- .. , . . vue-s.ary upkt-up and rt-pairs allowctl tor a short stay ht-forv 1-nti-ring a yaril pt-riotl in Long Bcacli. During tht- upkccp wortl was rm-ft-xxx-tl that tht- Hawk had Q-arm-tl tht- Navy L nit Commt-nmlation tor tht- st-contl corist-rtitivv war. ln Jxllgllrf of that summt-r. in Changt- of Comniantl cc-rviiioiiit-s at North lslantl. Captain U. C. U.-UTS rt-livvt-tl Captain l'k'GH to hi-coinv tht- ship's st-writli Llomniantling Uffiuvr. .-Xfte-r much prvparation off tht- roast of California, Kitty Hawk coinim'm't-tl anothcr tll'Dl0YllH'Ilf to th' ' 1 vonihat vom -Xir ng lfl.EYl'fN hcgan all-wt-iatht-r combat opt-rations on 7 1 Ut-cviiiln-r ..3, l 967. Due' to tlt-vt-lopim-nts in Vit-tnani in carl' F W68, this first lint' pt-riotl strvtclix-tl itst-lf into bl tlavs on station a rm-cord for tht- Yin-tnani conflirt. During this tinit-,'Kitty Hawk , homht-rs pountlm-tl major targt-ts such as tht- Kicn .-Xn airfivltl,