Kitty Hawk (CVA 63) - Naval Cruise Book

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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,

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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-

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Iii-fniiw xi part nt tht- I .5. Se-xvntli I' I--1-r. :intl lu-gan he-r tou .,.,:-if inultiph- romnninivaition ri-nts-rs, :intl tht- I,ong Yi thi-rinnl powi-r plzint. Isl I I N IIKIYK ri-turn:-il to Sain Ilia-go on uni' 28, IINQX :ifti-r se-wn months in Southrzist Xsin, It-:iving in hi-r wake- xi rvroril- hrvaiking ah-ployinvnt not soon to hi' iiizitclivil. Un thi- .lllth ot 54-pta-inhi-r, Q ziptziln Ill. IXXX I5 was ri-lit-vvil hv his :Xnnnpolis vlzissingitv, faiptaiin l.I-'. ll,-XYIS :is foininziniling Office-r. i .lnnuziry W, l'Hn'9 tonnil Ixitty Hawk In-ing aiwarili-il tht I,rt'siiIu-ritiail I nit L itzition in t't'r1-inonn'sgihoairil tht' shi 1 at Pvzirl .v 1 Q V . . . I Hrirhor, Hsiwzin. I hi' Vlflllltlll was signs-tl In I'ri-siilvnt l,ynilon II. 'IUII NSON :intl was in rt-cognition of Kitty Hnwk's pi-rforiiiziiivv tlnring tht- l'ltiT4ti3 roinhgit rrnisa-. 'I his was thi- first titni' thi- Citation hail hm-n aiwginlml. I l.i-:ning Iltmnii on 'I 'Iginn:iri, l'Nm'P, Kitts Hawk zigziin rth H .. an .,,,, if 191- ' -fr I - A' Kitty Hawk Har lrftl with hrr sistrr carrii-rs and escorts off the coast of Yirtnain. l.rft to right: USS H ANCOCK. IIURNIQT. and RANGER. coins:-ctitiw combat th-ploymi-nt to Southvast Asia, svrving as flagship for Yin- .-'Mhniral Ralph W. COUSINS, Commander 'lisisk I ort'i- 77. In initl-April, aftvr two line- pi-rioils, tht- Hawk anchorvtl in Hong Kong anticipating six days of rvst and ri-laxation. But tht' lihi-rty party was harvly ashori- wht-n woril was ri'cvivt'd to gvt unclvrway as soon as possihh' hi-causi' of iIt'vvloplm'nts in North Korva. 'lihv 4-iii:-rgviicy ri-call was st-nt out and tht' crvw rt-spomlvd swiftly. 'lqhv ship got unih-rway that night. Shi- rvmainrtl at sva a month, thi-n transite-il north to Sas:-ho, japan, a port not visit:-il by thi- ship for many yi-ars. 'liwo mort- lint- pi-rioils wvrt' ri-alizt-il, including a st-cond and Iongvr stay' in Hong Kong, he-forv thi' ship stu-amvil homi-ward to San Ilivgo. Shi' :irrivi-il thvrv on tht- 4th of Si'pti'tnht'r, IWW. Xkithin ai fi-w days aftvr hvr ri-turn, Kitty Hawk hi-gan to look Iikt- :i floating moving van as vri-wins-inbi-rs brought thi-ir familit-s