Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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C1- 1- DEPARTURE The drama has been enac- ted a thousand times at Naval Station Norfolk. This day NIMITZ was the star performer. The training cruises were over. The pack up was complete. The good-byes had all been said. The last line fell away and tugs gently nudged the mighty NIMITZ into the channel. , 1 Q- ',. , A xl l i I . , ,ni- ' 1 I, E ,-lllb ' Q 1 , , '- , T X , .A if I . ,M , A ,K W 4, Tl 1 , V IA . ' 1 J ln order to complete a journey, it must begin. Cn 7 July 1976, the first full deployment of NllvllTZ was begun. 271 l li 4

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AND IN THE AIR 270 I I I I I 4 I I I I I I I It I I I I 1 I I I I hunt' yr- VM!! ...Mil

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T Durin the transit to the Mediterranean the Q 1 ship was completely prepared for any even- F tuality. A fine performance in the ORE had proved that. The Air Wing flew daily missions during the transit. Two days before NIMITZ reached the Straits of Gibraltar, Soviet Bear Aircraft provided an unofficial welcome. The aircraft were escorted by CVW8 fighters and it seemed that the months of training were finally being put to a test. The Mediterranean was not the familiar Virginia Capes area. The CVN-68 team was the stranger here, representing the United States in an area of the world that has traditionally been known for its instability. Men learned to live with the loneliness of those first few days. The ritual of letter writing was repeated more or less on a regular basis. The crew looked forward with subdued anticipation to the adventures ahead. The turnover with the USS SARATOGA QCV-60l went smoothly , properly debriefed and offically relieved, CV-60 began the journey i home over the same miles NIMITZ had just traversed. T Quietly, unpretentiously, NllVllTZ was, on station . . . A 'v'f'y ,i,,'.g5,i V ..... ...gy r -..,... . - .T , ' ,. . 1. .- iw? -l - ..'Z.1.if-M' i HW' W . ,Q ,-M:ii, ' -:Q-- 9 fQ awww- iM'.FEL fri. if M-'T - . . A - i T 1 ' f , . ,.,....,.f.,4f.s-.-W.. -N... .+.y.w.3+..,,,,b.. will .. , T Eg . ,. - ,4QA,M, .T . F i r'?i i 'i'fi?lf?i'i'55'1 ft5't-f W '?l? 5a :iWi7A Wx ' ' '!fi..w5'?f Z'f42 .. -'- - 'w 5 -4 vin -21 .f,.4i ' l -tm!!! Jjwz., '-r-' ::L4..5..,' b -gfH.Hj.v,,Q gimwl... -, . V' .i if V It 5 ' - 1 .th V' -'JY J gp, 5 '. 177 '--'1' . ' 'ii '7' V i 'I' ,. f .err , -All ii - - it' - ' Al M. 1 .J , .gn V' g,.fif , - , if - ' 'A' V ,, . , , X ' ...Q , . , 1- . . . . ,,i,,, me T 5 ,, - 1 UM -W .. ,. -1 N -T . le -- . - .,,,,,,,,i c ,. A 3 ,I .... A , .uw3'.ii, H ,ig A bw.. ...M mm i ,,, wg! N, .M .N , V ,A V- K : ,,,,.y., .A ' ff-ul L' 'V 'if f?.i 'i.i'Qf'Q'f'Y f.,3 'T A AML w-......... ' 'f H ' . A i.. :jg .agglgqg ,,g,,5gf'l?E 5 .. ry J. nw-v W' wif' A- R ,I -N YY. Q W N '- , V, ' M- i 'Y uri 'pt:12.:::-A-i:f 1 1-htm.. -, ' f ' . .git H 1-A -Y --A , 1 ,, ..i.,,,,. YI, -wx N it wi 1 W .-. H It N. M ,. t. lk,-pg. KJ . . l L. ,. ' idlgligrr , . ma. 4: i N N ,K 1,1 tg' we . P ,L T ' ii.-' - i Q---Alf, 1 ' 1, T l