Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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NIMITZ departed on her first Mediterranean deployment on July 7, 1976. The Task Force, comprised of numerous ships including the nuclear-powered guided missile cruises SOUTH CAROLINA and CALIFORNIA marked the first time in more than ten years that a nuclear-powered surface ship task group had deployed to the Mediterranean. Port Visits included Rota, Spain, Tangier, Morocco, Naples and Taronto, Italy, Tunis, Tunisiag and the famous Rock of Gibralter , Spain. Many foreign dignitaries, including I-lis Majesty King Juan Carlos and Oueen Sofia of Spain paid a visit to NIMITZ during this cruise. In November 1976, NIM ITZ was awarded the coveted Battle Readiness E by the Commander Naval Air Force, LIS. Atlantic Fleet, in recogni tion of outstanding performance in battle readiness exer cises. NIMITZ was obviously off to a good start in establish ing a tradition of operational excellence NAVAL A I R FCJRCE I in at .t-1 - 4 1 3 , A QQ Q,-1'

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United States Ship NIMITZ is named for Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, the Navy's last five star Admiral. Funds tor the construction of the ship were appropriated by Con- gress in fiscal year 1967, with the keel being laid on June 22, 1968 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydocking Company, Newport News, Virginia. Catherine Nimitz Lay, daughter of the late Admiral Nimitz, christened the United States Navy's largest warship on May 3, 1975. President Gerald Ft. Ford was the principal speaker at the commis- sioning ceremony. During the first year of commissioned service, the NIIVIITZ crew began the arduous task of building the ship's readi- ness for duty with the United States Navy. The highlights of the ship's first year were the completion of two intense training periods in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and a month- long cruise to Northern Europe as the lead ship of Nuclear Task Force '75 . 4

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