Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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,,.,,, ,,,, , ,,,, , , , H, LXCPL C.J. Hardy L!CPL JR. Jarvis LXCPL GM. Kllum UCPL O, Manuel LICPL W.A. Melton UCPL MH. Mclntosh LICL MD. Mize LICPL J.L. Nelstead UCPL R-J. NOHTU , ,,,, V.V,.V., . . ,,.. .,,W,, Y,,.,.,,,.,,,,,W,,, ' mx LICPL PK, Pelayic LICPL E.J. Perron LXCPL RN. Ryan UCPL JR. Smith LICPL Ft.L, Spurrier LXCPL H. B Sweet LXCPL V.G. Villermaire LXCPL C. Wright LXCPL K.K. Zbiegen LICPL S.J. Mangieficio LICPL RB. Mills L!CPL HG. Peck LICPL P.E. Saldana LXCPL PW. Vanearwage PFC A.G. Propst 327

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-f'--'-w-- W Dues LICPL L A Christensen LXCPL D M Coble LICPL D Dahl UCPI- J LICPL C W Drake LIC PL J M Edwards IJCPL F4 A Eland LICPL Fl M Eschenbacher CVN 68 LICPL F1 M Fehrs 11:9 LICPL D R Feldhusen LICPL FD Freece UCPL J L Frey LICPL A. Garcia LICPL CR. Garner LICPL RW. Geoffrion LICPL C. Gruys Xf 326

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-mewvvv-me-mqgw-Q.-qwwmnp-ff-1-'qi -1 ' ,...,,.,.,,.,.,, ,,,,,, .,,,, , ,,, . , ,, ,:,, 1 '- -- I i On 1 June 1956, the first all-helicopter squadron was commissioned in Ouonset Point, Rhode lsland, as the l-IS-9 Sea Griffinsn. ln October 1962, when President Kennedy placed a quarantine on Cuba, the Sea Orifiins were on the front line with USS ESSEX flying numerous surface ship sunfeillance sorties and antisubmarine warfare missions. ln 1967, Sea Griffin helicopters participated in the medical evacuation of wounded personnel from the USS LIBERTY, which was mistakenly attacked during the Mid-East Crisis. ln October 1968, l-lS-9 was decommissioned and remained inactive until June 1976, when re-established in Jackson- ville, Florida. The Sea Griffins were assigned to Carrier Air Wing EIGHT COVW-81 aboard USS NllvllTZ QOVN 681. Since then, l-lS-9 has provided antisubmarine warfare expertise, search and rescue, and logistic support of the carrier task group, participating in the first extended deployment to the Indian Ocean aboard USS NllvllTZ from January 1980 to lvlay 1980, and the Nllv1lTZ autumn '80 NATO North Atlantic cruise. Afterwards, l-lS-9 established their reputation as a superior ASW squadron during the Atlantic Undenrvater Testing and Evaluation Center QAUTEOJ exercises. ln January 1981, the Sea Orifiins joined OVW-8 at Fallon, Nevada in an extremely realistic combat scenario, providing over land combat search and rescue support. Since then, l-lS-9 has flown numerous hours during NllvllTZ pre-deployment vvorkups and the deployment itself - first to launch and last to recover! 328