Nimitz (CVN 68) - Naval Cruise Book

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CDR M. O'Hearn CDR W. McCamy CDR J. TOODG LCDR P. Warr LCDR L. Zimmer LT D. Albrecht LT K. Reynolds LT J.W. Smith LT G. Warren LCDR S. Fahrenkrog LT Daugherty LT J. Woodward LCDR S. Fufral LCDR D. Small LT M. Mulcahy LT S.T. Neidhold LTJG C. Bourne LTJG S. Edwards LTJG R. Ewald LTJG w. Sweltzer LTJG M. Timmerman LTJG M. Wallace

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3-if On June 1, 1-956, the first all-weather helicopter squad- ron was commissioned in Quonset Point, Rhode Island, as the HS-9 Sea Griffins . In October 1962, when President Kennedy placed a quarantine on Cuba, the Sea Griffins were on the front line aboard USS Essex flying numerous surface ships surveil- ance sorties and antisubmarine warfare missions. In 1967, Sea Griffin helicopters participated in the medi- iial evacuation of 'wounded personnel from the USS Liber- ghgyshich was mistakenly attacked during the Mid-East Eglple Sea Griffins were assigned to Carrier Air Wing A , T. lCvw-ay aboard uss Nimitz QCVN-681 providing ntisubmarine Warfare protection, Search and Rescue, and logistics support for the Nimitz Battle Group. thOn November 20, 1982, a Sea Griffin helicopter provided e ph0t09l'8phy and surveillance which enabled the first zuccessful seizure of a drug smuggling boat by a U.S. thavy warship. The surveillance provided by HS-9, allowed Ge seizure-of 20 tons of marijuana by the Special Coast uard Tactical Law Enforcement Team and the USS Mis- sissippi QCGN-401 in international waters off the coast of Columbia. During Christmas 1982, HS-9 transported Santa Claus, and special Sea Griffin stockings and goodies from the Nimitz to make Christmas 1982 a very special day for the 1200 U. S. Marines stationed in Beirut, Lebanon. During January 1983, HS-9 demonstrated superior Anti- submarine Warfare expertise by breaking its own record, set last cruise for having the most submarine contact time by an HS squadron during a Mediterranean deployment. This record was broken prior to mid-cruise with the squad- ron still going strong. Two HS-9 helicopters, Jaguar 611 and 612 reached A Year in the Air on January 21, 1983, making them the only CVW-8 aircraft currently in use to have achieved this mark. Both veteran aircraft were put in service in 1961 and are older than most of the men who work on them. The five other Sea Kings onboard continue to serve- the first to take off, the last to land. Every aviator knows to fly is heavenly , but every Sea Griffin knows to hover, is divine .

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LTJG V. Yanega III CWO3 E Renckert AFCM J. McEvers AVCM H. Morris ATCS R. Fentriss AMCS B.T. Green AWCS E. Gums AECS A. Landon ADCS J. Smothers ADCS J. Williams AEC J. Haynes AMHC K. Hayes AWC B.G. Huggins AWC G. Pray AOC W- R009 AMSC R. Springer AMSC J. Turner AOC J. Wyatt ' un...-4.4 .za'xe-.2-wiv-faux!-4.-'14,in:a-i.a1n.ex anus-warn'