USS Enterprise (CVN 65) - Naval Cruise Book

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ENTERPRISE IOINED THE SIXTH FLEET IN THE MEDITERRA- NEAN EOR HER FIRST DEPLOYIVIENT, AND FOLLOWING HER RETURN TO NORFOLK IN OCTOBER, 1962, WAS DEPLOYED TO THE FRONT LINE OF THE U.S. NAVAL BLOCKADE DURING THE CUBAN MISSILE CRISIS. ON MAY 13, 1964, THE WORLD'S FIRST NUCLEAR POWERED TASK FORCE WAS FORMED, BRINGING ENTERPRISE TOGETHER GUIDED MISSILE CRUISER USS LONG BEACH AND WITH THE THE GUIDED MISSILE FRIGATE USS BAINBRIDGE. THE SHIPS WERE DESIGNATED 'TASK FORCE ONE', AND SENT ON OPERA- TION SEA ORBIT , A 30,565 MILE VOYAGE AROUND THE WORLD. ENTERPRISE AND HER NUCLEAR POWERED ESCORTS PERFORMED A NEW FEAT IN NAVAL HISTORY BY STEAMING THE ENTIRE DISTANCE WITHOUT A SINGLE REPLENISHMENT OR REFUELING. TRANSFERRED TO THE PACIFIC FLEET, ENTERPRISE REPORTED TO THE SEVENTH FLEET. IN NOVEMBER, 1965, AND BECAME THE FIRST NUCLEAR POWERED WARSHIP TO ENGAGE IN COMBAT WHEN SHE LAUNCHED HER BOMB-LADEN PLANES AGAINST THE VIET CONG ON DECEMBER 2, 1965. THAT FIRST DAY HER PILOTS UNLEASHED 167-TONS OF ORDNANCE ON THE ENEMY IN 125 COMBAT SORTIES. THE NEXT DAY SHE SET A RECORD OF 165 STRIKE SORTIES IN A SINGLE DAY. E IN ALL, ENTERPRISE MADE SIX COMBAT DEPLOYMENTSMTO SOUTHEAST ASIA, REMAINING 'ON DUT.Y'. UNTIL A CEASE-FIRE WAS DECLARE,D,IN-'THE VIETNAM CONFLICT IN EARLY 197f3.SHE WON. FIVE BATTLE STARSRAND TWOANAVY UNIT COMMENDA- TIONS FOR HER FIGHTING EFFORTS. I MOUNTAIN BACKGROUND: ENTERPRISE CLEFTI OFF THE COAST OF MARISHA FLANKED BY USS FORRESTALL ICVAN-63I. PRESIDENT KENNEDY ADDRESSES THE CREW DURING ENTER- FORMER PRESIDENT LYNDON JOHNSON SPEAKS WITH BIG E PRISE'S COMMISSIONING SEPTEMBER 24, 1960. CREWMEMBERS. FORMER NAVAL AVIATOR, VICE-PRESIDENT BUSH GETS CHECKED OUT IN AN F-14 WHILE VISITING ENTERPRISE DURING THE 1986 CRUISE.

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OLD SUPER STRUCTURE: ILEFTI ORIGINAL SUPERSTRUCTURE SPORTING NUMEROUS RADAR DETECTORS CIRCLING THE UPPER DOME. CRIGHTD THE HOISTING OF THE MAST COMPLETES THE 25 STORY HEIGHT OF THE SHIP. THE BIG E STEAMS BENEATH THE BAY BRIDGE, RETURNING TO ITS HOMEPORT OF ALAMEDA. ,...-.A.4-Lf--n-rW-------- W f v V -- , - -- ---A : ..

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IN IANUARY, 1979, FOLLOWING HER NINTH DEPLOY- MENT, ENTERPRISE COMMENCED AN EXTENSIVE OVER- HAUL AT PUGET SOUND NAVAL SHIPYARD. DURING THE THREE-YEAR OVERHAUL, THE PROTOTYPE NUCLEAR PROPULSION PLANT WAS COMPLETELY RENOVATED, BERTHING AND DINING FACILITIES WERE EXTENSIVELY MODERNIZED, NEW WEAPONS SYSTEMS WERE IN- STALLED, ALONG WITH AN ALL-NEW ELECTRONICS SUITE. THE LATTER OF THE UPGRADES REQUIRED THE REMOVAL OF ENTERPRISE'S UNIQUE 'BEEHIVE' SUPER- STRUCTURE, SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERING THE SHIP'S AP- PEARANCE. IN APRIL OF 1986, THE BIG E BECAME THE FIRST NUCLEAR POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER TO TRAN- SIT THE SUEZ CANAL, ENROUTE TO THE TROUBLED WA- TERS OFF THE COAST OF LIBYA, NEAR THE FAMOUS LINE OF DEATH . THE PRESENCE OF ENTERPRISE WAS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO HAVE BEEN A MAJOR FACTOR IN THE LESSENING OF TENSIONS IN THE REGION. WESTPAC '88, THE SHIP'S 13TH MAIOR DEPLOYMENT, AGAIN FOUND ENTERPRISE AT THE FORE-FRONT OF HER MISSION - ENSURING PEACETIME PRESENCE, CRISIS MANAGEMENT, SEA CON- TROL AND PROIECTION OF POWER. ON APRIL 18, 1988, BIG E AIRCRAFT ENCOUNTERED ANTI-AIRCRAFT AND MISSILE FIRE FROM HOSTILE IRAN- IAN FAST FRIGATES OPERATING IN THE PERSIAN GULF. WHAT EVOLVED DURING THE COURSE OF THE DAY WAS DESCRIBED BY THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS, AD- MIRAL CARLILSE TROST, TO BE THE MOST INTENSELY FOUGHT NAVAL BATTLE SINCE THE OKINAWAN CAM- PAIGN IN WORLD WAR II. F-4 PHANTOMS SHOWN HERE FLEW FROM ENTERPRISE DURING HEIGHT OF VIETNAM CONFLICT. RA-5C VIGALANTEES SEEN HERE BEFORE ENTERPRISE'S SUPERSTRUCTURE.