Ex - USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63)

 military, aircraft carrier, United States Navy

Laid down at New York Shipbuilding in Camden, NJ on December 26th, 1956 as the lead ship of her class of Aircraft Carriers, the USS Kitty Hawk was commissioned into US Navy service on April 29th, 1961 and was assigned for duty with the Pacific Fleet.

Transiting Cape Horn on her maiden voyage, the Kitty Hawk took over duties as the Flagship of the US 7th Fleet from the USS Midway (CV-41) and remained with the US 7th Fleet throughout the Vietnam War. Beginning combat operations off North Vietnam on November 26th, 1965, the Kitty Hawk and her crew would spend the better part of the next eight years engaged in operations supporting US and South Vietnamese forces before she returned to the United States in early 1973 for overhaul, having launched several thousand combat sorties and earning the Navy Unit Commendation.

Spending most of the late 1970's engaged in Fleet exercises, the Kitty Hawk also underwent a major overhaul period which upgraded her onboard systems and enabled her to operate both the F-14 Tomcat and SA-3 Viking aircraft. Resuming full time operations in 1979 she was deployed to Persian waters during the Iran Hostage Crisis for two months, earning herself and her crew the Navy Expeditionary Medal for their efforts. Continuing her Western Pacific deployments into the 1980's, the Kitty Hawk was damaged by an unusual accident in the Sea of Japan when a Soviet Sub trailing her and her battlegroup surfaced directly beneath the Carrier, causing damage to both ships and sending the Kitty Hawk to Subic Bay for repairs. Following the removal of one of the Soviet boat's screws from Kitty Hawk's hull, she returned stateside for full repairs after which she began a six-month world cruise from San Diego which ended in Philadelphia with the Carrier undergoing her SLEP (Service Life Extension Program) yard period, lasting into 1990.

Rejoining the US 7th Fleet after transiting Cape Horn once again, the Kitty Hawk returned to the Middle East and operated off Somalia during Operation Restore Hope in 1992, then moved into the Persian Gulf as part of Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield through 1993. Continuing her WestPac deployments through the 1990's the Kitty Hawk finished her 18th deployment in October 1996 and entered the Puget Sound Navy Yard for overhaul in preparation for forward deployment. Standing out of San Diego in July 1998 the Kitty Hawk made for Yokosuka, Japan where she replaced the Veteran USS Constellation (CV-62) as the US Navy's only forward-deployed Aircraft Carrier in August 1998. One month later the Constellation decommissioned and passed the honor of being the oldest active ship in the Navy to the USS Kitty Hawk, enabling her to fly the First Navy Jack as she continued operations with the US 7th Fleet into the new millennium.

Following the 9/11 attacks the Kitty Hawk was deployed again to the Arabian Gulf and began carrying out airstrikes in Afghanistan while also serving as an afloat forward staging base for U.S. special forces, which she continued to do into early 2002 before withdrawing from the area. Less than a year later Kitty Hawk was back in the Gulf launching airstrikes as part of Operation Southern Watch and Operation Iraqi Freedom from January through June 2003 before she returned to Yokosuka for refit and repairs lasting until 2005 to keep the aging Carrier at frontline operational readiness.

Returning to her operational routine of exercises, training and goodwill visits, the Kitty Hawk operated for two years with the 7th Fleet in the Western and Southern Pacific before her advancing age sent her back into drydock in January 2007 for what would turn out to be a six-month 'limited refit'. Though her position in the 7th Fleet was briefly assumed by the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) during this time period, the Kitty Hawk resumed her position in time to participate in multinational exercises with the Navies of Australia, India, Japan and Singapore before year’s end. During her time at sea the Kitty Hawk became the only conventionally powered Aircraft Carrier in US Navy service after the decommissioning of her sistership USS John F. Kennedy in August 2007. As 2008 dawned the Kitty Hawk and her crew began preparations to return to the United States, as their replacement as America's only forward-deployed Carrier was to be assumed by the USS George Washington (CVN-73), which began its trip to Japan from Norfolk in April 2008.

Granted a short reprieve after a large fire onboard the USS George Washington delayed her arrival by several months, the Kitty Hawk nonetheless departed Japan on May 28th and began her transit back to the US. Assuming the Washington's role in that year’s RIMPAC exercises off Hawaii, the Kitty Hawk and her crew ably demonstrated that despite her age, she was still a potent frontline asset. Launching her 448,300th and last aircraft from her deck at sunset on August 6th, 2008, the Kitty Hawk pulled into San Diego the following day and began turnover operations with the crew of the USS George Washington. Departing San Diego 21 days later on her final voyage to Bremerton, the Kitty Hawk arrived at here at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on September 2nd, 2008 where she formally decommissioned on May 12th, 2009 after 48 years of active duty.

Retained in Category A reserve for reactivation as needed in the event of National Emergency, the Kitty Hawk remained in reserve until 20 October 20th, 2017 when she was officially stricken from the Naval Register with the commissioning of the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). presently scheduled for 2015. Despite efforts by several groups to preserve her as a museum ship, the Navy announced that teh vessel will be retained in Category X Reserve until being sold for scrapping.

www.nvr.navy.mil/nvrships/details/CV63.htm
www.navsource.org/archives/02/63.htm
www.kittyhawkvets.com/