Oldest U.S. Carrier Makes Last Voyage
(ASSOCIATED PRESS 23 MAY, 2007)
TOKYO - The USS Kitty Hawk, the U.S. Navy's oldest ship in full active service, embarked on its last major maneuvers Wednesday before being decommissioned next year.
The 46-year-old vessel - the only American aircraft carrier permanently deployed abroad - eased out of its berth at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, just south of Tokyo, escorted by a carrier strike group of cruisers and guided missile destroyers, Naval spokesman John Nylander said.
The voyage, to last several months in the western and central Pacific Ocean, was expected to be the last major mission for the ship before it is replaced next year by the USS George Washington and sent back to the United States for decommissioning, said Rear Adm. Richard B. Wren, commander of the Kitty Hawk Carrier Strike Group.
"This is the last trip for USS Kitty Hawk," Wren told reporters.
The Kitty Hawk, with a crew of more than 5,500, was commissioned in 1961 and has served in Vietnam and Iraq.
The oil-powered ship was deployed to Yokosuka in 1998, and will be replaced with the nuclear-powered George Washington as part of the U.S. military's effort to modernize its forces in East Asia - an area of potential flashpoints with North Korea or China.
But the vessel's replacement sparked a backlash in Japan, where critics oppose the basing of a nuclear-powered warship in domestic waters. Japan's government backed the idea, however, saying the George Washington would boost regional stability.
Nuclear-powered warships have visited Japanese ports hundreds of times since 1964, and the United States has provided firm commitments to Tokyo regarding the safe use of Japanese harbors by the nuclear-powered vessels.
In responce to:
I served two West Pac deployments aboard the Kitty Hawk from Oct'66 to June'67 and from Oct'67 to early June'68, as an AMS-3 with VA-144, when I left her in Subic Bay to return home by plane. I was discharged at Treasure Island on June 12, '68. I have many fond memories of the grand old girl along with some not so grand ones. But, that said, I would not trade any of them for anything. I really grew up aboard her, and am truly saddened at the news of her Decommissioning. One final note. I landed in San Francisco on the night of June 5, '68, my birthday, and rode in a cab to T.I. The cabbie told me and another swabbie that R.F.K. had been been shot and killed that very evening in L.A. (Posted by: Joseph Rizzotto at July 8, 2008 01:35 PM)
Hi Joe,
Small world. I am the swabbe that was in the car with you. I was an AE-2 with VA-144 from Jan. '66 to June '68 one tour on CVA-14 and Two on CVA-63). During the two Kitty Hawk tours, I assigned to IM-3 repair shop (pg 246 of 67-68 Cruise book). I got out of T.I. day before you, June 11.
Posted by: Mike McDowell at July 3, 2009 11:35 AM