I served on board USS Kitty Hawk from 1993-1997
Named for: Kitty Hawk, N.C., and for Kill Devil Hill, the site approximately four miles south of the village of Kitty Hawk, where Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine on 17 December 1903.
Ship name number: II. The second ship to be named Kitty Hawk. The first Kitty Hawk (ex-Seatrain New York), an aircraft transport (APV-1) (later aircraft supply ship AKV-1) (1941-1946), operated in the Pacific theater during World War II, playing a key logistics role in the timely buildup of defenses at Midway and Guadalcanal in 1942.
Specifications: Displacement 80,000 (full load); length 1,047'; beam 129.4'; extreme width at flight deck 252'; draft 35'; speed 30 + knots; complement 4,582; armament: two twin Terrier surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems aft (MK 10 Mod 3 starboard side for RIM-2F; MK 10 Mod 4 port side for RIM-2D), two 40 mm saluting guns, 80–90 aircraft, four C-13 Mod 0 steam catapults, AN/SPS-8B, AN/SPS-12, AN/SPS-39 “3-D,” and AN/SPS-43 radars, four AN/SPG-55 fire control, TACAN (Tactical Air Navigation System).
Built by: New York Shipbuilding Corp., Camden, N.J.
Keel Date: 27 Dec 1956.
Launched: 21 May 1960.
Sponsor (Christened): Mrs. Camilla F. McElroy, wife of Secretary of Defense Neil H. McElroy (9 Oct 1957–1 Dec 1959).
Commissioned: 29 Apr 1961 [Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, Penn. ADM Arleigh A. Burke, Chief of Naval Operations (CNO), delivered the principal address].
Redesignated: CV 63, 29 Apr 1973.
Decommissioned: Jan 31, 2009.
Recommissioning date: (n/a)
Strike Date: (n/a)
Final Disposition:The navy will maintain Kitty Hawk in reserve until 2015, when the USS Gerald R. Ford is commissioned.
USS Constellation's History The Year I Was Born: 1966
Jan–Mar 1966: “Frequent periods of low ceiling in the I Corps area” and “non-availability of Forward Air Controllers” handicapped operations following the stand down observed due to the Tet (Vietnamese lunar holiday) truce.
31 Jan 1966: Linfield 402, an F-4B (BuNo 152233), LT William F. Klumpp, II, and LT(JG) Joseph N. Stineman, VF-114, was hit by North Vietnamese automatic weapons fire while on an armed reconnaissance mission, 17º23’N, 105º43’E. Klumpp attempted to maintain control but when still four miles out, Linfield 402 suffered a “complete hydraulic failure” and crashed at sea. A Kaman UH-2 Seasprite planeguard, HC-1 Det 1, Unit C, Kitty Hawk and a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King, Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron (HS)-2, embarked in antisubmarine warfare support aircraft carrier Hornet (CVS-12), rescued the men at about 1500.
1 Feb 1966: Arab 513, a Douglas A-1H Skyraider (BuNo 142038), LT(JG) Brian S. Eakin, VA-115, was shot down by 12.7 mm fire while strafing Pathet Lao automatic weapons emplacements in Laos, 17º29’N, 105º38’E. Following a “compulsory egress,” Eakin escaped from his pursuers on the ground for about 35 minutes, long enough to enable a USAF Sikorsky HH-3C Jolly Green Giant CSAR helo to recover and transport him to Nakhon Phanom Royal Thai AFB, Thailand.
3 Feb 1966: “Bad weather” reduced aerial operations until this date, when the elements “opened for a few hours.” Aircrew took advantage of that window of opportunity and flew 170 sorties, 49 of them attack.
3 Feb 1966: Flint River 605, an RA-5C (BuNo 151625), LT Gerald L. Coffee, and LT(JG) Robert T. Hanson, Jr., RVAH-13, was shot down by AAA while making a photo reconnaissance flight near Cap Bouton, North Vietnam, 19º12’N, 105º45’E. The SAR resulted in a vicious mêlée as destroyer Brinkley Bass (DD-887) and guided missile destroyer Waddell (DDG-24), the latter “straddled” by enemy salvoes, “slugged it out” with communist batteries. A total of 33 Navy and USAF aircraft were “diverted to suppress enemy fire” while a USAF Grumman HU-16 Albatross attempted to locate the downed crew. Coffee survived but was captured, not returning home until 12 February 1973.
18 Feb 1966: Buckeye 812, an A-6A (BuNo 151797), LT(JG) Joseph V. Murray, and LT(JG) Thomas A. Schroeffel, VA-85, was lost during a low level run on the Xom Lom Barracks, North Vietnam, 20º54’N, 104º32’E. Pulling out of its dive too late, Buckeye 812 struck the ground in a “nose high attitude” approximately 500 yards beyond its initial two 1,000-pound bomb blasts, triggering the explosion of its remaining four 1,000 pounders.
22 Feb–5 Mar 1966: Aircrew “averaged 100 direct air support sorties per day.”
Mar 1966: Flying “just off the deck” through heavy rain while encountering poor visibility, A-1Hs from VA-115 “tore into” Cap Chao radar site, eight miles southwest of Than Hoa, with air-to-ground rockets.
5 Mar 1966: Linfield 413, an F-4B (BuNo 152224), LCDR Malcolm N. Guess, and LT Ross E. Pile, VF-114, crashed due to probable communist AW fire that caused a “loss of hydraulic pressure and control effectiveness,” South Vietnam, 10º24’N, 106º06’E. Both men were rescued by USAF CSAR helos and flown to Vinh Long Airfield, and thence on to the 3rd Field Hospital.
10 Mar 1966: Aircrew flew close air support in support of the “beleaguered” Special Forces camp, A Shau, South Vietnam, which was under attack by the communists.
14 Mar 1966: SAR helo crews conducted the “daring rescue” of two USAF aircrewmen after their aircraft was shot down, both being extricated from their predicament within range of enemy shore batteries.
Apr 1966: During JunkEx, daily strikes against North Vietnamese waterborne traffic in the Vinh area supplying communist forces in South Vietnam hit over 200 craft.
3 Apr 1966: LT Felix E. Templeton, VF-114, flying an F-4B, became Kitty Hawk’s first triple centurion by making his 300th arrested landing on board. LT Templeton had also made the ship’s 16,000th trap, in Aircraft No. 401, an F-4B, on 17 Aug 1963.
12 Apr 1966: Holly Green 3, a Douglas KA-3B Skywarrior (BuNo 142653), LCDR William A. Glasson, Jr., LT(JG) Larry M. Jordan, ATR2 Reuben B. Harris, and PR2 Kenneth W. Pugh, Heavy Attack Squadron (VAH)-4 Det C, failed to reach the ship en route from NAS Cubi Point, due to undetermined causes, near Hainan Island, China, approximately 21º8’N, 111º17’E. Enterprise assisted in the SAR.
15 Apr 1966: Aircrew responded to a SAR for a downed USAF F-4C Phantom II, silencing one 57 mm and two 37 mm AAA sites nearby.
15 Apr 1966: The crew endured one of the ship’s deadliest accidents. Angel 38, a UH-2B, (BuNo 150162), LT(JG) Michael R. Zerbe, LT Richard C. Cline, and ADJ1 Hugh E. Coleman, HC-1 Det C, launched at 1017 to test their Seasprite following an “engine and azmiuth assembly change.” While lifting off from the flight deck, Angel 38 apparently experienced its “left wing down with a slight yaw rotation counter clockwise and slight at drift.” Suddenly pitching forward and “violently” rolling left, the helo struck the deck, disintegrating the rotor blades, with fragments flying across the deck and felling sailors. Going over the port side, the helo rolled over and turned “about” 150º, settling “rapidly” into the water, the survivors swimming to the surface. LT(JG) Zerbe, and AN David J. Underhill, VF-213, died in the tragic mishap, while LT Cline, ADJ1 Coleman, AN R.H. Boone, VF-114, AN T.S. Jones, ship’s company, and AN Walter D. Needham, VF-213, suffered injuries.
17 Apr 1966: Aircraft dropped the second and third spans of the five span steel Hai Duong Railroad and Highway Bridge, about 30 nautical miles east of Hanoi, into the channel of the Song Thai Binh, also “cratering” the eastern bridge abutment and approaches. Flak suppressing aircraft “silenced” one 37 mm and six automatic weapons sites with multiple rocket hits. This was considered a major success in the war on North Vietnamese lines of communication.
17 Apr 1966: Arab 511, an A-1H (BuNo 135398), LT(JG) William L. Tromp, VA-115, went down following a night attack on coastal targets, near approximately 18º18’N, 106º10’E. Arab 506, his wingman, overheard LT(JG) Tromp shout “cockpit emergency” on his radio, a SAM alert causing the remaining pilots to disengage and “head out to sea,” however, the cause of LT(JG) Tromp’s loss was undetermined, though “combat associated.” Anti-submarine warfare support aircraft carrier Yorktown (CVS-10) assisted with the SAR.
17 Apr 1966: Buckeye 814, a Grumman A-6A Intruder (BuNo 151794), LCDR Samuel L. Sayers, and LCDR Charles D. Hawkins, Jr., VA-85, was shot down by 37 mm AAA while en route to hit a North Vietnamese SAM site. LCDR Sayers attempted to fly to Da Nang Air Base (AB), South Vietnam, but hydraulic failure forced the crew to eject at sea, both men being recovered after 20 minutes in the water by a USAF HU-16.
18 Apr 1966: Intelligence revealed that the North Vietnamese were repairing the damage at Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant, and a pair of A-6As, VA-85, executed a surprise midnight attack against the factory. Making radar system deliveries, the Intruder crews placed 26,000 pounds of ordnance on target, “sending showers of sparks and raging fires leaping into the air.”
19 Apr 1966: Aircraft hit the Cam Pha Port Facility, North Vietnam. The “precipitous” departure of a Polish merchantman, and subsequent protests from the Polish government, indicated the strike’s “inhibiting effect” on East Bloc logistical support for the North Vietnamese. That same day, an RA-5C, LCDR Raymond C. Vehorn and LT(JG) John H. Hurlburt, RVAH-13, accomplished the 50,000th arrested landing on board.
20 Apr 1966: Battle Cry 314, an A-4C (BuNo 148512), CDR John N. Abbott, VA-113, the division lead of an attack element of an eight plane strike, was shot down by AAA while making an armed reconnaissance over the Vinh Son Highway Bridge, North Vietnam, 18º53’N, 105º37’E. Abbott was captured by the enemy but died in captivity. While orbiting Battle Cry 314 to protect Abbott after his crash, Battle Cry 303, another A-4C (BuNo 149495), LT(JG) Harry G. Welch, VA-113, was hit by probable 37 mm AAA. Welch was able to return to the vicinity of Kitty Hawk after his initial fire went out, subsequently losing throttle control as the flames burst forth afresh, forcing him to eject at 1500, 18º22’N, 107ºE, being recovered by the ship’s planeguard helo.
21 Apr 1966: Buckeye 806, an A-6A (BuNo 151798), CDR Jack E. Keller, and LCDR Ellis E. Austin, VA-85, was shot down by possible AW fire during a night systems attack in the vicinity of Tan Loc Barracks and Supply Area, North Vietnam, 18º49’N, 105º4’E. Buckeye 813, his wingman, observed a “bright flash near target.”
22 Apr 1966: Buckeye 805, an A-6A (BuNo 151785), LCDR Robert F. Weimorts, and LT(JG) William B. Nickerson, VA-85, was leading a two-Intruder strike mission against the Vinh Complex, North Vietnam, when it was shot down by possible AAA, crashing into the water near 18º33’N, 106ºE.
26 Apr 1966: Linfield 414, an F-4B (BuNo 152241), LT Norman W. Smith, and LT(JG) Roger Blake, VF-114, was hit by AAA (possibly target debris) during its “run-in to target” over North Vietnam. Returning to the ship streaming fuel and with “hung” [unexpended] ordnance, both men ejected near Kitty Hawk and were recovered by her planeguard UH-2A.
27 Apr 1966: Buckeye 811, an A-6A (BuNo 151788), LT William R. Westerman, Jr., and LT(JG) Brian E. Westin, VA-85, was shot down by AAA “during retirement from target” on an armed reconnaissance mission. Both men ejected over water near 18º40’N, 106º5’E, LT Westerman being “seriously wounded,” recovered by an SH-3 and flown to Topeka. On 21 June 1966, LT(JG)Westin was later awarded the Navy Cross for his intrepidity and courage during the battle.
28 Apr 1966: Black Lion 111, an F-4B (BuNo 150645), LT Raymond A. Schiltz, and LT(JG) Douglas C. Lewis, VF-213, was shot down by AAA while on an armed reconnaissance against cargo junks, making a rocket attack against nearby AW emplacements. The crew ejected about five minutes after being hit, while returning to the ship, at approximately 19º21’N, 106º45’E Fetch 68, a Navy SAR helo, recovered both men and flew them to Topeka.
18 May 1966: Black Lion 113, an F-4B (BuNo 152257), LCDR Carl W. Sommers, II, and LCDR William K. Sullivan, VF-213, was shot down by Pathet Lao automatic weapons fire while searching for Gomby 19, a downed aircraft, near Mugia Pass, Laos, 17º11’N, 106º6’E. Ejecting, both men were recovered by a USAF Jolly Green Giant and taken to Da Nang.
2 Jun 1966: CTF 77 and ComCarDiv-5 staff transferred to Constellation, Kitty Hawk’s “relieving carrier” in WestPac. During the recently completed deployment, aircrew flew 9,223 combat and 1,485 support sorties (over 2,000 during the initial line period) in Rolling Thunder, Blue Tree, Barrel Roll, Steel Tiger, Yankee Team, and “in-country support” missions. Major communist targets included Cam Pha Port Facility, Vinh Son Highway Bridge, Uong Bi Thermal Power Plant, and Hai Duong Railroad-Highway Bridge. Lesser targets included Nam Dinh Boat Repair Facility, Thanh Hoa Petroleum-Oil-Lubricants (POL) Storage Area, Thanh Hoa Railroad-Highway Bridge, Hon Gay Army Barracks, “Multiple Waterborne Craft in the Vinh area,” and lines of communication in the Mugia and Nape Passes, inland waterways, and Routes 1, 1A, and 15. Kitty Hawk faced continual “harassment,” however, by Soviet intelligence gathering trawlers (Auxiliaries, General, Intelligence, or AGIs). In most instances, the trawlers “deliberately” interposed themselves in “burdened” positions, disregarding International Rules of the Road.
29 Jul 1966: VADM Bernard F. Roeder relieved VADM Lawson P. Ramage, Commander, First Fleet, in a ceremony on board Kitty Hawk.
29 Aug–2 Sep 1966: The Grumman C-2A Greyhound underwent extensive carrier suitability tests, two Greyhounds operating on board Kitty Hawk in the Southern California Operations Area.
13–20 Oct 1966: Kitty Hawk participated in Baseline II, a “major” First Fleet exercise.
5 Nov 1966–19 Jun 1967: During Kitty Hawk’s second WestPac tour of the Vietnam War, the ship spent 117 days on Yankee Station. CVW-11 aircraft flew 5,466 combat and 4,887 support sorties, dropping 11,780.64 tons of ordnance on a “resourceful and determined enemy.” “On the line” for 117 days, Kitty Hawk conducted key strikes–a total of 38–against North Vietnamese targets near Haiphong, Kep, Bac Giang, Hon Gai, Van Dien, Thai Nguyen, Thanh Hoa, and Ninh Binh, together with 15 mining missions.
16–17 Nov 1966: Soviet Tupolev Tu-95 Bear and Myasishchev Mi-4 Bison bombers overflew the ship. Normal occurrences when carriers deployed near foreign shores, such overflights heightened Cold War tensions.
18 Nov 1966: Kitty Hawk crossed the International Date Line, entering the Seventh Fleet’s AOR, arriving the next day at Yokosuka, to relieve Constellation as flagship of RADM David C. Richardson, Commander, Attack Carrier Striking Force, Seventh Fleet.
Dec 1966: Despite “poor weather,” Intruders “maintained steady pressure on NVN targets…both day and night.”
9 Dec 1966: A C-2A, LCDR Jack M. Wilbern, Fleet Tactical Support Squadron (VR)-50, made the first Greyhound carrier onboard delivery (COD) in the combat zone on board Kitty Hawk, from NAS Cubi Point, Philippines, in the Gulf of Tonkin.
17 Dec 1966: An A-6A, VA-85, participated in an Alpha [maximum effort] strike against the Haiphong SAM Assembly Area.
20 Dec 1966: Two F-4Bs, LT Hugh D. Wisely and LT(JG) David L. Jordon, VF-114, and LT David A. McRae, and ENS David N. Nichols, VF-213, intercepted and shot down a pair of North Vietnamese Antonov An-2 Colts with AIM-7E Sparrow air-to-air missiles. Both Phantom IIs scrambled during the early morning hours in response to unidentified aircraft on radar screens, tracking the Colts to a position 25 miles east-northeast of Thanh Hoa, North Vietnam, where the F-4Bs downed them. “I saw the missile explode,” Wisely later recalled, “and saw an explosion as the plane erupted.”
21 Dec 1966: War Paint 303, an A-4C (BuNo 148507), LT(JG) Danny E. Glenn, VA-144, was shot down by AAA during an armed reconnaissance mission over North Vietnam, 18º9’N, 106º9’E. Glenn shouted “I’m hit!” over his radio, War Paint 316, another Skyhawk, transmitting “Eject, you’re on fire.” Glenn was captured and did not return home until 4 April 1973.
23 Dec 1966: Destroyer O’Brien (DD-725) on patrol about 21 miles north of Dong Hai, North Vietnam, came under heavy fire by enemy 57 mm shore batteries at 1046, receiving three direct hits that killed DC3 Antone Perry, Jr., and FA Thomas L. Tiglas; and wounded BT1 Clayton C. Olsen, BT3 Robert H. Scudder, FN William C. Wehunt and FA Ronald D. Henson. Aircraft from Kitty Hawk and Enterprise diverted from their primary targets to aid O’Brien, and, along with the destroyer’s guns, silenced the batteries
The USS Kitty Hawk While I Served Aboard Her: 1993-1997
13 Jan 1993: CDR Kevin J. Thomas, CO, VFA-97, embarked on board Kitty Hawk, led 110 coalition aircraft, including 35 from the carrier, together with USAF and Allied aircrew, on a night strike against Iraqi SAM and command and control sites, southern Iraq. The strike was in response to repeated Iraqi violations of UN resolutions.
18 Jan 1993: Kitty Hawk launched F-14As, F/A-18As, and E-2Cs in support of a USAF strike against Iraqi targets in northern Iraq. A planned strike by 29 aircraft from the ship was aborted, however, when the Iraqis moved mobile SAM targets in southern Iraq.
23 Jan 1993: Iraqi AAA fired on an A-6E, VA-52, and two F/A-18As, all from the ship, over southern Iraq. The Intruder crew blasted the artillery gunners with a 1,000-pound bomb.
3 Feb 1993: Winds gusting over 30 knots generated a sand storm, preventing Kitty Hawk from departing from Jebel-Ali, United Arab Emirates (UAE), during a scheduled four-day visit. The ship was unable to leave until the 5th.
14 Mar 1993: Kitty Hawk transited the Strait of Hormuz, departing the Arabian Gulf.
18 Mar 1993: The ship turned over to Nimitz in the northern Arabian Sea, departing the Commander, Naval Forces, Central Command, AOR.
11 Oct–1 Nov 1993: Internal vibrations in No. 4 Main Engine forced the ship to preempt Tailored Ship’s Training Availabilities (TSTA) in the Southern California Operations Area, returning to NAS North Island. Removing the 8-ton turbine casing on the engine revealed damage to the turbine rotor, on 15 October, which was replaced on the 1st. Initial evidence indicated that the rotor shaft was severely damaged, possibly by industrial debris left over from SLEP.
5 Jun–7 Sep 1993: The ship conducted an SRA costing approximately $30 million.
Flyover, c. 1993.
19–20 Feb 1994: A motion picture crew embarked to shoot a portion of the movie Clear and Present Danger. Included in the filming was a “B-Roll” by an F/A-18A Hornet, VFA-303, with an inert “smart” weapon.
11 Jul 1994: While approaching the “severely” pitching flight deck, Aircraft 102, an F-14A, VF-51, struck the ramp, breaking in two and exploding into a “fireball.” Part of the Tomcat slid off the port side. Both men ejected and were rescued, however, the pilot landed in the “inferno,” suffering severe burns. The mishap occurred about 250 nautical miles south-southwest of NAF Atsugi, Japan.
20 Jul 1994: The ship began operating with Japanese forces, followed by South Korean, the latter on the 24th. Due to the death of North Korean President Kim Il Sung, on 8 July, and North Korean intransigence regarding inspection of their nuclear program, the Korean peninsula trembled in a state of turmoil, with possible scenarios ranging from a North Korean attack against South Korea, to a coup within rival factions in Pyŏngyang. As a result, the ship operated at a high state of alert throughout this period, and later received commendation by AirPac and ComCruDesGru-5 for providing “the stability in the region” for successful negotiations that defused the crisis. Also during this deployment, Kitty Hawk led the first anti-submarine warfare prosecution of a Chinese Han-class sub contact, as well as a Russian Oscar II-class boat, the latter 7–8 July, both equipped with SSMs posing stand off threats to the carrier.
20–23 Jul 1994: Kitty Hawk participated in RaidEx 94, embarking “several hundred” marines from SPMAGTF with their CH-53 and UN-1N helos as a launching platform to demonstrate the capabilities of marines on board carriers. The ship’s marines acted as “protagonist terrorists” on Ie Shima, near Okinawa.
3 Sep 1994: A Seahawk, HS-4, impacted the water and sank in the East China Sea. All four crewmembers escaped uninjured and were recovered by the plane guard helo and by a rigid hull inflatable boat (RHIB).
12 Sep 1994: A South Korean entourage led by President Kim Young-sam visited the ship, while she was underway off that country. CVW-15 flew an air power demonstration.
18 Sep 1994: Kitty Hawk conducted the first test of the Threat Ballistic Missile Defense (TBMD) system on board a Pacific Fleet carrier.
15 Oct 1994: Secretary of the Navy John Dalton visited the ship, presenting awards to five crewmembers responsible for rescuing the pilot of Aircraft 102 (See 11 July 1994).
17 Oct 1994: The ship broke all of her existing records by recording 401 arrested landings on a single day, a grueling tempo hitherto unmatched since commissioning.
6 Dec 1994: Kitty Hawk recorded her 300,000th trap.
4 Mar 1995: British Prince Michael G.C. Franklin of Kent visited the ship.
22 Mar 1995: Kitty Hawk hosted a reunion by 300 survivors and their families of escort carrier Ommaney Bay (CVE-79), sunk by a Japanese Kamikaze (suicide plane) in the Sulu Sea during the liberation of Luzon, Philippines, 4 January 1945.
25 Jun 1995: EM1 Alesia Hall reported on board Kitty Hawk, beginning the integration of women into the ship’s company.
7 Sep 1995: Secretary of the Navy Dalton visited the ship.
9 Sep 1995: Kitty Hawk hosted the WWII memorial ceremony for the veterans of carrier Bunker Hill (CV-17), followed by the crew’s reunion for escort carrier Chenango (AO-31/ACV/CVHE-28), on the 12th, together with a visit by Saudi Prince Abdul Kassir.
3 Nov 1995: Former President George H.W. Bush visited the ship at North Island.
16 Mar 1996: Secretary of Defense Dr. William J. Perry visited the ship, NAS North Island.
5–19 Aug 1996: Kitty Hawk participated in JTFEx 96-2, Southern California Operations Area .
22 Aug 1996: ADM Jay L. Johnson, CNO, visited the ship, NAS North Island.
20 Sep 1996: The Supply Department installed “Sailor Phones,” telephone card and stamp machines, for the crew to remain in contact with familes while deployed.
17 Nov 1996: The carrier transited the Strait of Malacca.
27 Nov 1996: Kitty Hawk transited the Strait of Hormuz, entering the Arabian Gulf.
29 Nov 1996: Secretary of Defense Dr. William J. Perry visited Kitty Hawk.
3 Dec 1996: ADM Johnson held an “all hands call” on board, accompanied by a party led by VADM Thomas B. Fargo, Commander, Naval Forces, Central Command, and Fifth Fleet, 1030–1250.
16 Feb 1997: Kitty Hawk transited the Strait of Hormuz, departing the Arabian Gulf. During her deployment in the Arabian Gulf, her Surface Watch Team supported expanded UN sanctions enforcing Maritime Interception Operations (MIOs) against Iraqi smuggling, locating, tracking and identifying over 2,500 vessels.
21 May–15 Dec 1997: The ship completed Phase 1, FY 97 Complex Overhaul, NAS North Island.
14 Jul 1997: LTGEN Wu Quanxu, Deputy Chief of Staff, Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA), visited Kitty Hawk at North Island.
Kitty Hawk left Yokosuka on 28 May 2008 to begin the decommissioning process. However on 22 May, a fire seriously damaged George Washington, causing the ship to go to San Diego, Ca. for repairs. Kitty Hawk participated in the RIMPAC exercise near Hawaii in George Washington's place. The turnover between the two carriers was postponed and took place in August. After the turnover, Kitty Hawk arrived at Brementon, Washington in September and was informally retired on 31 January 2009. Kitty Hawk was finally decommissioned on 12 May 2009
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