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SHIP SPECIFIC INFORMATION

TYPE	AIRCRAFT CARRIER (CVN)
CLASS	NIMITZ
OFFICIAL NAME	USS NIMITZ
PENNANT NUMBER	68
NICKNAME	N/A
MOTTO	N/A
BUILDER	NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING
CONTRACT AWARD DATE	03/31/1967
KEEL LAYING DATE	06/22/1968
LAUNCH DATE	05/13/1972
DELIVERY DATE	04/11/1975
COMMISSION DATE	05/03/1975
PLANNING YARD	NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, NORFOLK, VA
NAVSEA PMS	312
CUSTODIAN	US NAVY
STATUS	ACTIVE DUTY
HOMEPORT	SAN DIEGO, CA
MAILING ADDRESS	FPO, AP, 96620-2820
UIC (UNIT IDENT. CODE)	03368
TYPE COMMANDER	AIRpac
FLEET COMMAND	N/A
GROUP COMMAND	CRUDESGRU 5
SQUADRON COMMAND	N/A

AIRCRAFT CARRIERS

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CVN 68 | USS NIMITZ

Namesake:

Admiral Chester W. Nimitz

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz was born Feb. 24,1885, in Fredericksburg -- a small German-style town in central Texas. It was here, on the steps of his grandfather's hotel, that young Chester Nimitz received his first impressions of life at sea. He would sit for hours and listen with fascination to his grandfather's sea stories. Later, Admiral Nimitz would say of his grandfather: "I had a wonderful white-bearded grandfather. He was Charles H. Nimitz, who settled in Fredricksburg, Texas, and built a steamboat-shaped hotel."

While out on a training exercise with a field artillery unit, a young Army officer, Lt. William M. Cruikshank, stopped at the Nimitz family hotel. Nimitz was impressed with Cruikshank's military bearing and uniform, and knew Cruikshank was not much older or different than himself. This was the life Nimitz wanted.

Nimitz was denied entry into West Point, but was offered a seat at the Naval Academy in Annapolis. Nimitz left the Academy in 1905 and headed to his first assignment aboard USS Ohio, a battleship homeported in San Francisco.

As his career unfolded, Nimitz held many prominent positions within the hierarchy of the Navy chain of command. He established himself as an expert in submarine propulsion as an early advocate of diesel engines. He built the submarine base at Pearl Harbor, founded one of the first Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps units, was pivitol in the introduction of the carrier into the battle group, commanded the flagship of the Asiatic Fleet and was appointed commander of Battleship Division ONE. Along the way he shifted his focus from engineering to personnel. At the outbreak of World War II, he was Chief of the Bureau of Navigation.

Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, instructions were sent from President Franklin Roosevelt to Secretary of the Navy Frank Knox: "Tell Nimitz to get the hell to Pearl and stay there until the war is won." Nimitz assumed command of the Pacific Fleet on Dec. 31, 1941. From that day on, he carried the fight to the enemy. His superb leadership and the valor of more than two million American fighting men culminated on the deck of the USS Missouri four years later as he signed the Japanese surrender as Commander-in-Chief of the largest naval armada ever assembled. On Dec. 15, 1945, Admiral Nimitz relieved Fleet Admiral Ernest J. King as Chief of Naval Operations. One of his final acts as CNO was the introduction of the naval nuclear propulsion program, laying the groundwork that lead to the development of the Nimitz class of aircraft carriers.

Aside from being a great naval leader, Nimitz was also a devoted father and husband. He married the daughter of an affluent New England broker. Her name was Catherine Freeman. They were married April 9, 1913, in Wollaston, Mass. Catherine and Chester's relationships grew into a Navy family. They had four children: Catherine Vance; Chester Jr.; Anna; and Mary. Although Chester spent many years away from his family, it was his family which proved to be the stabilizing factor for him during World War II. Fleet Admiral Nimitz died Feb. 20, 1966, with his wife at his side. He never wrote his memoirs because he was afraid that if he presented his side, it might belittle the accomplishments of others.

Historical Notes:

USS NIMITZ has answered its country's call many times in response to regional and international crises. In doing so, the aircraft carrier has secured a prominent place in history, just like her namesake, Fleet Admiral Chester W. NIMITZ.

The keel of USS NIMITZ (CVN 68) was laid on June 22, 1968 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company in Newport News, Virginia. It was destined to become the largest warship ever. The ship was commissioned May 3, 1975, at Pier 12, Naval Station Norfolk, Va. by the Honorable Gerald R. Ford, President of the United States. Principal guests included: the Honorable James R. Schlesinger, Secretary of Defense; the Honorable J. William Middendorf, II, Secretary of the Navy; Admiral James L. Holloway, III, Chief of Naval Operations and Mrs. James T. NIMITZ-Lay, Ship's Sponsor.

Speaking to a crowd of over 20,000, the President said in his remarks: "Wherever the United States Ship NIMITZ shows her flag, she will be seen as we see her now - a solid symbol of United States strength; United States resolve. Made in America and manned by Americans. Whether its mission is one of defense, diplomacy or humanity, NIMITZ will command awe and admiration from some, caution and circumspection from others and respect from all."

Today's crew stands ready, as did the commissioning crew, to answer their nation's call and take their place in America's maritime heritage.

NIMITZ' first deployment began on July 7, 1976 when it departed Norfolk for the Mediterranean. Included in the task force were the nuclear-powered cruisers USS South Carolina and USS California. The deployment marked the first time in 10 years that nuclear-powered ships had deployed to the Mediterranean. In November 1976, NIMITZ was awarded the coveted Battle "E" from Commander, Naval Air Forces Atlantic Fleet, for being the most efficient and foremost aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Fleet. The ship returned to Norfolk Feb. 7, 1977 after a seven-month deployment.

NIMITZ again sailed toward the Mediterranean Sea Dec. 1, 1977. Following a peaceful deployment, the ship returned home to Norfolk July 20, 1978. During NIMITZ' third cruise to the Mediterranean beginning Sept. 10, 1979, it was dispatched to strengthen the U.S. Naval presence in the crucial Indian Ocean area as tensions heightened over Iran's taking of 52 American hostages. Four months later, Operation "Evening Light" was launched from NIMITZ in an attempt to rescue the hostages. The rescue was aborted in the Iranian Desert when the number of operational helicopters fell below the minimum needed to transport the attack force and hostages out of Iran. During its deployment, the ship operated 144 continuous days at sea. NIMITZ' homecoming on May 26, 1980 was, at the time, the largest given to any carrier battle group returning to the United States since the end of World War II. The ship's crew was greeted by President and Mrs. Carter, members of Congress, military leaders and thousands of families and friends.

On May 15, 1981, NIMITZ departed Norfolk for the final phases of her workup schedule for an upcoming Mediterranean Cruise. On the night of May 25, an EA-6B Prowler crash-landed on the flight deck, killing 14 crewmen and injuring 45 others. The carrier returned to port to repair damaged catapults and returned to sea less than 48 hours later to complete its training schedule. On August 18 and 19, 1981 during its fourth deployment, NIMITZ and USS Forrestal conducted an open ocean missile exercise in the Gulf of Sidra near what Libyan leader Khadafi called the "Line of Death." On the morning of August 19, two NIMITZ aircraft from VF-41 were fired upon by Libyan pilots. The NIMITZ pilots returned fire and shot both Libyan aircraft from the sky. Newspapers across the country rallied around the incident against terrorist-backing Libya with front-page headlines reading "U.S. 2 - Libya 0."

On June 14, 1985, two Lebanese Shiite Muslim gunmen hijacked TWA Flight 847, carrying 153 passengers and crew, including many Americans. In response, NIMITZ was ordered to steam at flank speed to the Eastern Mediterranean, off the coast of Lebanon, where it remained until August. After another extended deployment, NIMITZ left the Mediterranean on May 21, 1987. It crossed the Atlantic Ocean, rounded the rough waters of Cape Horn, South America, and sailed for the first time in the waters of the Pacific Ocean enroute to its new homeport, Bremerton, Wash. NIMITZ arrived there July 2, 1987.

In September, 1988, the ship operated off the South Korean coast to provide security for the Olympic Games in Seoul. On Oct. 29, 1988 NIMITZ began operating in the North Arabian Sea where it participated in Operation "Earnest Will." This operation called for U.S. Navy ships to protect shipping lanes and escort U.S. registered (re-flagged) Kuwaiti tankers. On Feb. 25, 1991, NIMITZ departed Bremerton for the Western Pacific and eventually the Arabian Gulf, where it relieved USS Ranger, during Operation Desert Storm. The ship returned to Bremerton Aug. 24, 1991. NIMITZ again deployed Feb. 1, 1993 to the Arabian Gulf, relieving USS Kitty Hawk to take its place as part of Operation Southern Watch. The ship returned after a mishap-free deployment in August, 1993.

In November, 1995, NIMITZ commenced her deployment to the Western Pacific, Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf, and to the waters off Taiwan, where once again the presence of carrier forces at sea positively influenced events ashore, calming a volatile standoff between mainland China and Taiwan.

On September 1, 1997, NIMITZ set out on her latest deployment, an around-the-world cruise that would see the great carrier return to her East Coast roots and begin a multi-year overhaul in the Newport News shipyard where she was built.

The around-the-world deployment promised to be an exciting experience with scheduled port visits ranging from the Far East to the Mediterranean Sea; however, NIMITZ was ordered into the Arabian Gulf to support Operation Southern Watch and various United Nation initiatives. Answering each challenge, NIMITZ served on station in the Arabian Gulf throughout the holidays and returned to a celebrated and long anticipated homecoming on March 1, 1998.

On May 26, 1998, NIMITZ began a mid-life refueling overhaul at Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va.

After 37 months in the shipyard, NIMITZ is now preparing to transit to its new Pacific coast homeport San Diego, Calif.

The ship is conducting an interfleet transit to its homeport in San Diego, Calif.

Mobility, flexibility and combat readiness are the primary characteristics which highlight NIMITZ and her crew. As the lead ship of the world's most powerful and capable class of warships, NIMITZ will long be remembered as our nation's finest instrument of peace, power projection and platform for diplomacy.