Memories of the Kitty Hawk

[CommunityEditor]

As the official decom draws near, we're looking for your stories and photos of your service with the carrier Kitty Hawk. Post both memories and photos here or send them via e-mail to navylet@atpco.com.

Let's send her off in grand fashion!

[YomanDenver]

I remember being out to sea on the Cowpens and the Kitty Hawk had us pull alongside, roughly 500 ft, and she started launching all of her aircraft...treating us to an impromptu air show. It was something that you see everyday, but for some reason, that day it made you feel like you were 10 years old seeing it for the first time.

I've uploaded a picture of the Kitty Hawk conducting an UNREP with a Replinishment ship.

[ASSTEMO]

I served in Kitty Hawk from May 1978 to June 1981 as a newly commissioned Limited Duty Officer Ensign. I have many fond memories of “The Hawk”, but some of my most memorable revolve around the Iranian hostage crisis of November 1979.

The ship was in Subic Bay, RP making preparations for heading home. The magazines had been struck and the on load of furniture bought in the Philippines was scheduled when we received orders to get under way. Initially, I was not told where we were headed but the scuttlebutt said either to the Indian Ocean (IO) or up toward Korea. As a division officer, I had some key personnel that were scheduled to depart the ship for a new duty station. If we were going to Korea, I could get assistance from the MOTU (Mobile Technical Unit?) in Japan, but if we were going to the IO, help would not be available. I made discrete enquiry into our destination but was told it was classified. When I explained why I wanted/needed to know, it was suggested that I put an operational hold on those individuals scheduled for transfer.

The ship got underway with one of the boilers offline, as the “snipes” had started to re-brick the boiler and would need some additional time to get the boiler ready to light fires. Exiting the Strait of Malacca the ship turned left and headed for Diego Garcia while most of the task force continued northward along the coast of India. Off of Diego Garcia we picked up a number of CH-53 Sea Stallions which would eventually be used in the rescue attempt. The presence of the CH-53s was highly classified and the ship was told they were onboard in the event mine sweeping was required in the Strait of Hormuz. However, a stroll through the hanger bay showed very little sweeping gear onboard.

I have heard the story told that the Russians "lost" the Kitty Hawk when it went radio silent and headed for Diego Garcia. That lead to a Russian ship in Mombasa exchanging signals with another US warship asking "Where is Kitty Hawk?" The US warship replied, "Kitty Hawk is a small town in North Carolina." I believe that is why when we rejoined the task force to the north, a Russian warship, I believe it was a Krivak, became our constant shadow. In order to maintain secrecy, the Sea Stallions were kept in the hanger bay during the day and were allowed on the flight deck only in the dark of night for maintenance turns. One morning, when I went on watch as the JOOW with the conn, we were faced with a 53 that had been on deck for maintenance but now it could not fold the rotors to fit onto the elevator for the ride down to the hanger bay. With dawn approaching, the Krivak, off our starboard quarter, would be able to see this newly acquired asset. I was told to put the ship in a slow turn to starboard to keep the island between the 53 and the Krivak and to prevent the Krivak from coming forward to investigate the actions on the flight deck. The rotor head was finally removed and the helo was struck below, and it appeared that the Russians were none the wiser, but must have wondered why we made that slow turn.

Another memory deals with an unrep with the USS Santa Jose (USS San Jose, AFS-7) just before Christmas. After transferring stores and just before break away, the Santa Jose sent over several pine Christmas trees. To call them “fresh” would be a partial mistake as you could follow their path to the mess decks and wardrooms by the fallen pine needles. However, the smell of those trees was wonderful and permeated into the surrounding spaces. Christmas decorations made from cut up Coca Cola and 7Up cans added red, green & silver ornaments to those trees. Popcorn and paper garlands added to the decorations. It was my most memorable Christmas at sea.

My last memory of that particular deployment was the support we received from our wives. We were originally scheduled to be home in San Diego for Christmas but, of course were not. The letters, packages, videos put together by the Wives Clubs and what we saw of the news releases were all very supportive and understanding of our absence. The previous year another San Diego ship was unexpectedly extended and the local news was full of the disappointment and frustration of the wives which had to have impacted the morale onboard that ship.

[MIKEY86]

I served on the Kitty Hawk from 1994-1997. I have many fond memories, and for the most part, had a good tour on her. Both of my children were born during my time on board and I made two deployments with her.
Me and my son will be attending the decommissioning on the 31st. She is a great arship with so much history.

[ASSTEMO]

While at the decommissioning in Bremerton, I recalled another memory of Kitty Hawk. In 1972 there was a serious riot onboard that resulted in a “duress alarm” installation on the bridge in case the Captain was threatened. I rediscovered that alarm about eight years later!

During a mid-watch, a new member was joining our bridge watch team and the OOD asked me, the JOOW, to familiarize the new man with the bridge equipment. We worked our way along the bulkheads covering each piece of equipment. We reached an alarm panel (I think it was the FZ Alarm panel) and I explained its function and commented that the alarm bell was VERY loud and would disrupt communications on the bridge so in the event of an alarm, the bell should be disabled. I took the switch and placed it in the “disarm” position and showed him that the “alarm disabled” light would come on, the bell would silence but the system would still be active. I then returned the disarm switch to its normal position and moved on to the next piece of bridge equipment. Before I finished my explanation of the next item, three Marines in their underwear burst onto the bridge with M-16 and shotguns at high port arms demanding that everyone hit the deck. The OOD convinced them that at the very least he and the helmsman needed to stay upright and on watch. The marines agreed and demanded to see the Captain. They were directed to the Captain’s at sea cabin where they found the CO sound asleep. It was then that the Corporal of the Guard explained that he had received a duress alarm from the bridge and was following his standing orders. That was also when I re-discovered the duress alarm.

Unfortunately, that was not the end of the story. Later that day, as they were explaining to the Navigator what had transpired on the mid-watch, he said “you mean this switch?” and moved the switch into the disarm position. Yep, you guessed it, a minute or two later the bridge was again visited by three armed Marines. This time they found the CO in the forward ladder well on his way to the bridge. When he arrived on the bridge he instructed the Navigator to have the duress alarm disabled and the alarm panel restored to normal operation.