Wow! 50 years for the USS Nimitz!
USS Nimitz (CVN 68) has completed 28 deployments, over a quarter of a million catapult launches and arrested landings, five homeport changes, and countless operations and missions successfully executed. These accolades are attributed to the oldest U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in active service.
The decorated history of Nimitz began 50 years ago this month, when the keel was laid on June 22, 1968. The ship was christened May 13, 1972, by the late Fleet Adm. Nimitz’s daughter Catherine, and commissioned May 3, 1975, by President Gerald R. Ford at its first homeport at Naval Station Norfolk.
“It’s a big deal for a ship to reach close to 50 years and have people say she looks like she can do many more. We have done a very good job of taking care of her over the years,” Cmdr. Chuck Jones – US Navy
Featured image by US Navy
