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| USS Kitty Hawk Association | |
|---|---|
| Name | USS Kitty Hawk Association |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Type | Veterans' association |
| Location | San Diego, Naval Air Station North Island, Jacksonville, Florida |
| Leader title | President |
| Leader name | Veteran leaders |
| Website | Official site |
USS Kitty Hawk Association
The USS Kitty Hawk Association is a veterans' organization for former crew and supporters of the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63), the nuclear-capable United States Navy aircraft carrier commissioned in 1961 that served in the Vietnam War, Cold War, Gulf War, and Operation Enduring Freedom. The association preserves the ship's history, supports veteran welfare, maintains artifacts and archives, and organizes reunions linking former sailors, aviators, and families with broader naval heritage institutions such as the National Museum of the United States Navy and the Naval Aviation Museum.
The association formed after the decommissioning of USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) to provide a focal point for former crew who served during high-profile deployments to Yokosuka, San Diego, Pearl Harbor, and Norfolk, Virginia. Membership traces to sailors and officers who participated in operations connected to the Tet Offensive, Operation Rolling Thunder, Evacuation of Saigon, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and patrols during the Cuban Missile Crisis era. Founders included veterans who served under commanding officers linked to notable carriers such as USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Nimitz (CVN-68), and squadrons like VF-51, VA-27, and VFA-151. The group's archives document deployments, carrier air wing rotations, cruise books, and shipboard life alongside connections to institutions like the Naval History and Heritage Command and the Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The association's stated mission supports preservation of the USS Kitty Hawk's legacy, promotion of camaraderie among former crew, and assistance to veterans navigating benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs, Social Security Administration, and related programs. Activities include maintaining historical collections such as ship's logs, flight deck photos, and squadron patch displays that reference squadrons like VAQ-33, VA-35, and HS-11. The association partners with museums including the Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum, Pima Air & Space Museum, and USS Midway Museum to loan artifacts and coordinate exhibits. It also provides assistance with memorialization projects involving the National World War II Memorial, Vietnam Veterans Memorial, and local American Legion posts.
Membership comprises former enlisted sailors, officers, aviators, shipyard workers, and family members who served aboard or supported the USS Kitty Hawk. Organizational structure features elected officers—President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer—and committees for archives, reunion planning, outreach, and communications, modeled after governance practices found in organizations such as the Fleet Reserve Association and Disabled American Veterans. Regional chapters meet in cities with strong naval connections including San Diego, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Florida, Seattle, and Los Angeles. The association maintains ties with carrier alumni groups from USS Coral Sea (CV-43), USS Constellation (CV-64), USS Hancock (CV-19), and aviation organizations like the Association of Naval Aviation.
Annual and milestone reunions bring together crew from battlegroups and air wings that deployed on the Kitty Hawk, often featuring guest speakers such as former commanding officers, squadron commanders, and veterans who later held billets at Pentagon offices, Naval Air Systems Command, or the Chief of Naval Operations staff. Reunions occur at venues including the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola, hotel conference centers in San Diego, and naval stations near Yokosuka. Programs include memorial services, shipboard artifact displays, panel discussions on operations like Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, and visits to memorials such as the USS Arizona Memorial. The association also coordinates participation in parades, ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery, and recognition events tied to observances like Veterans Day and Memorial Day.
The association plays a central role in preserving the Kitty Hawk's material culture through custodianship of plaques, bells, ship's wheel, and flight deck relics placed with museums and veterans' monuments. Collaborative projects with the Naval Aviation Museum Foundation, local historical societies, and municipal governments helped install public displays in port cities and at naval bases where the ship conducted carrier qualifications and homeport duties. The association contributes oral histories and multimedia to repositories such as the Library of Congress Veterans History Project and works with academic researchers at institutions like Georgetown University, Naval Postgraduate School, and United States Naval Academy on studies of carrier operations, personnel experiences, and naval strategy. Its legacy sustains remembrance of carrier service through scholarships, memorial plaques, and continued mentorship connecting generations of sailors to the broader histories of carriers including USS Midway (CV-41), USS John F. Kennedy (CV-67), and nuclear-powered flattops across the United States Navy fleet.
Category:Veterans' organizations Category:United States Navy