The famed aircraft carrier USS Nimitz, which is only days away from wrapping up 50 years of service, will stop in its former homeport of San Diego as it travels north to Bremerton, Wash., the Navy said Monday.
The Navy’s first nuclear-powered flattop is completing its final deployment, a journey that took it to the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East before it made the turn for Bremerton, where it will remain until it is decommissioned next year.
Nimitz arrived in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Saturday and left Monday for San Diego, where it was stationed from November 2001 to March 2012. The carrier will make a brief stop to offload part of its airwing at Naval Air Station North Island.
The ship’s airwing includes two North Island units, the “Battle Cats” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 73 and the Indians of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron 6. Its escorts included the destroyer Lenah Sutcliffe Higbee, which is based in San Diego.
Nimitz played a major role in several major conflicts, including the Gulf War and Operation Enduring Freedom.
Send us your memories: If you served on the Nimitz, send an email to gary.robbins@sduniontribune.com describing what it was like. Include your full name, city of residence and years of service. Entries needed by noon Friday.