U.S.S. Saratoga CV -60

The fifth Saratoga (CV-60) was laid down on 16 December
1952 by the New York Naval Shipyard, New York City, N.Y.
launched on 8 October 1955, sponsored by Mrs. Charles S.
Thomas; and commissioned on 14 April 1956, Capt. R. J. Stroh
in command.

For the next several months, Saratoga conducted various
engineering, flight, steering, structural, and gunnery tests. On 18
August, she sailed for Guantanamo and her shakedown cruise. On
19 December, she reentered the New York Naval Shipyard and
remained there until 28 February 1957. Upon completion of yard
work, she got underway on a refresher training cruise to the
Caribbean before entering her home port, Mayport, Fla.                                                  

On 6 June, President Dwight D. Eisenhower and members of his
cabinet boarded Saratoga to observe operations on board the
giant carrier. For two days, she and eighteen other ships
demonstrated air operations, antisubmarine warfare, guided
missile operations, and the Navy's latest bombing and strafing
techniques. Highlighting the President's visit was the nonstop flight
of two F8U "Crusaders," spanning the nation in three hours and
twenty-eight minutes, from the Bon Homme Richard (CVB-31) on
the west coast to the flight deck of the Saratoga in the Atlantic.

The carrier departed Mayport on 3 September 1957 for her
maiden transatlantic voyage. Saratoga sailed into the Norwegian
Sea and participated in operation "Strikeback," joint naval
maneuvers of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization countries.
She returned briefly to Mayport before entering the Norfolk Naval
Shipyard for repairs.

On 1 February 1958, Saratoga departed Mayport for the
Mediterranean and her first deployment with the Sixth Fleet. From
this date through 31 December 1967 she was to spend a part of
each year in the Mediterranean on a total of eight cruises. The
remainder of the time, she either operated off the coast of Florida
or was in port undergoing restricted availability.

While deployed with the Sixth Fleet on 23 January 1961, a
serious fire broke out in Saratoga's number two machinery space
which took seven lives. The fire, believed caused by a ruptured
fuel oil line, was brought under control by the crew, and the ship
proceeded to Athens where a survey of the damage could be
made.

On 2 January 1968, Saratoga sailed for Philadelphia and an
overhaul and modernization program which was to last 11 months.
On 31 January 1969, she departed Philadelphia for Guantanamo,
via Hampton Roads and Mayport, and extensive refresher training
of the crew and air detachments.

On 17 May, Armed Forces Day, she was the host ship for
President Richard M. Nixon during the firepower demonstration
conducted by Carrier Air Wing Three in the Virginia Capes area.
On 9 July, she departed Mayport  for her ninth Mediterranean
deployment. Underway, a Soviet surface force and a "November"
class submarine passed in close proximity, en route to Cuba. Off
the Azores on 17 July, Saratoga was shadowed by Kipelovo
based Soviet aircraft. They were intercepted, photographed, and
escorted while in the vicinity of the carrier. She operated with
Task Group 60.2 of the Sixth Fleet in the eastern Mediterranean
during September in a "show of force" in response to the large
build-up of Soviet surface units there, the hijacking of a Trans
World Airlines plane to Syria and the political coup in Libya.
Numerous surveillance and reconnaissance flights were conducted
by Carrier Wing Three aircraft against Soviet surface units,
including the carrier Moskva, operating southeast of Crete.
Saratoga operated in this area again in October because of the
crisis in Lebanon. She returned to Mayport and the Florida coast
from 22 January until 11 June 1970 when she again sailed for
duty with theSixth Fleet.

On 28 September, President Richard M. Nixon and his party
arrived onboard. That night, word was received that Gamal
Abdul Nasser, President of the United Arab Republic, had died;
an event that might plunge the entire Middle East into a crisis. The
intelligence and communications personnel of the Saratoga were
required to supply the President, Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the
Secretaries of State and Defense with the essential intelligence
information to keep them abreast of the deteriorating situation.
The Presidential party departed the ship the next evening, and
Saratoga continued on patrol in the eastern Mediterranean until
she sailed for the United States on 2 November. From her arrival
at Mayport until 10 March 1971, she was in a "cold iron" status.
She then operated off the Florida coast until7 June when she
departed for her eleventh deployment with the Sixth Fleet, via
Scotland and the North Sea where she participated in exercise
"MagicSword II." She returned to Mayport on 31 October for a
period of restricted availability and local operations.

On 11 April 1972, Saratoga sailed from Mayport en route to
Subic  Bay,P.I., and her first deployment to the western Pacific.
She arrived in Subic Bay on 8 May and departed for Vietnam the
following week, arriving at "Yankee Station" on 18 May for her
first periodon the line. Before year's end, she was on station in the
Tonkin Gulf a total of seven times: 18 May to 21 June, 1 to 16
July; 28 July to 22 August;2 to 19 September, 29 September to
21 October; 5 November to 8 December; and 18 to 31
December.

                                                          

                                       
         Alan L. Dry Sr. MM-2   A/2 Div. Engineering Dept.

During the first period, Saratoga lost four aircraft and three
pilots On the plus side, on 21 June, two of her "Phantoms"
attacked three MiG 21's over North Vietnam. Dodging four
surface to air missiles, they managed to down one of the MiG
aircraft. Saratoga's planes attacked targets ranging from enemy
troop concentrations in the lower panhandle to petroleum storage
areas northeast of Hanoi. On her second line period, she lost an
F-4 to enemy fire northeast of Hanoi with the pilot and radar
intercept officer missing in action. During this period, her aircraft
flew 708 missions against the enemy.

On 6 August, Lt. Jim Lloyd, flying an A-7 on a bombing mission
near Vinh ,had his plane shot out from under him by a SAM. He
ejected into enemy territory at night. In a daring rescue by
helicopters supported by CVW-3 aircraft, he was lifted from the
midst of enemy soldiers and returned to the Saratoga. On 10
August, one of the ship's CAP jet fighters splashed a MIG at night
using "Sparrow" missiles.

During the period 2 to 19 September, Saratoga aircraft flew over
800 combat strike missions against targets in North Vietnam. On
20 October, her aircraft flew 83 close air support sorties in six
hours in support of a force of 250 Territorials beleaguered by the
North Vietnamese 48th Regiment. Air support saved the small
force, enabled ARVN troops to advance, and killed 102 North
Vietnamese soldiers. During her last period on station,
Saratoga's aircraft battered targets in the heart of North Vietnam
for over a week.

Saratoga departed "Yankee Station" for Subic Bay on 7
January1973. From there she sailed for the United States, via
Singapore and arrived at Mayport on 13 February 1973.

The Saratoga was decommissioned August 1994 and at the
present time is at Newport, RI awaiting release from the Navy to
make her a museum at Quonset Point, RI.
The proposal was approved by the State of RI and now must be
approved by the Navy. 4

Saratoga received one battle star for service in the Vietnamese
conflict.

11 April 1972  - 13 February 1973 - CVW -3

      VF-31( F-4J)         VF-103( F-4J )        VA-75( A-6A, A-6B & KA-6D)

      VA-37( A-7A)         VA-105( A-7A )        RVAH-l (RA-5C)  

       VAW-123( E-2B)         HS-7( SH-3D )        *HC-7 Det 110( HH-3A)

     * VMCJ-2 Det( EA-6A)

(From Internet)