John Billups

USS Kittyhawk

U.S. Navy

The USS Kittyhawk (CV-63) was a United States Navy aircraft carrier commissioned in 1961 and decommissioned in 2009. It was the second ship in the Kitty Hawk-class of aircraft carriers and served in various conflicts and operations, including the Vietnam War and Operation Desert Storm. The USS Kittyhawk was known for its distinctive "Battle E" award-winning performance and its ability to launch and recover a variety of aircraft. After its retirement, the ship was eventually scrapped in 2015.