USS Independence CVA 62

• Commissioning: USS Independence (CVA-62) was commissioned on January 10, 1959, as the fourth Forrestal-class aircraft carrier and the fourth U.S. Navy ship to bear the name "Independence." • First Mediterranean Deployment: In August 1960, the ship made its maiden deployment to the Mediterranean Sea, operating with the U.S. Sixth Fleet as a show of American naval strength during the Cold War. • Cuban Missile Crisis: Independence played a key role in the Cuban Missile Crisis in October 1962, serving as the flagship of Task Group 136.1 enforcing the naval "quarantine" of Cuba. • Vietnam War Service: In 1965, Independence became the first Atlantic Fleet carrier to participate in combat operations in the Vietnam War, launching air strikes from Yankee Station in the Gulf of Tonkin. • Space Program Support: In March 1965, the carrier was positioned in the Atlantic to support the recovery of the Gemini III space mission, demonstrating the Navy's role in early U.S. space efforts. • Operation Desert Storm: Independence was the first carrier to operate in the Red Sea during Operation Desert Storm in 1991, launching hundreds of sorties against Iraqi targets. • Homeport in Japan: In 1991, Independence became the forward-deployed carrier at Yokosuka, Japan, replacing USS Midway and strengthening U.S. presence in the Pacific region. • Decommissioning: Independence was decommissioned on September 30, 1998, after nearly 40 years of service and over 200,000 arrested landings on her flight deck. • Notable Commanders: Several future Navy leaders served aboard Independence, including Admiral Leighton W. Smith Jr., who later commanded NATO forces during the Bosnian War. • Final Fate: After being mothballed for several years, USS Independence was towed to Brownsville, Texas, in 2017, where she was dismantled and recycled, ending her long and storied career.