29 Sep 1956 Lauched by Mrs. Arthur W. Radford, wife of Chairman, JCS
29 Sep 1956 Named after 1777 sloop and CV-4 (1st designed aircraft carrier)
10 Aug 1957 Commissioned at Norfolk naval Shipyard
20 Jun 1958 1st cruise departs Norfolk around Cape Horn and homeports Alameda, CA.
03 Jan 1959 1st Westpac cruise includes Formosa straits transit and Japan visit
02 May 1959 President Garcia of Philippines visits ship at Subic Bay
19 Jun 1959 Imperial Japanese Family visits ship at Yokosuka
06 Jul 1959 Deploys off Formosa to thwart Chinese attack
06 Feb 1960 2nd WESTPAC cruise includes 17,000 air wing flying hours
24 Jun 1960 Quemoy & Matsu Island crisis deployment 24-25 June 60
11 Aug 1961 3rd WESTPAC cruise
09 Nov 1962 4th WESTPAC cruise
07 Aug 1963 Lager flight deck installed during San Francisco overhaul
05 Aug 1964 1st Vietnam war cruise includes a record 59-day line duty
13 May 1965 Major overhaul at San Francisco Naval Ship Yard
10 Dec 1965 2nd Vietnam war cruise includes 1st Hai Phong raid and 90,000 miles streamed
30 Sep 1966 Comprehensive overhaul on Puget Shound Naval Ship Yard
04 Nov 1967 3rd Vietnam war cruise includes a Korea patrol from 23 Jan-22 Mar 1968
04 Nov 1967 Corsair II A-7A conducts first major deployment by VA-147
23 Jan 1968 Deploys to North Korea area after USS PUEBLO capture
26 Oct 1968 4th Vietnam war cruise. EC-121 crisis near Korea, Yello Sea
14 Apr 1969 Deplys Sea of Japan after Koreans down Navy EC-121 plane
14 Oct 1969 5th Vietnam war cruise
27 Sep 1970 6th Vietnam war cruise
16 Nov 1971 7th Vietnam war cruise
07 May 1974 12th WESTPAC cruise
01 Mar 1975 Homeported in San Diego
30 Jun 1975 Designated CV-61, All-purpose carrier
30 Jan 1976 13th WESTPAC cruise
12 Jul 1976 Deploys to Kenya coast to counter Uganda invasion threat
09 Feb 1977 Comprehensive overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard
21 Feb 1979 14th WESTPAC cruise
10 Sep 1980 15th WESTPAC cruise includes 139 days spent in Indian Ocean operations
19 Mar 1981 Rescued 138 Vietnamese Boatpeople in South China Sea.
03 Apr 1981 Gives support to Iranian hostage crisis in Northern Arabian Sea
07 Apr 1982 16th WESTPAC cruise
05 Mar 1983 Queen Elizabeth visits ship in San Diego
15 Jul 1983 17th WESTPAC cruise includes Nicaragua crisis and North Arabian Sea operations
29 Feb 1984 Record conventional 121-days at sea tour while in Indian Ocean
15 Apr 1984 Complex overhaul at Puget Sound Naval Ship Yard
27 Aug 1986 18 WESTPAC cruise
02 Mar 1987 Team Spirits '87
14 Jul 1987 19th WESTPAC cruise
31 Dec 1987 Navy Pacific battle "E" awarded for 1987
24 Feb 1989 20th WESTPAC cruise
08 Dec 1990 21st WESTPAC cruise in support of Operation DESERT STORM
31 Dec 1991 Navy Pacific Battle "E" awarded for 1991
01 Aug 1992 22nd and final WESTPAC cruise includes Operation SOUTHERN WATCH
04 Dec 1992 Operation RESTORE HOPE
31 Dec 1992 Navy Pacific Battle "E" awarded for 1992
10 Jul 1993 Decommissioning of the USS RANGER (CV-61) in San Diego, California
pg created
by caguy
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