USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

History

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) is an aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, and the lead ship of her class. One of the largest warships in the world, she was laid down, launched, and commissioned as CVAN-68, "aircraft carrier, attack, nuclear powered", but she was later redesignated as CVN-68, "aircraft carrier, multi-mission, nuclear-powered", on 30 June 1975, as part of a fleet-wide realignment that year.

The ship was named after World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W. Nimitz, USN, (1885–1966), who was the Navy's third fleet admiral. She is the only Nimitz-class carrier whose official name is just the surname of the person for whom she is named. Nimitz had her homeport at Naval Station Norfolk until 1987, when she was relocated to Naval Station Bremerton in Washington (now part of Naval Base Kitsap). Following her refueling and complex overhaul in 2001, her home port was changed to Naval Air Station North Island in San Diego County, California. The home port of Nimitz was again moved to Naval Station Everett in Washington in 2012.

In January 2015, Nimitz changed home port from Everett back to Naval Base Kitsap. With the inactivation of USS Enterprise in 2012 and decommissioning in 2017, Nimitz is now the oldest serving aircraft carrier in the world. On 10 March 2026, she began what was supposed to be her final voyage, but on 14 March 2026, the Navy extended her active service through March 2027, to maintain the 11-carrier mandate.

Text from Wikipedia: USS Nimitz, CC BY-SA 4.0, lightly trimmed.

Key dates

1. 1972
   The vessel was christened on 13 May 1972, by Catherine Nimitz Lay, the daughter of the late Admiral Nimitz, six years after his death.
2. 1981
   Nimitz deployed again to the Mediterranean on 3 August 1981.
3. 1991
   On 25 February 1991, Nimitz departed Bremerton for the Persian Gulf in relief of USS Ranger in the aftermath of Operation Desert Storm, returning to Bremerton on 24 August 1991.
4. 2001
   On 21 September 2001, after sea trials in the Virginia Capes, Nimitz began to transit around South America to her new home port of NAS North Island in San Diego, California, arriving there on 13 November 2001.
5. 2007
   The carrier departed North Island for her 13th deployment on 2 April 2007, to the Arabian Sea, relieving USS Dwight D. Eisenhower in support of OIF. The carrier anchored off Chennai, India on 2 July 2007, as part of efforts to expand bilateral defense cooperation between India and the United States.
6. 2009
   The Nimitz Strike Group, including CVW-11, departed the US for a scheduled Western Pacific deployment on 31 July 2009, and began to fly combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom on 21 September.
7. 2013
   Nimitz, after eight months at sea, reportedly transited the Suez Canal on 20 October 2013, into the U.S. 6th Fleet area of responsibility, where the Navy intended to keep her for a few weeks, conducting joint training with allied nations before returning home.
8. 2020
   On 5 July 2020, the ship was deployed in the South China Sea along with USS Ronald Reagan.
9. 2026
   On 10 March 2026, USS Nimitz departed Naval Base Kitsap to prepare for her decommissioning at Naval Station Norfolk in Virginia.

Dates and events quoted from the same Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Records that place someone aboard this ship

A ship history doesn't name everyone who served. These records do:

• Navy muster rolls, 1939–1949 (National Archives guide)
• Deck logs: how to get them (Naval History and Heritage Command)
• Crew lists research guide (NHHC)
• Search the National Archives Catalog for “USS Nimitz”

More history

• Naval History and Heritage Command (DANFS)
• Wikipedia: USS Nimitz