Happy 239th Birthday to the U.S. Navy! Please forgive the quality as this comes from an old negative that was scanned. Image taken at sunrise on August 29, 1995 aboard the USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) off the coast of Waikiki, Hawaii.
The ship and its air wing (I was attached to VS-35, the Blue Wolves) were taking part in training exercises and ceremonies commemorating the 50th anniversary of the end of World War II.
By far the most memorable part of the short deployment was 11 WWII era warbirds that made the trip with us and actually launched from the deck of the carrier soon after this picture was taken. You can see some of those old planes toward the bottom right in the image.
The event was an amazing reminder of the heritage of the U.S. Navy and its importance to the nation and the world over the past two and a half centuries. GO NAVY!
