For those thousands who served aboard her, the USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) was much more than an enormous aircraft carrier. Besides being a home and a workplace, she was like a small city without any need for the outside, where the youth, men, and women learned things that lasted with them their whole lives.
Being nearly 1,000 feet long and up to 1960, the decade when she had her commissioning, Kitty Hawk was one of the world’s technical wonders of the time. But those who lived on her decks made memories that were not only about metals, engines, and electronics – they were about people, experiences, and growth.
Living on the Kitty Hawk was a kind of tough schedule. More than 4,500 sailors worked together to maintain every system while ensuring safety for everybody aboard. For most of them, it was their first real stint with freedom of their own, and along with that came both the thrill and a big responsibility.
Corey Urband, a former machinist’s mate, said, “While my friends were still studying, I was 30 feet below the waterline, halfway around the world.” Rich Bratlee, another sailor, who was from a tiny Montana town of only 3,000 people, said that he was among 6,000 fellow crew members who were his new neighbors and living community. Even the ship’s escalators were part of the legends, as they would often cause some funny pileups when too many people tried to go down or up at the same time.
Not all the risks were known at the time. As with many ships of its time, the Kitty Hawk was made with asbestos, which then was considered excellent as it was not only fireproof but also good for insulation. Asbestos was there in engine rooms, areas where the fire was for sure, some pipes, and insulation, and also in the parts that would protect a man from the heat. Those who were down in the hot, small engineering spaces breathing the air were daily exposed to the microscopic pieces of asbestos, which was a silent killer – one causes the effects from asbestosis, lung cancer, or mesothelioma that will show up many years later after it happened.
Hearing a few of these stories can be remorseful. One instance of a worker who encountered asbestosis was when he did his routine repairs in the early 60s. Another one who was deeply involved with valves and gaskets in the engine compartment only was told of mesothelioma in him years later and at last got compensation.
The development of these diseases doesn’t go far from the patients only; it also affects their families and the places they live. At present, medical check-ups are highly recommended for former seafarers of that time, and the Veterans Administration supports those who suffer from asbestos-related ailments.
On the inside, life aboard the Kitty Hawk was a rollercoaster of emotions. The crew met with challenges beyond the ordinary sphere, such as the 1972 race riots and the 1973 fire that killed six people, but also showed the crew’s heroic acts and willingness to sacrifice themselves. Events like these turned them into people of resilience, loyalty, and a big sense of responsibility. The relationships formed during the hardest times have been kept, and they have even lasted a lifetime through reunions and memorial events that still keep the ship’s spirit alive.
It was a sad moment when the Kitty Hawk was taken out of service for good and was on its way to a shipbreaking yard in Texas that was 16,000 miles away. Veterans and their kin gathered together to talk about old times, say goodbye, and take some keepsakes that were made out of parts of the ship.
International Shipbreaking Limited’s President, Chris Green, said that the decommissioning would happen in a dignified and respectful way that would honor the crew’s holding and giving up of their homes to the Kitty Hawk.
The story of the USS Kitty Hawk is, after all, not just the story of a ship — it is the story of human determination. It is a testimony to the people who had their intellects, bodies, and spirits challenged by life on her decks. The heritage of the Kitty Hawk continues, not only through her history but also through the teachings, fortitude, and reminiscences of all those who served on her.