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USS Kitty Hawk CV-63


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Here from my collection is a USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 "Camel Station" Westpac Deployment patch.

It's the only patch I have seen that mentions the 1979-80 Iranian Hostage Crisis.

It's pretty cool,love the camel standing in the water :lol:

post-13386-1314588636.jpg

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That is cool.....no idea about its history? There has got to be more, I wouldn't have passed one like that up! :lol:

 

Thanks!I agree,it is a very cool patch!I'll see what I can find out about it online :)

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I had a buddy on the Hawk at that time. It was a standard WESTPAC cruise until the hostages were taken, and the Hawk was the closest available carrier, so they were sent over into the Gulf. The big thing for them is that they got extended on station.

 

This is another example of those patches that were created by the crew to commemorate a specific event, or "Cruise Patch". I think the cruise just before this one, the hit a Soviet sub, and had a patch for that made up too.

 

My last cruise on the Hawk, we went to Iran ('74) and cruised the "IO" (Indian Ocean). It was something different in those days and we had a patch made up with a "Hessian Soldier" on it with the logo "Kirksyes Rangers" (COs name was Kirksey). I did not get one as I thought it looked stupid and did not want to spring the $5 to get one.

 

Steve Hesson

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Patchcollector
I had a buddy on the Hawk at that time. It was a standard WESTPAC cruise until the hostages were taken, and the Hawk was the closest available carrier, so they were sent over into the Gulf. The big thing for them is that they got extended on station.

 

This is another example of those patches that were created by the crew to commemorate a specific event, or "Cruise Patch". I think the cruise just before this one, the hit a Soviet sub, and had a patch for that made up too.

 

My last cruise on the Hawk, we went to Iran ('74) and cruised the "IO" (Indian Ocean). It was something different in those days and we had a patch made up with a "Hessian Soldier" on it with the logo "Kirksyes Rangers" (COs name was Kirksey). I did not get one as I thought it looked stupid and did not want to spring the $5 to get one.

 

Steve Hesson

 

 

Thanks Steve for your always interesting personal memories regarding the ships depicted on the patches here.It gives a better picture

and "fleshes out" the sometimes one dimensional presentation of just a patch!

I'm wondering was the Hawk on "Camel Station" for the entire hostage crisis?Was the Hawk used during the sadly failed hostage

rescue attempt?

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Thanks Steve for your always interesting personal memories regarding the ships depicted on the patches here.It gives a better picture

and "fleshes out" the sometimes one dimensional presentation of just a patch!

I'm wondering was the Hawk on "Camel Station" for the entire hostage crisis?Was the Hawk used during the sadly failed hostage

rescue attempt?

"Camel Station" was something the crew made up. I don't remember how long they were there for sure, but "Stuff Made Up By the Crew" was extreamely common with Navy patches. That is what makes them really unique, in that there were relatively few made, and much of the meaning is lost as it only applied to the crew onboard at the time. AS they go, so goes the historical meaning.

 

Steve Hesson

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Patchcollector
"Camel Station" was something the crew made up. I don't remember how long they were there for sure, but "Stuff Made Up By the Crew" was extreamely common with Navy patches. That is what makes them really unique, in that there were relatively few made, and much of the meaning is lost as it only applied to the crew onboard at the time. AS they go, so goes the historical meaning.

 

Steve Hesson

 

Thanks for the info,I really enjoy hearing the stories behind the patches,for me,that's what patch collecting is all about! :)

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I found this one online

Classic divisional variation on a cruise patch. So, you have an un-official cruise patch, designed by some one in a specific crew, and then cranked out wherever they could get them. (we would send the design to a place in Subic, and they would send the completed patches to us or we would pick them up when we pulled in). Then, some one in one of the ships divisions, modifies that patch into a Divisional Cruise patch (by the way, even more rare). V-2 by the way were the Aviation Boatswains Mates who moved planes around the hanger deck.

 

Steve Hesson

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Patchcollector
Classic divisional variation on a cruise patch. So, you have an un-official cruise patch, designed by some one in a specific crew, and then cranked out wherever they could get them. (we would send the design to a place in Subic, and they would send the completed patches to us or we would pick them up when we pulled in). Then, some one in one of the ships divisions, modifies that patch into a Divisional Cruise patch (by the way, even more rare). V-2 by the way were the Aviation Boatswains Mates who moved planes around the hanger deck.

 

Steve Hesson

 

 

 

Thanks Steve,your interesting and educational input is always appreciated :)

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Thanks Steve,your interesting and educational input is always appreciated :)

 

Wow, talk about strange! I was just trying to find that patch. I was on the Kitty Hawk during that period. I have that patch somewhere but just can't find it to save my life, so I was looking on line to see if there might be one floating around. We were the carrier that originally was going to make the rescue attempt. We were supposed to be finishing our cruise and heading home but the powers that be turned us around while we were in the Phillipines. On our way to the Gulf we picked up the helicopters and crews that would eventually make the rescue attempt. Since we had already been deployed for so long they decided to send the Nimitz in to relieve us. I have a picture of the Kitty Hawk, Nimitz, and Midway Battle Groups all together when the Nimitz finally showed up after a big delay. It was something to see those three carriers and all their escorts together. Funny thing, the rescue attempt went to crap because of a botched weather forecast. Anyway, if you ever want to get rid of that patch let me know. I'm putting together a cruise jacket with all of the squadrons patches on it and the cruise patch would be a perfect addition.

 

Chris

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Patchcollector
Wow, talk about strange! I was just trying to find that patch. I was on the Kitty Hawk during that period. I have that patch somewhere but just can't find it to save my life, so I was looking on line to see if there might be one floating around. We were the carrier that originally was going to make the rescue attempt. We were supposed to be finishing our cruise and heading home but the powers that be turned us around while we were in the Phillipines. On our way to the Gulf we picked up the helicopters and crews that would eventually make the rescue attempt. Since we had already been deployed for so long they decided to send the Nimitz in to relieve us. I have a picture of the Kitty Hawk, Nimitz, and Midway Battle Groups all together when the Nimitz finally showed up after a big delay. It was something to see those three carriers and all their escorts together. Funny thing, the rescue attempt went to crap because of a botched weather forecast. Anyway, if you ever want to get rid of that patch let me know. I'm putting together a cruise jacket with all of the squadrons patches on it and the cruise patch would be a perfect addition.

 

Chris

 

 

Hey Chris,

Thanks for the info on the Op! :bravo: So the Helos and crews from the rescue attempt were onboard?Wow!Were you sailors

let in on what was going to happen?Three Battle Groups together?!!Man,that must have looked awesome,and intimidating! :packin heat:

I would love to have seen that,but I'm sure that the Iranians would'nt have! :w00t:

If I get rid of this patch,I will give it to you,and in the meantime,I will keep an eye out for another;if I see one,I'll let you know.

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Hey Chris,

Thanks for the info on the Op! :bravo: So the Helos and crews from the rescue attempt were onboard?Wow!Were you sailors

let in on what was going to happen?Three Battle Groups together?!!Man,that must have looked awesome,and intimidating! :packin heat:

I would love to have seen that,but I'm sure that the Iranians would'nt have! :w00t:

If I get rid of this patch,I will give it to you,and in the meantime,I will keep an eye out for another;if I see one,I'll let you know.

 

Yeah, they kept the choppers in the hanger bay so the Soviet bears (recon planes) and trawlers wouldn't see them. Every once in a while they would scoot the choppers to the side so they could do weapons checks. I wish we had been given the chance to send them in. It would have made being at sea for so long worth while. We were at our fighting weight so to speak and we actually received the Battle "E" award for being the most Battle Ready Carrier in the Pacific. Oh well, coulda, shoulda, woulda, as they say!

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Patchcollector
Yeah, they kept the choppers in the hanger bay so the Soviet bears (recon planes) and trawlers wouldn't see them. Every once in a while they would scoot the choppers to the side so they could do weapons checks. I wish we had been given the chance to send them in. It would have made being at sea for so long worth while. We were at our fighting weight so to speak and we actually received the Battle "E" award for being the most Battle Ready Carrier in the Pacific. Oh well, coulda, shoulda, woulda, as they say!

 

 

Man that is amazing.Things must have been tense,in a good sort of way! :lol: I'm betting that those Russian recon crews were crapping in their pants thinking WW3 was getting ready to begin! :w00t: Thanks Chris for your first hand account! I enjoy hearing the personal recollections of people that

were at the "scene of the crime",so to speak.

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  • 4 years later...
Salvage Sailor

He had the Iranian Crisis patch on both front and back. This was probably his 1978 jacket and he added the 1979 patches on the next Westpac, the long one which established Camel Station during the Hostage Crisis

CV 63 USS KITTY HAWK WESTPAC 79 Jacket 002.jpg

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He had the Iranian Crisis patch on both front and back. This was probably his 1978 jacket and he added the 1979 patches on the next Westpac, the long one which established Camel Station during the Hostage Crisis

Wow, I like that WESTPAC 77-78 patch. Nice.

 

Mahalo

 

 

Wharf

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