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US Navy Bicentennial 1775-1975 & 1776-1976 Happy Birthday America


Salvage Sailor
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Salvage Sailor

Aloha Everyone,

 

In 1975 the US Navy celebrated it's 200th Birthday which continued into the 1976 United States of America Bicentennial. During this time period all commissioned USN vessels flew the 'Don't Tread On Me' Snake Jack on the bows of our ships and many commands made patches to commemorate the Bicentennial.

 

These are from my personal collection that I picked up during my service days circa 1975-1976 plus others I've collected in subsequent years. Feel free to add your own examples to the topic.

 

First up, this is the hard to find USN 200th Birthday 1775-1975 patch made by Gemsco in gold

 

USN Bicentennial gold Gemsco 002.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial gold Gemsco 004.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial USS KITTY HAWK 1975 jack 001.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

This is the commercial version sold to the public but also available in ships stores and Navy exchanges

USN Bicentennial blue Gemsco 002.jpg

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Salvage Sailor

This is the Swiss Tex 1975 Long may it Wave Flag patch

 

USN Bicentennial flag Swiss Tex 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial flag Swiss Tex 002.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

Liberty Bell Patches

 

USN Bicentennial 001.jpg

1976 Bicentennial Liberty Bells

USN Bicentennial 003.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial 002.jpg

1976 Bicentennial Liberty Bells

USN Bicentennial 004.jpg

 

 

 

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Salvage Sailor

Original USN Nuclear Task Group '75 - North Atlantic Cruise August-September 1975

U.S. Navy Bicentennial Cruise

USS NIMITZ (CVAN-68) Nuclear Aircraft Carrier, Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) embarked

USS SOUTH CAROLINA (CGN-37) Nuclear Cruiser

USS SEAHORSE (SSN-669) Nuclear Submarine

 

USN Bicentennial Nuclear Task Group 75 001.jpg

 

USS Nimitz and USS South Carolina got underway from Norfolk, VA August 19, 1975 and rendezvoused five days later with USS Seahorse at sea. Nimitz and South Carolina arrived in Norfolk on September 15, 1975. Ports of Call included Wilhelmshaven/Bremerhaven in (then) West Germany; Edinburgh, Scotland, where teams from Nimitz and South Carolina participated in the world-famous Braemer Games; and Portsmouth, England. Exercises were conducted with the West Germans, NATO's Standing Naval Force, and with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force, including four RAF F-4s that operated from the Nimitz, in Exercise NIMEX. The November 1975 issue of All Hands covered the cruise in great detail.

 

USN Bicentennial Nuclear Task Group 75 002.jpg

 

 

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Salvage Sailor

One of my Salvage sister ships USS COCOPA (ATF-101) Commissioned in 1943, note the official 1976 Bicentennial logo

 

"Keep on Tuggin' Grandma" Bicentennial 1976

 

USN Bicentennial ATF 101 USS COCOPA 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial ATF 101 USS COCOPA 002.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

USS FORRESTAL (CV-59) W Division

Keepers of the Nuclear Dragon 1976

 

USN Bicentennial CV 59 USS FORRESTAL W Division 1976 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial CV 59 USS FORRESTAL W Division 1976 002.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64)

Namesake of the famous American Revolution 38 gun Frigate

 

USN Bicentennial CV 64 USS CONSTELLATION Ball Cap 1975 1976 001.jpg

 

USS CONSTELLATION (CV-64) 1975 Ball Cap Patch

 

USN Bicentennial CV 64 USS CONSTELLATION Ball Cap 1975 1976 002.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial CV 64 USS CONSTELLATION Ball Cap 1975 1976 003.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

1976 Nimitz Nuclear Task Group Mediterranean Sea Swiss Tex

 

USN Bicentennial CVN 68 USS NIMITZ Med Cruise 1976 Swiss Tex 001.jpg

 

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USS IWO JIMA (LPH-2) Bicentennial Med Cruise 1976

 

USN Bicentennial LPH 2 USS IWO JIMA Med Cruise 1976 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial LPH 2 USS IWO JIMA Med Cruise 1976 002.jpg

 

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USS SARATOGA (CV-60) 1976 Bicentennial Med Cruise Point Esther

 

USN Bicentennial CV 60 USS SARATOGA Med Cruise 1976 Point Esther 001.jpg

 

While the USA partied it up in July 1976, the USS SARATOGA Battle Group was offshore during the 1976 Beirut Crisis steaming back and forth, back and forth at imaginary Point Esther in the Mediterranean for 40 days and nights. Many forget the earlier Beirut Crisis days of 1976 (and 1957 too)

 

USN Bicentennial CV 60 USS SARATOGA Med Cruise 1976 Point Esther 002.jpg

 

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USS RANGER (CV-61) Gaggle Patch 1976

 

USN Bicentennial CV 61 USS RANGER 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial CV 61 USS RANGER 002.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

USS INDEPENDENCE (CV-62)

Her battle group was also dispatched to the Med in 1975-1976

 

USN Bicentennial CV 62 USS INDEPENDENCE Med Cruise 1975 1976 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial CV 62 USS INDEPENDENCE Med Cruise 1975 1976 002.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

USN Attack Squadron VA-76 aboard USS ENTERPRISE

North Atlantic-Mediterranean Cruise 1975-1976, a busy time in the Med for the USN

 

USN Bicentennial VA 65 NORLANT MED 1975 1976 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial VA 65 NORLANT MED 1975 1976 002.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

Not to overlook our shipmates in the USNR,

1976 VR-55 Bicentennial Minute Men

 

USN Bicentennial VR 55 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial VR 55 002.jpg

 

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firefighter

One of my Salvage sister ships USS COCOPA (ATF-101) Commissioned in 1943, note the official 1976 Bicentennial logo

 

"Keep on Tuggin' Grandma"

Great looking patches. Is that the Granny from PLAYBOY?

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Salvage Sailor

Great looking patches. Is that the Granny from PLAYBOY?

 

Yep

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Salvage Sailor
On 7/4/2017 at 10:38 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

While the USA partied it up in July 1976, the USS SARATOGA Battle Group was offshore during the 1976 Beirut Crisis steaming back and forth, back and forth at imaginary Point Esther in the Mediterranean for 40 days and nights. Many forget the earlier Beirut Crisis days of 1976 (and 1957 too)

 

USS SARATOGA (CV-60) 1976 Bicentennial Med Cruise Point Esther

 

1976 Bicentennial Beirut crisis patch

AIMD USS SARATOGA (CV-60) Med Cruise 1976

USN Bicentennial CV 60 USS SARATOGA Med Cruise 1976 AMID 001.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

1976 American Revolution Bicentennial

 

USN Bicentennial 005.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial 006.jpg

 

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Salvage Sailor

The other Gemsco U.S. Navy 1775-1975 Bicentennial patch and the USMC version

 

USN Bicentennial Gemsco 001.jpg

 

USMC Bicentennial Gemsco 001.jpg

 

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  • 4 weeks later...
Salvage Sailor

Sneaking in a Coastie patch.....

 

USCGC POLAR STAR (WAGB-10) Icebreaker

BICENTENNIAL BREAKOUT - ARCTIC ICE TEST

 

WAGB 10 USCGC POLAR STAR Bicentennial 1976 001.jpg

 

WAGB 10 USCGC POLAR STAR Bicentennial 1976 002.jpg

 

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  • 2 months later...
Salvage Sailor
On 7/4/2017 at 9:59 AM, Salvage Sailor said:

Aloha Everyone,

 

In 1975 the US Navy celebrated it's 200th Birthday which continued into the 1976 United States of America Bicentennial. During this time period all commissioned USN vessels flew the 'Don't Tread On Me' Snake Jack on the bows of our ships and many commands made patches to commemorate the Bicentennial.

 

These are from my personal collection that I picked up during my service days circa 1975-1976 plus others I've collected in subsequent years. Feel free to add your own example to the topic.

 

First up, this is the hard to find USN 200th Birthday 1775-1975 patch made by Gemsco in gold

 

Carded Gemsco Gold version

 

US NAVY 200th Birthday Gemsco Gold 001.jpg

 

USN Bicentennial gold Gemsco 004.jpg

 

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