USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN (CVN-75) is the eighth Nimitz-class aircraft carrier of the United States Navy, named after the 33rd President of the United States, Harry S. Truman. The ship's callsign is Lone Warrior, and she is currently homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia.

The Truman battle flag was designed by the ship's crew and is a variation of the guidons carried by the companies of the 129th Field Artillery Regiment of the 35th Infantry Division, such as Battery D, the battery under the command of then Army Capt. Harry Truman during World War I. It consists of crossed cannons on a scarlet background with the phrase "Give 'em hell", a reference to Truman's 1948 reelection campaign.

The keel was laid by Newport News Shipbuilding on 29 November 1993 and the ship was christened on 7 September 1996.  HST was authorized and laid down as USS United States but her name was changed in February 1995 at the direction of then Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

Three Newport News ship workers died during construction when a pump room filled with methane and hydrogen sulfide gases during a sewage leak on 12 July 1997. They are commemorated by a brass plaque in the tunnel off Hangar Bay No. 1. The ship was christened on 7 September 1996, launched 13 September 1996, and the crew began moving aboard from contract housing in Newport News in January 1998. The ship successfully completed builder's sea trial on 11 June 1998 after a short delay due to noise issues in one of the reactor closure heads. The ship was officially accepted by the Navy on 30 June 1998 and was commissioned on 25 July 1998 at Naval Station Norfolk.

The keynote speaker of the commissioning ceremony was President Bill Clinton. Other notable attendees and speakers were: Rep. Ike Skelton, D-Mo., who pushed to have the carrier named after the 33rd president; Missouri Governor Mel Carnahan; Captain Thomas Otterbein, Truman’s first commanding officer; Secretary of Defense William Cohen; and Secretary of the Navy John H. Dalton.

HARRY S. TRUMAN got underway for the first time in August 1998 to conduct flight deck certifications, an evolution designed to test the ship’s ability to successfully launch and recover aircraft. Which was followed by numerous at sea periods for various training evolutions.

The Maiden deployment of HARRY S. TRUMAN began on 28 November 2000 with Carrier Air Wing 3 (CVW-3) embarked. After transiting the Suez Canal, the air wing flew 869 combat sorties in support of Operation Southern Watch (OSW), including a strike on Iraqi integrated air defense system sites on 16 February 2001, in a sanctioned response to Iraqi surface-to-air missile fire against United Nations Security Council coalition forces. Combat operations ended on 27 April and the ship returned to the U.S. on 23 May 2001. She then entered Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Va., for her first Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) on 5 September.

HST deployed on her second deployment on 5 December 2002, again with CVW-3 embarked, visiting Marseille, France, Souda Bay, Crete and Koper, Slovenia. Between 19 March and 18 April, airwing aircraft flew nearly 1,300 combat sorties from the Mediterranean Sea in the early stages of 2003 invasion of Iraq. The ship stopped in Portsmouth, England, before returning to Norfolk on 23 May 2003. HARRY S. TRUMAN conducted her second Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard from August 2003 to 13 February 2004.

On 2 June 2004, HARRY S. TRUMAN surged for Exercise Summer Pulse, deploying to the Mediterranean Sea. The ship called at Naples, Italy, and participated in Operation Majestic Eagle in the eastern Atlantic Ocean before returning home on 25 July.

On 1 October 2004, as part of a Navy-wide series of redesignations, HARRY S. TRUMAN‍'​s immediate superior in command (ISIC) changed to Carrier Strike Group Ten. The ship set out from Norfolk on her third extended deployment on 13 October 2004, and visited Souda Bay, Crete, before relieving USS JOHN F. KENNEDY on 20 November in the Persian Gulf. HARRY S. TRUMAN and CARRIER AIR WING 3 launched 2,577 sorties, totaling nearly 13,000 flight hours, flying combat missions over Iraq and maritime security operations before being relieved by USS CARL VINSON Carrier Strike Group in the Persian Gulf on 19 March 2005. Despite plans to cross the equator and visit South Africa, diplomatic issues caused her instead to transit the Suez Canal, stopping in Portsmouth, England, prior to returning home on 18 April 2005.

On 1 September 2005, in response to the disaster of Hurricane Katrina, HARRY S. TRUMAN set sail for the devastated U.S. Gulf Coast. She arrived in the Gulf of Mexico on 4 September and served as the flagship for the Naval task force. While the ship's strike group (Carrier Strike Group 10) commander, Rear Adm. Joseph Kilkenny, was appointed deputy commander of Joint Task Force Gulf Coast (also known as JTF Katrina & Rita), the ship remained anchored in the gulf and provided fresh desalinated water for the relief effort via helicopter. The carrier also provided support to JRB New Orleans in the form of aviation boatswain's mates and cooks to keep that station in operation. HARRY S. TRUMAN returned to home port in October 2005 after five weeks of relief efforts.

HARRY S. TRUMAN entered the Norfolk Naval Shipyard for a Docked Planned Incremental Availability in January 2006. The ship received many system upgrades, and underwent preventative maintenance to repair minor weld defects originating from the initial construction of the reactor plants. She left the yard in December 2006 and continued preparations for surge beginning in April 2007.

On 15 August 2007, an E-2C Hawkeye crashed after taking off from the carrier, killing all three crewmembers. On 5 November 2007 HARRY S. TRUMAN left Norfolk for her fourth extended deployment with CVW-3 embarked in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

HARRY S. TRUMAN returned to the United States on 4 June 2008. She first pulled into port in Naval Station Mayport, Florida in order to welcome aboard family and friends for a three-day "Tiger Cruise" or Family Day Cruise, before returning to Norfolk Naval Station on 4 June 2008. The ship was awarded her fourth Battle "E" award for the east coast (for 2008) in early 2009. Jimmy Buffett visited the ship and performed a concert on January 28th 2008.

HARRY S. TRUMAN completed a nearly seven-month Planned Incremental Availability at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, VA in February 2009. On 5 August 2009, EA-18G Growlers from Electronic Attack Squadron 129 (VAQ-129) and Electronic Attack Squadron 132 (VAQ-132) completed their first at-sea carrier-arrested landing aboard HARRY S. TRUMAN.

HARRY S. TRUMAN began a seven-month deployment to the 5th and 6th Fleet areas of operations in support of maritime security operations on 21 May 2010. She led a task force of 11 American warships and 5,000 men into the Suez Canal on 20 June 2010. The ship visited four ports during its 213 days at sea, including Marseille, France; Dubai, U.A.E; Manama, Bahrain; and Souda Bay, Crete, before returning to the United States on 20 December 2010.

On 2 February 2011, HARRY S. TRUMAN was awarded her third consecutive Battle "E". This was the sixth award in the ship's twelve-year history, having previously won the Battle "E" award in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009.

HARRY S. TRUMAN entered a Docked Planned Increment Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in late March 2011. On 28 February 2011, the aircraft carrier began its dry-docking planned incremental availability maintenance and yard overhaul period at Norfolk Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, Virginia. During this maintenance cycle, she received a new main mast, an upgrade in its close-in weapons systems, and the installation of the Automated Digital Network System (ADNS) which provides the carrier with enhanced communications and cooperative engagement capabilities to assess possible threats. HARRY S. TRUMAN completed this DPIA yard overhaul in early 2012 and begin preparations for its sixth overseas deployment. On 8 November 2011, Captain Tushar Tembe died after collapsing on the pier near the ship. Executive Officer Captain Craig Clapperton assumed command after Captain Tushar Tembe's death. Soon after Tembe's death Captain Dee Mewbourne assumed command and Captain Craig Clapperton resumed his position as Executive Officer.

On 7 April 2012, Norfolk Naval Shipyard completed the ship's nuclear power plant modernization and testing was to begin to ensure its readiness for sea trials lasting 90 days. HARRY S. TRUMAN returned to the fleet in the summer of 2012. On 26 November 2012, an X-47B Unmanned Combat Air System (UCAS) was hoisted on board the HARRY S. TRUMAN in preparation for an unmanned aircraft's first, carrier-based testing. She was the first aircraft carrier in Naval aviation history to host test operations for an unmanned aircraft. Testing on the X-47B was conducted over a three-week period that included in-port and underway demonstrations aboard. The X-47B successfully completed carrier deck tests on 18 December 2012.

On 22 July 2013, HARRY S. TRUMAN left for an extended deployment to the 5th Fleet area of responsibility, and settled into their mission of supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and the coalition of troops on the ground in Afghanistan.

On 14 February 2014, the Commander, Naval Air Force U.S. Atlantic Fleet named HARRY S. TRUMAN as the East Coast aircraft carrier Battle Effectiveness Award winner.

On 23 March 2014 HARRY S. TRUMAN officially turned over the watch to GEORGE H.W. BUSH in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of responsibility conducting maritime security operations and supporting theater security cooperation efforts.