KITTY HAWK CV 63

Ship Name and Designation History

This section lists the names and designations that the ship had during its lifetime. The list is in chronological order.

Kitty Hawk Class Aircraft Carrier Keel Laid 27 December 1956 - Launched 21 May 1960 USS KITTY HAWK CVA-63 Commissioned Attack Aircraft Carrier (CVA) 29 April 1961 USS KITTY HAWK CV-63 Reclassified Aircraft Carrier (CV) 29 April 1973 Decommissioned 12 May 2009

Naval Covers

This section lists active links to the pages displaying covers associated with the ship. There should be a separate set of pages for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Covers should be presented in chronological order (or as best as can be determined).

Since a ship may have many covers, they may be split among many pages so it doesn't take forever for the pages to load. Each page link should be accompanied by a date range for covers on that page.

1. USS Kitty Hawk CVA-63 / CV-63 Covers Page 1    (1956-2021)

 

Postmarks

This section lists examples of the postmarks used by the ship. There should be a separate set of postmarks for each incarnation of the ship (ie, for each entry in the "Ship Name and Designation History" section). Within each set, the postmarks should be listed in order of their classification type. If more than one postmark has the same classification, then they should be further sorted by date of earliest known usage.

A postmark should not be included unless accompanied by a close-up image and/or an image of a cover showing that postmark. Date ranges MUST be based ONLY ON COVERS IN THE MUSEUM and are expected to change as more covers are added.
 
>>> If you have a better example for any of the postmarks, please feel free to replace the existing example.

 

Postmark Type --- Killer Bar Text	Postmark Date	Thumbnail Link To Close-Up Image	Thumbnail Link To Full Cover Image

 

Locy Type FDC 2t(nu)

1961-04-29

As CVA-63
First Day in Commission.

 

Locy Type 2(n)

1963-11-19

As CVA-63

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) 1963

1966-06-06

As CVA-63
Rubber stamp Presidential Review cachet.

 

Locy Type 2(n+) (USS) 1969

1972-07-04

As CVA-63

 

Locy Type 2t(nu)

1962-02-08

As CVA-63
Rubber stamp ships' cachet.

 

Locy Type 2t(n+u) (USS)

1967-12-25

As CVA-63

 

Locy Type 2tnu (USS)

1984-06-12

As CV-63

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (A,USS)

1990-01-22

As CV-63

 

Locy Type 7qt(nu) (CVA,USS)

1967-02-11

As CVA-63

 

Locy Type 7qt(n+u) (CV,USS)

1974-02-04

As CV-63

 

Locy Type 7-2t(n+) (USS,FPO,AP 96623)

1995-01-07

As CV-63

 

Locy Type 9-1(L) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. K-20

1981-06-24

As CV-63

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. K-20b

1991-04-29

30th Anniversary

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (2000)

2000-12-04

Ships cachet. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 10ef (USS)

1965-02-24

Notes:

 

Locy Type 11-2an+ (USS,FPO AP 96634-2770)

2006-04-19

45th Anniversary, cachet by Bill Payden

 

Locy Type 11-2n+ (USS,FPO AP 96634-2770)

2006-04-19

45th Anniversary, cachet by Bill Payden

 

Locy Type 13-1(n+)u (USS)

1994-12-19

Former Locy Type F - USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. K-20d

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. K-20c

1991-04-29

30th Anniversary

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. K-20f

1996-04-29

35th Anniversary, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type F

1997-09-18

Crewmember Reunion, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type F FPO AP 96634-2770 Black Ink

2003-12-17

100th Anniversary of Powered Flight, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type F FPO AP 96634-2770 Red Ink

2003-12-17

100th Anniversary of Powered Flight, cachet by William J. Everett

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-10

2008-05-06

100th Anniversary of the Great White Fleet, Serviced by Thad Kaczkowski

 

Locy Type F "LAST RIDE" FPO AP 96634-2770

2008-08-28

Leaving San Diego CA, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type P [2(n) with "A" removed]

1981-06-24

As CV-63

 

Locy Type P [2(n+) of 1969 with "A" removed]

1973-06-25

Ship's cachet

 

Locy Type P [2(n+) of 1969 with "A" removed]

1983-04-18

75th Anniversary of the Great White Fleet's visit to San Diego CA. Cachet by USS San Diego Chapter No. 27, USCS

 

Locy Type Meter OFR2 (#520261) ZIP 96634

2004-04-28

Official Business

 

Locy Type LDPS 11-2n+ (USS,FPO AP 96634-2770)

2009-01-16

Last Day of Postal Service, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC 11-2an+ (USS,FPO AP 96634-2770)

2009-01-31

Decommissioning & Legacy Ceremony, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC 11-2n+ (USS,FPO AP 96634-2770)

2009-01-31

Decommissioning & Legacy Ceremony, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC F Black Ink

2009-01-31

Decommissioning & Legacy Ceremony, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type LDC F Red Ink

2009-01-31

Decommissioning & Legacy Ceremony, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

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USPS Pictorial Postmarks

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "Reunion Station" Pensacola, FL

2001-09-12

Crewmember Reunion & 40th Anniversary, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "Last Day In Commission Sta." Bremerton WA

2009-01-31

Cachet by McIntosh Cachets

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "50th Anniversary of Commissioning Station" Philadelphia PA

2011-04-29

Cachet by Richard F. Hoffner. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Other Information

USS KITTY HAWK earned the Presidential Unit Citation Ribbon, the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon (4 awards), the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (7 awards), the Navy "E" Ribbon (2 awards), the Navy Expeditionary Medal (2 awards), the National Defense Service Medal (3 awards), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (6 awards), the Vietnam Service Medal w/ 12 Campaign stars, the Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 1 Campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Humanitarian Service Medal, the Republic of Vietnam Meritorious Unit Citation Ribbon w/ Palm, the Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) during her Naval career.

NAMESAKE - Kitty Hawk, N.C., and for Kill Devil Hill, the site approximately four miles south of the village of Kitty Hawk, where Orville and Wilbur Wright made the first successful sustained powered flights in a heavier-than-air machine on 17 December 1903.

Two ships of the US Navy have borne the name KITTY HAWK - USS Kitty Hawk AKV-1 and USS Kitty Hawk CV-63.

The ships sponsor was Mrs. Camilla F. McElroy, wife of Mr. Neil H. McElroy, former Secretary of Defense (9 October 1957 – 1 December 1959).

 

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