NIMITZ CVN 68

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.

Nimitz Class Attack Aircraft Carrier Nuclear Keel Laid 22 June 1968 - Launched 13 May 1972 USS NIMITZ CVAN-68 Commissioned 3 May 1975 USS NIMITZ CVN-68 Redesignated Multi-Purpose Aircraft Carrier Nuclear (CVN) 30 June 1975

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 Nimitz CVAN-68 / CVN-68 Covers Page 1    (1968-2020)

 

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 2-2t(n) (USS,"CVAN",FPO NEW YORK 09501)

1975-05-03

CVAN-68. First Day in Commission

 

Locy Type FDC 9-1et(nu)

1975-05-03

CVAN-68. First Day in Commission. Add-on cachet by Richard F. Hoffner

 

Locy Type 2-1(n) (USS, CVAN)

1975-03-03

CVAN-68, Sea Trials

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. N-35

1987-07-02

CVN-68

 

Locy Type 2-1n+ (USS)

1980-05-26

CVN-68

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. N-35a

1989-05-03

CVN-68

 

Locy Type 2-1(n+) (USS) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. N-35b

1993-08-01

CVN-68

 

Locy Type 2-2mt(n+) (USS, FPO AP 96697-2820) (1995)

1996-05-20

CVN-68. Returning to Home Port, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-2t(n) (CVAN,USS,FPO NEW YORK 09501)

1975-09-02

CVN-68. 30th Anniversary of V-J Day, cachet by Richard F. Hoffner, sponsored by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type 2-2t(n) (CVN,USS,FPO NEW YORK 09501)

1978-06-28

CVN-68

 

Locy Type 2-2n+ (USS, FPO AE 09521-2820)

1998-02-19

CVN-68. Ships cachet. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 2-2n+ (USS, FPO AP 96620-2820)

2005-04-19

CVN-68. Ships cachet. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 2-2n (USS, 96620)

2017-06-04

CVN-68. Cachet by Thad Kaczkowski

 

Locy Type 7-2tn+ (09501)

1980-01-19

CVN-68. Sailor's Mail

 

Locy Type 7-2t(n+)(FPO 09542)

1980-10-01

CVN-68.

 

Locy Type 9-1e(n+u)(USS) 1990

1990-09-25

Unlisted in Postmark Catalog. Decommissioning of USS James Monroe SSBN-622. From the Bob Govern collection.

 

Locy Type 9-1e(n+u)(USS) 1996

1996-06-25

Decommissioning of USS Whale SSN-638. From the Bob Govern collection.

 

Locy Type 9-1(n+u) (USS) USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. N-35c

1993-12-25

CVN-68. Merry Christmas, cachet by Tom Armstrong
This cover is also postmarked from the USS Roanoke AOR-7, USS California CGN-36 and the USS Sacramento AOE-1

 

Locy Type 9-1et(n+u) (USS)

1997-07-01

CVN-68. At the Puget Sound Navy Yard, Bremerton WA, SCRAPPING is completed on the USS Seawolf SSN-575, USS Snook SSN-592, USS Patrick Henry SSN-599, USS Henry Clay SSBN-625
and the USS Baton Rouge SSN-689. Cachet by Tom Armstrong

 

Locy Type 9-2(n+) (USS, FPO AP 96697-2820)

1997-04-22

CVN-68. Add-on cachet by Richard F. Hoffner.

 

Locy Type 9-2n+ (USS, FPO AE 09521-2820)

1998-02-19

CVN-68. Ships cachet. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 9-2n+ (USS, FPO AP 96620-2820)

2005-04-19

CVN-68. Ships cachet. From the Thad Kaczkowski collection.

 

Locy Type 11-2n (USS, 96620) (NO FPO) (Horizontal Date)

2016-10-27

CVN-68. Navy Day. Cachet by Neal J. Mills

 

Locy Type 11-2n (USS, 96620) (NO FPO) (Vertical Date)

2020-10-29

CVN-68. Deployed to the Arabian Gulf. Cachet by Richard F. Hoffner

 

Locy Type 11-2n(USS, FPO AP 96620-2820)

2015-12-25

CVN-68. Christmas. Cachet by Neal J. Mills

 

Locy Type 11-2(n+)(USS, FPO AP 96620-2820)

2007-04-18

CVN-68. 65th Anniversary of Doolittle's Raid. Cachet by Douglas Ebert

 

Locy Type 11-2ny (USS, FPO AP 96620) (Unit 100103)

2021-09-30

CVN-68. Collectors request by Foster Miller, III. This is on the stuffer card received.

 

Locy Type 12-2n (USS, FPO AP 96620) (No Dial Rim)

2020-10-21

CVN-68. Deployed to the Arabian Gulf. Cachet by Richard F. Hoffner

 

Locy Type 12-2n (USS, FPO AP 96620-2820)

2017-12-25

CVN-68. Christmas. Cachet by Neal J. Mills. Front shown on the Naval Covers page.

 

Locy Type 12-2n (USS, FPO AP 96620)

2018-11-14

CVN-68. Received by Thad Kaczkowski. On piece from the back of a SASE.

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. N-35e

1991-08-18

CVN-68. Cachet by Tom Armstrong, sponsored by the USS Puget Sound Chapter No. 74, USCS. Contributed by Neal J. Mills.

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-10

2008-09-08

CVN-68. Contributed by Bill Payden.

 

Locy Type F

2010-05-03

CVN-68. 35th Anniversary of Commissioning, cachet originally created for the Commissioning by Frederick L. Karcher

 

Locy Type F USCS Postmark Catalog Illus. CD-11

2011-05-08

CVN-68. Cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS.

 

Locy Type F

2015-05-03

CVN-68. 40th Anniversary of Commissioning, cachet by the Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Locy Type P [2-2t(n) with "A" cut out]

1975-08-18

CVN-68

 

Locy Type Meter FR2 (#8014019) ZIP 98780

1994-01-10

Note:

 

Locy Type Meter FR2 (#8014930) "MAILED FROM ZIP CODE / 09521"

1998-09-01

Ships cachet. From the Richard F. Hoffner collection.

 

Locy Type Meter OFR2 (#520272) ZIP 98780

1992-05-21

As CVN-68

 

Locy Type Meter OFR3 (#504246) ZIP 96697

1993-06-23

CVN-68. Official Business

 

Locy Type Meter OFR3 (#504246) ZIP 98780

1992-06-03

Note:

 

Locy Type Meter PB6 (#0001936962) ZIP 96620

2020-05-06

CVN-68. From the Elgin E. Sink collection.

 

Locy Type RECD

2020-05-03

CVN-68. From the Tom Kean collection.

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USPS Pictorial Postmarks

 

USPS Slogan Machine Cancel "CHRISTENING OF / THE USS NIMITZ" Newport News, VA.

1972-05-13

Launching

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "40th Anniversary Station" Norfolk VA

2015-05-03

40th Anniversary of Commissioning.

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "45th Anniversary Sta." Newport News VA

2020-05-03

45th Anniversary of Commissioning. Cachet by Michael Brock

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Proposed Pictorial Postmark

 

USPS Pictorial Postmark "45th Anniversary Sta." Norfolk VA

2020-05-03

N/A

45th Anniversary of Commissioning. Initially scheduled to be issued in Norfolk, this postmark was changed to Newport News VA to facilitate better customer requests.

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Stamp Honoring the Ships Namesake

 

USPS FDOI Fredericksburg, TX

1985-02-22

N/A

FDOI - Nimitz stamp, cachet by Stephen Decatur Chapter No. 4, USCS

 

Other Information

USS NIMITZ has earned the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon (3 awards), the Navy Meritorious Unit Commendation Ribbon (3 awards), the Navy "E" Ribbon (2 awards), the Navy Expeditionary Medal (2 awards), the National Defense Service Medal (2 awards), the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal (2 awards), the Southwest Asia Service Medal w/ 1 Campaign star, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and the Kuwait Liberation Medal (Kuwait) during her Naval career as of 2019.

USS NIMITZ played a key role in the 1980 film "The Final Countdown"
starring Kirk Douglas, Martin Sheen, James Farentino, Charles Durning and Katharine Ross; directed by Don Taylor

NAMESAKE - Fleet Admiral Chester William Nimitz, USN (24 February 1885 – 20 February 1966)
Nimitz graduated the Naval Academy in 1905 and served until his death in 1966. Nimitz was a veteran of World War I and World War II and held the rank of Fleet Admiral. Nimitz played a major role in the naval history of World War II as Commander in Chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet and Commander in Chief, Pacific Ocean Areas, commanding Allied air, land, and sea forces during World War II and after World War II was nominated as Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) from 1945-1947. Because Fleet Admiral was a lifetime rank, Nimitz remained on active duty for the rest of his life, with full pay and benefits.

The ships sponsor was Catherine Nimitz Lay, the daughter of Admiral Nimitz.

 

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