US Navy Veterans Site
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Collision at Sea On June 17, 1967, the USS Platte was sailing west in the Pacific, heading for another tour of duty in the Gulf of Tonkin. We were about 3000 miles north of the Hawaiian Islands when we got a call from the USS Kitty Hawk CV63, the famous aircraft carrier. The Kitty Hawk was heading east to CONUS (the continental United States for you land lubbers) on her way home from Subic. Kitty Hawk was in a hurry to make San Diego (not San Francisco as previously thought) because there was a big welcome home party waiting for them. She wanted fuel. Unfortunately, the weather was terrible due to a typhoon in the region and the seas were big and the sky was black. But, Kitty Hawk got her way. Once along side the Platte, the sea between the ships was unbelievably huge! The ships got sucked into a huge swell and collided. It was like an 18 wheeled Mack truck hitting a Chevy on an icy highway. The Platte was crushed like a beer can. But the Platte was able hobble down to Pearl Harbor on her own steam. She spent 30 straight days, 24/7, getting welded back together. The whole crew had to leave the ship and stay on the submarine base. It was great visiting Hawaii, except that my seaman pay ran out in two days!
The following photos were taken and contributed by Ken Carney who served aboard the Kitty Hawk:Thanks for the photos Ken! And this photo contributed by Ray Stokely AQB2 also form the Kitty Hawk:
"It's Not Just a Job. It's an Adventure!"
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