Family members wait anxiously on the pier as the USS Kitty Hawk returns from the Persian Gulf. (Jim Schulz/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOSUKA NAVAL BASE, Japan — Balloons, lots of ’em, in a rainbow of colors. Everywhere, American flags, both tiny and huge. Handmade signs. Booming music, clapping, arm-waving, cheering. Kisses and hugs, more of them, even, than balloons.
And the good tears, the kind that spring from joy.
The USS Kitty Hawk is home.
Hundreds of family and friends waited pierside as the massive aircraft carrier moored at its permanent dock for the first time since leaving Jan. 20 to support Operation Iraqi Freedom in the Persian Gulf. Also returning Tuesday were the USS Cowpens and USS John S. McCain.
Petty Officer 3rd Class Rodney Bundy, from St. Paul, Minn., stands at attention as the Kitty Hawk pulls in to its home port Tuesday morning, May 6, 2003. (Joseph Giordono/Stars and Stripes)
Jill Espinosa, wife of Petty Officer 2nd Class David Espinosa and Cheyene Miller, wife of Petty Officer 3rd Class Shane Miller, wave to their sailors on the USS Kitty Hawk. Both ladies were the winners in the ship’s “First Kiss Contest,” which allowed them to see their husbands earlier than most spouses — and engage in a long overdue kiss. (Greg Tyler/Stars and Stripes)
Family members of the sailors from USS Kitty Hawk cheer as they “man the rails” upon the ship’s return from a deployment to the Persian Gulf. (Greg Tyler/Stars and Stripes)
Sailors wave to friends and family on the pier in Yokosuka as the USS Kitty Hawk returns home from Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Jim Schulz/Stars and Stripes)
Erin Hoefer hugs her husband, Petty Officer 1st Class Ron Hoefer, upon the return of the USS Kitty Hawk. The carrier returned Tuesday, May 6, 2003, from a deployment to the Persian Gulf, where it supported Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Jim Schulz/Stars and Stripes)
Just before the Kitty Hawk was in range of tugboats, as the sun rose and tried to burn through ocean haze, sailors in freshly pressed dress whites started making their way to the flight deck, taking pictures of each other and talking excitedly about all the things they missed about being in port.
And then: “Man the rails!”
When the order was given, sailors sprinted across the deck to get the coveted spots on the ship’s starboard side — the side that gets tied to the pier.
As the pier came into view, music started blaring. On this morning, one that sailors had been anticipating for more than 100 days, the song was perfect: “Mama, I’m Coming Home,” by Ozzy Osbourne.
“This never gets old,” said Petty Officer 3rd Class Tamra Hull, a 21-year-old from Fort Worth, Texas. “I love coming into port, and this time is special.”
Kitty Hawk sailors man the rails as the ship pulls into Yokosuka Tuesday morning, May 6, 2003. (Joseph Giordono/Stars and Stripes)
Kitty Hawk sailors wave American flags as the ship pulls into port Tuesday morning, May 6, 2003, after a four-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. (Joseph Giordono/Stars and Stripes)
Lt. Clark Hickingbottom hugs his wife Charlotte at Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan, after returning from a four-month deployment. Hickingbottom was deployed aboard USS Kitty Hawk with Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron One Four in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (John E. Woods/U.S. Navy )
Kitty Hawk sailors look on as their homeport in Yokosuka comes into view Tuesday morning, May 6, 2003. (Joseph Giordono/Stars and Stripes)
Across the bay, sailors on a half-dozen Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force ships manned the rails in their dress whites, welcoming home the Kitty Hawk.
“C’mon, c’mon, let’s get this thing tied up already,” one sailor said over and over, eagerly scanning the crowd.
After a seemingly endless wait, the first brow was attached to the ship. First ashore was Capt. Thomas Parker, the Kitty Hawk’s skipper, and Howard Baker, U.S. ambassador to Japan, who flew by helicopter to the ship to convey greetings from President Bush. Soon, the rest of the crew started filing off — including Airman Travis Hyde, 22, of Twin Falls, Idaho. As he stepped on solid ground, his eyes danced and he smiled broadly.
“The whole thing was kind of exciting, and a little scary, all at the same time,” he said, referring to the past 100 days and the ship’s role in the war.
“It feels great to be back, and I feel proud to be an American. Very proud, very proud.”
Kenneth Mills holds his sign up for his daddy’s arrival on the USS Kitty Hawk. (Jim Schulz/Stars and Stripes)
USS Kitty Hawk family members wave as the ship returns from Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Jim Schulz/Stars and Stripes)
Kitty Hawk sailors wave flags as they man the rails Tuesday morning, May 6, 2003. The ship came home to Yokosuka after a four-month deployment to the Persian Gulf. (Joseph Giordono/Stars and Stripes)
Two sailors from Carrier Airborne Early Warning Squadron One One Five, call out to friends from the bus, happy to be back home at Atsugi Naval Air Facility, Japan. The squadron was deployed for four months in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. (Joshua. C. Millage/U.S. Navy)
