Proud Daughter of a Vietnam Veteran

It was the 3rd of Aug 1969 at the age of 20 that my father enlisted in the United States Navy. He said his good-byes to family and friends and deployed out to sea on Oct 22,1970. Airman Gayle Myers spent his days during Vietnam aboard aircraft carrier USS Hancock CV/CVA-19.

WESTPAC

October 1970 - June 1971
6th Vietnam cruise (100 line days)

January 1972 - October 8972
7th Vietnam cruise (165 line days)







Aircraft from USS Hancock, along with those from USS Ranger and USS Oriskany, joined with other planes for air strikes against North Vietnamese missile and antiaircraft sites south of the 19th parallel in response to attacks on unarmed U.S. reconnaissance aircraft on November 21-22, 1970. USS Hancock alternated with Ranger and with USS Kitty Hawk on Yankee station until May 10, 1971 when she was relieved by USS Midway.

USS Hancock, along with USS Coral Sea, was back on Yankee station by March 30, 1972 when North Vietnam invaded South Vietnam. In response to the invasion, Naval aircraft from Hancock and other carriers flew tactical sorties during Operation Freedom Train against military and logistics targets in the southern part of North Vietnam. By the end of April, the strikes covered more areas in North Vietnam throughout the area below 20° 25'N. Between April 25 and 30th, aircraft from Hancock's VA-55, VA-164, and VA-211 struck enemy-held territory around Kontum and Pleiku. (http://www.uscarriers.net)