USS Kitty Hawk strike group docks in HK

People Daily ^ | March 07, 2004

[Dr. Marten]

USS Kitty Hawk strike group docks in HK

USS Kitty Hawk visits HK

---

The USS Kitty Hawk strike group pulled into Hong Kong port Saturday with the approval of the Chinese government, revisiting the city more than 15 months since its last visit in November 2002.

Joining the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk for the port call are two ships from the strike group, the USS Chancellorsville (CG 62) and USS Cushing (DD 985), and the embarked Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 5.

Rear Adm. James D. Kelly, commander of the Carrier Group 5, also the embarked strike group commander, said at a news briefing that it's very pleasant for the strike group, as well as the sailors, to visit Hong Kong, for many will have chance sightseeing the beautiful city and buying goods.

Kelly said the strike group's visit here now is "absolutely not coincident with" the timing of the approaching poll in Taiwan.

The visit "has nothing to do with the election" there, he noted.

The commander did not tell how many days the strike group will stay, but normally the military ships dock in for two to six days.

[Dr. Marten]

"Kelly said the strike group's visit here now is "absolutely not coincident with" the timing of the approaching poll in Taiwan."

Of course it is not coincidental. The arrival of our carrier battlegroups are never coincidental. Nor was their arrival coincidental in 1996 when we sent to of them in response to China test firing missiles over Taiwan during their presidential elections.

Take heed China!

[Last Dakotan]

... and buying goods.

It is easier just to go directly to Wal-Mart.

[DustyMoment]

Ahh, the Chicken Hawk - a grand old lady of the sea.

Good to know she's still in business.

[aomagrat]

Is Ned Kelly's Last Stand still open?

Great bar!

[Spruce]

Nothin wrong with a bit of Gunboat Diplomacy.

[beckett]

My uncle, a Navy pilot, served as XO of the Kitty Hawk in the 60s. And before that he had more night landings on her than any other pilot in the Navy had on any other aircraft carrier.

She's been around a long time, you're right.

[lentulusgracchus]

Due to be laid up soon, from what I've read. Failed her predeployment ORI's last year, CO and Engineering Officer were relieved........but then you probably knew about that.

What I want to know is, how did they handle the Chinese requirement that the Chinese red rag fly above our colors during port visits? Hanoi's thugs have that law, too. It's also a violation of Navy regs.

I'd boycott Chinese ports before I displayed Old Glory trailing from a low staff below their bloodthirsty rag. That goes for the Canal Zone, too, where Chinese companies have taken over administering the canal and Chinese nationals are being imported by the shipload.

We're going to have issues down the road with these people, and I don't want to see anyone on our side yielding to Chinese one-upmanship, which is 5,000 years old and seems never to stop.

[DustyMoment]

Actually, I wasn't aware that she was ill, although I was beginning to wonder how much longer she would remain on active duty, she has to be pushing 40 years.

My last squadron deployed aboard her - I didn't, I went to the Philippines (tough duty) but spent a little time aboard her each time she came into port (Subic).

I know they don't last forever, but I hate to see them retire.

[GATOR NAVY]

What I want to know is, how did they handle the Chinese requirement that the Chinese red rag fly above our colors during port visits? Hanoi's thugs have that law, too. It's also a violation of Navy regs.

I've never been to China, but I've been to Hong Kong since the turnover and we didn't fly a PRC flag. I saw pictures of USS Vandegrift pulling into Vietnam last year. They had the Vietnamese flag on the signal yardarms and the U.S. ensign at the gaff. Even if they kept up the Vietnamese flag after they moored and shifted the ensign aft to the flagstaff, the U.S. ensign was at the place of honor. No flags (except for the church pennets) ever fly above the ensign on the same halyard. That's what the regs prohibit.

[lentulusgracchus]

Thanks for the info......I was sensitized to the issue by Slick's proposed final photo-stunt, of visiting a Chinese and a Vietnamese port trailing the U.S. colors below theirs. I figured he wanted to tell those thugs where his loyalties lay after all......as if his retirement package from the U.S. Government weren't enough for him. Fortunately, the Navy found enough wrinkles that the trip didn't come off. Parading a United States ship for his Commie pals -- it still makes my blood boil.

I was reminded of it again recently on seeing some photos of the VVAW demonstrating in front of the Pentagon and displaying the red-and-blue Viet Cong flag on U.S. soil. I'd have had them rounded up and prosecuted on Midway for high treason -- and then shot them all, and buried them at sea among the sunken hulks of the Imperial Japanese Navy. But then, I'm so unreasonable......

Thanks for the info.