USS Normandy (CG-60)
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USS ''Normandy'' (CG-60) is a ''Ticonderoga''-class guided-missile cruiser in the service of the
United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...
. Armed with naval guns and anti-air, anti-surface, and anti-submarine missiles, plus other weapons, she is equipped for surface-to-air, surface-to-surface, and anti-submarine warfare. The cruiser was the first US warship since 1945 to go to war on her maiden cruise, and in 1998 was awarded the title "Most Tomahawks shot by a U.S. Navy Cruiser". She is named for the World War II
Battle of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) with the Norma ...
, which took place in France on, and following,
D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
.


Construction

''Normandy'' was laid down at
Bath Iron Works Bath Iron Works (BIW) is a major United States shipyard located on the Kennebec River in Bath, Maine, founded in 1884 as Bath Iron Works, Limited. Since 1995, Bath Iron Works has been a subsidiary of General Dynamics. It is the fifth-largest de ...
,
Bath, Maine Bath is a city in Sagadahoc County, Maine, in the United States. The population was 8,766 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Sagadahoc County, which includes one city and 10 towns. The city is popular with tourists, many drawn by its ...
, on 7 April 1987, launched on 19 March 1988, and commissioned on 9 December 1989. She is homeported in
Norfolk, Virginia Norfolk ( ) is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. Incorporated in 1705, it had a population of 238,005 at the 2020 census, making it the third-most populous city in Virginia after neighboring Virginia Be ...
.


Service history


Gulf War

Just one year after her commissioning in
Newport, Rhode Island Newport is an American seaside city on Aquidneck Island in Newport County, Rhode Island. It is located in Narragansett Bay, approximately southeast of Providence, Rhode Island, Providence, south of Fall River, Massachusetts, south of Boston, ...
, ''Normandy'' sailed into action in order to support the multinational effort to free Kuwait. ''Normandy'' and her crew left on 28 December 1990 to join United Nations forces conducting Operations
Desert Shield The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a Coalition of the Gulf War, 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Ba'athist Iraq, ...
and
Desert Storm The Gulf War was a 1990–1991 armed campaign waged by a 35-country military coalition in response to the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait. Spearheaded by the United States, the coalition's efforts against Iraq were carried out in two key phases: ...
. As part of the Battle Group, ''Normandy'' transited the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
and the
Red Sea The Red Sea ( ar, البحر الأحمر - بحر القلزم, translit=Modern: al-Baḥr al-ʾAḥmar, Medieval: Baḥr al-Qulzum; or ; Coptic: ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϩⲁϩ ''Phiom Enhah'' or ⲫⲓⲟⲙ ⲛ̀ϣⲁⲣⲓ ''Phiom ǹšari''; T ...
on her way to the
Persian Gulf The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Persis, Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a Mediterranean sea (oceanography), me ...
. ''Normandy'' fired 26 Tomahawk cruise missiles, protected allied ships and aircraft in the area, conducted maritime interdiction operations, and helped to locate and destroy enemy mines. She was the first US warship since 1945 to go to war on her maiden cruise.


Adriatic Operations

On 11 August 1995, ''Normandy'' and the Battle Group deployed to the
Adriatic Sea The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to t ...
in support of United Nations efforts with the war-torn
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Serbia and Montenegro ( sr, Cрбија и Црна Гора, translit=Srbija i Crna Gora) was a country in Southeast Europe located in the Balkans that existed from 1992 to 2006, following the breakup of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yu ...
. ''Normandy''s primary duty was Adriatic air-space controller for Operations Provide Promise,
Deny Flight Operation Deny Flight was a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operation that began on 12 April 1993 as the enforcement of a United Nations (UN) no-fly zone over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The United Nations and NATO later expanded the mis ...
, and Sharp Guard.


50th Anniversary of D-Day

In an historic first, ''Normandy'' embarked nine World War II veterans on 18 May 1994, for commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Allied landings on the coast of France. These activities took place in
Portsmouth Portsmouth ( ) is a port and city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. The city of Portsmouth has been a unitary authority since 1 April 1997 and is administered by Portsmouth City Council. Portsmouth is the most dens ...
, England, until 31 May, ending in
Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...
, France. Over 15,000 visitors toured the ship while ''Normandy''s honor guard embarked veterans participated in various memorial services and events on both sides of the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
. ''Normandy'' served as a centerpiece over the two-week course of ceremonies, and specifically for national commemorations at
Slapton Sands Slapton is a village and civil parish in the South Hams district of Devon, England. It is located near the A379 road between Kingsbridge and Dartmouth, and lies within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The nearby be ...
, United Kingdom, on 31 May, by U.S. Ambassador Crowe, and at the Normandy beachheads on 6 June, by President
Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton ( né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 and agai ...
. On 27 June 1994, ''Normandy'' participated in the
Naval Station New York Naval Station New York was a United States Navy Naval Station on Staten Island in New York City, closed in 1994. Opened in 1990, it was part of the Reagan administration's Strategic Homeport program. The station had two sections: a Strategic Ho ...
closing ceremonies.
Staten Island Staten Island ( ) is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Richmond County, in the U.S. state of New York. Located in the city's southwest portion, the borough is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull an ...
's Borough President,
Guy Molinari Gaetano Victor Molinari (November 23, 1928July 25, 2018) was an American lawyer and Republican politician from New York city. He represented Staten Island in the United States House of Representatives for four terms (1981–1989) and then ...
, and his daughter Congresswoman
Susan Molinari Susan Molinari (born March 27, 1958) is an American politician, company executive, journalist and lobbyist from New York. A member of the Republican Party, she sat in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1990 to 1997, representing Staten Island ...
were the featured speakers as the Navy turned the base over to the city's Emergency Services. After four years homeported at Staten Island, New York, ''Normandy'' departed for her new homeport of Norfolk, Virginia.


Operation Deliberate Force

On 28 August 1995, ''Normandy'' began a six-month deployment to the Mediterranean with ''America''. On 8 September, ''Normandy'' was in the Western Mediterranean conducting turnover with the outgoing battle group. After receiving immediate tasking to proceed at best speed to the Adriatic, ''Normandy'' sped across the at maximum speed. Arriving in the
Operation Deliberate Force Operation Deliberate Force was a sustained air campaign conducted by the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), in concert with the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) ground operations, to undermine the military capability of the ...
theater of operations on 10 September, ''Normandy'' launched a 13 Tomahawk missile strike against hostile air defense command and control sites in Lisina,
Bosnia-Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and Pars pro toto#Geography, often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of Southern Europe, south and southeast Euro ...
, north of the
Bosnian Serb The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...
stronghold of
Banja Luka Banja Luka ( sr-Cyrl, Бања Лука, ) or Banjaluka ( sr-Cyrl, Бањалука, ) is the second largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina and the largest city of Republika Srpska. Banja Luka is also the ''de facto'' capital of this entity. I ...
, between 20:40 and 20:45. The cruiser used a new type of Tomahawk missile, the Block-III model, which included for the first time
GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...
guidance in combination with its
TERCOM Terrain contour matching, or TERCOM, is a navigation system used primarily by cruise missiles. It uses a pre-recorded contour map of the terrain that is compared with measurements made during flight by an on-board radar altimeter. A TERCOM system ...
system based on
topographic Topography is the study of the forms and features of land surfaces. The topography of an area may refer to the land forms and features themselves, or a description or depiction in maps. Topography is a field of geoscience and planetary scie ...
maps. This gave flexibility and speed to the attack. This precision strike, flawlessly executed on extremely short notice, paved the way for follow-on tactical air strikes against
Bosnian Serb The Serbs of Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sr-Cyrl, Срби у Босни и Херцеговини, Srbi u Bosni i Hercegovini) are one of the three constitutive nations (state-forming nations) of the country, predominantly residing in the politi ...
military positions in the region. This action sent a strong signal of United States resolve and played a significant role in convincing the Bosnian Serb government to cease hostilities and resume peace negotiations. During the six-month deployment ''Normandy'' again served as Adriatic air-space controller for Operation Deny Flight, Sharp Guard, and Decisive Endeavor.


Exercise Bright Star and Operation Southern Watch

On 3 October 1997, ''Normandy'' once again began a six-month deployment, this time as Air Defense Commander of the battle group. Throughout the month of October, ''Normandy'' participated, along with 27 other international units, in Exercise Bright Star off the Egyptian coast. Upon completion of Bright Star, ''Normandy'' was directed to proceed at best speed to the Persian Gulf. Beginning 16 November, ''Normandy'', along with other units of the ''George Washington'' battle group, transited the Suez Canal, Red Sea,
Gulf of Oman The Gulf of Oman or Sea of Oman ( ar, خليج عمان ''khalīj ʿumān''; fa, دریای عمان ''daryâ-ye omân''), also known as Gulf of Makran or Sea of Makran ( ar, خلیج مکران ''khalīj makrān''; fa, دریای مکرا ...
, and
Arabian Sea The Arabian Sea ( ar, اَلْبَحرْ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Bahr al-ˁArabī) is a region of the northern Indian Ocean bounded on the north by Pakistan, Iran and the Gulf of Oman, on the west by the Gulf of Aden, Guardafui Channel ...
. In a record-setting five days, ''Normandy'' and ''George Washington'' entered the Persian Gulf and joined the Battle Group in an impressive show of force and United Nation resolve to Iraq. ''Normandy'' immediately assumed duties as the "Ready Strike" platform in the Gulf and, later, also assumed duties as the air-defense commander for the entire Persian Gulf. For four months ''Normandy'' patrolled the Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch. During this time, she conducted several successful maritime-interception operations along with her strike and air-defense duties. Throughout this deployment, ''Normandy'' achieved more than 300 mishap-free hours of flight operations, conducted 27 underway replenishments and sailed a total of . Underway for the holidays, ''Normandy'' hosted pop singer
Paula Cole Paula Cole (born April 5, 1968) is an American singer-songwriter. After gaining attention for her performances as a vocalist on Peter Gabriel's 1993–1994 Secret World Tour, she released her first album, ''Harbinger (Paula Cole album), Harbing ...
on 23 December. On Christmas morning, it hosted Chief of Naval Operations Admiral
Jay L. Johnson Jay Lynn Johnson (born June 5, 1946) is a retired United States Navy admiral who served as the 26th Chief of Naval Operations from 1996 to 2000. He was later president and chief executive officer of General Dynamics. Early life Johnson was born i ...
, his wife, and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy ETCM John Hagan. ''George Washington''s battle group was relieved by the Battle Group in the Persian Gulf, and ''Normandy'' returned to her homeport of Norfolk on 3 April 1998. ''Normandy'' finished a major overhaul period in Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 28 February.


Miscellaneous Activities

On 8 May 1990, ''Normandy'' responded to a distress call by the destroyer off of the coast of Virginia. A major fuel oil fire erupted from the ship's Forward Fire Room into the ship's superstructure, isolating the crew forward and aft. Fire crews from the ''Normandy'' boarded ''Conyngham'' via small boat transfer and were instrumental in extinguishing the fire. On 21 June 2000, ''Normandy'' and the ''George Washington'' Battle Group deployed to the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea. On 19 December, ''Normandy'' returned to Norfolk just in time for the holidays. On 20 June 2002, ''Normandy'' left the US East Coast on deployment. Again assigned to the ''George Washington'' Battle Group, ''Normandy'' returned to Norfolk in December 2002. In 2003, the ship was assigned to Cruiser-Destroyer Group 2. On 25 March 2005, ''Normandy'' left the East Coast with the assault ship ESG, deployed to the Mediterranean and Northern Persian Gulf. ''Normandy'' returned to Norfolk in October 2005. In April 2007, ''Normandy'' deployed on her 7-month NATO cruise. The ship's crew was awarded the Article 5 NATO Medal. She returned on Halloween after 200 days of showing the flag, in the process becoming the first ship to circumnavigate Africa. On this cruise, sailors on board earned their Bluenose and Emerald Shellback. On 13 January 2010, ''Normandy'' was ordered to assist in humanitarian efforts following the
2010 Haiti earthquake A disaster, catastrophic Moment magnitude scale, magnitude 7.0 Mw earthquake struck Haiti at 16:53 local time (21:53 UTC) on Tuesday, 12 January 2010. The epicenter was near the town of Léogâne, Ouest (department), Ouest department, a ...
. On 20 May 2010, ''Normandy'' deployed to the Persian Gulf for a seven-month deployment. It returned on 12 December 2010, on a bitterly cold, snowy day. In 2012, ''Normandy'' deployed for two months to the Baltic Sea in support of diplomatic relations in regards to BaltOps 2012 and FRUKUS 2012 (France, Russia, United Kingdom, and United States). On 20 April 2015, ''Normandy'' along with were deployed off the coast of Yemen to intercept suspected Iranian weapons shipments intended for the
Houthi The Houthi movement (; ar, ٱلْحُوثِيُّون ''al-Ḥūthīyūn'' ), officially called Ansar Allah (' ''Partisans of God'' or ''Supporters of God'') and colloquially simply Houthis, is an Islamist political and armed movement that ...
rebels, who are locked in battle with Yemeni government forces. On 9 February 2020 while patrolling in the Arabian Sea, ''Normandy'' captured a stateless dhow carrying a cargo of 358 missiles, Iranian surface-to-air missiles.


Awards

''Normandy'' received the
Navy Unit Commendation The Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) is a United States Navy unit award that was established by order of the Secretary of the Navy James Forrestal on 18 December 1944. History Navy and U.S. Marine Corps commands may recommend any Navy or Marine Co ...
, the
National Defense Service Medal The National Defense Service Medal (NDSM) is a service award of the United States Armed Forces established by President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1953. It is awarded to every member of the US Armed Forces who has served during any one of four sp ...
, and the
Southwest Asia Service Medal The Southwest Asia Service Medal (SASM or SWASM) is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was created by order of President George H.W. Bush on March 12, 1991. The award is intended to recognize those military service members ...
(with two bronze stars) for her efforts in support of Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. She was awarded her second Navy Unit Commendation Medal in June 1994, for her extensive participation in events commemorating D-Day. ''Normandy'' was awarded her third Navy Unit Commendation and the
Meritorious Unit Commendation The Meritorious Unit Commendation (MUC; pronounced ''muck'') is a mid-level unit award of the United States Armed Forces. The U.S. Army awards units the Army MUC for exceptionally meritorious conduct in performance of outstanding achievement or s ...
for her actions during her time in the Adriatic. In 1997, she won the
Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award The Marjorie Sterrett Battleship Fund Award is presented annually by the U.S. Navy's Chief of Naval Operations to one ship in the U.S. Atlantic Fleet and one in the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Generally the recipient is the ship with the highest score in ...
for the Atlantic Fleet. Along with the 1998 title "Most Tomahawks shot by a US Navy cruiser",CG 60 Normandy "Vanguards of Victory"
/ref> ''Normandy'' holds three Battle "E" Awards for overall ship-wide excellence in performance.


Coat of arms


Shield

The lettering, lion, anchor, and perimeter of the shield are gold. The border beneath the lettering and the crest background are dark blue. These are the color traditionally associated with the Navy. The caltraps symbolize mines and German defenses on the Normandy beaches. The anchor characterizes sea power and strength. The chevron is broken and thrust forward, denoting the assault landing and the "breaking through" the enemy defenses; it is white for honor and integrity, edged with red for valor, sacrifice, and bloodshed.


Crest

The
pole star A pole star or polar star is a star, preferably bright, nearly aligned with the axis of a rotating astronomical body. Currently, Earth's pole stars are Polaris (Alpha Ursae Minoris), a bright magnitude-2 star aligned approximately with its ...
signifies the Allied Forces that joined for the Normandy Invasion. It also portrays the four points of the globe, signifying the worldwide mission of the ''Normandy''. The gold lion, adopted from the Coat of Arms of Normandy, France, represents the location of the assault and characterizes the courage, strength, and determination of the invasion forces. He grasps an inflamed trident in honor of Neptune, mythological lord of the sea, and code name for the Navy's crucial gunfire support and the delivery of land forces in the Battle of Normandy.


Motto

The words, "VANGUARD OF VICTORY," underscore the Battle of Normandy as the spearhead of the Allied defense which turned the tide of war in Europe, as well as the leading role of the AEGIS cruiser in today's world as a defender of world freedom.


References


External links


Official web site


{{DEFAULTSORT:Normandy (CG-60) Ticonderoga-class cruisers Ships built in Bath, Maine 1988 ships Gulf War ships of the United States Cold War cruisers of the United States Cruisers of the United States 2010 Haiti earthquake relief Military units and formations of the Bosnian War