The Abraham Lincoln earned her place in history on May 1, 2003, when President George W. Bush landed on her flight deck to announce the end of major combat operations in Iraq. But CVN-72's legacy runs far deeper than one moment—she has led carrier battle groups across the Pacific and into the Persian Gulf for decades, projecting power and keeping the peace. Her crew has always understood that freedom is not free, and they have paid that price willingly, cruise after cruise.