USS America (CVA-66) 1968 Full Print Cruise Jacket - Shellback

The 1968 cruise of USS America (CVA-66) stands as one of the most demanding deployments in carrier aviation history. When the Tet Offensive erupted on January 31, her aircraft were already in position—launching strikes and close air support missions over Vietnam as the war entered its most intense and consequential phase. Crossing the equator during that deployment earned her crew membership in the Ancient Order of Shellbacks, the time-honored naval fraternity of those who have proved themselves to King Neptune. The Shellback designation on this cruise jacket marks not just a line of latitude, but the full measure of what was asked—and what was given—during USS America's 1968 deployment.