USS Forrestal (CVA-59) 1975 Cruise Sweatshirt

USS Forrestal (CVA-59) was the first purpose-built supercarrier of the postwar era, commissioned in 1955 and named for James V. Forrestal, the first Secretary of Defense. Designated as an attack carrier, she set the template for every fleet carrier that followed — the angled deck, the size, the capability — and deployed repeatedly to the Mediterranean as one of the most powerful warships in the world. In July 1967, a catastrophic fire on her flight deck off Vietnam cost the lives of 134 sailors and changed how the Navy approaches damage control. Forrestal served for decades more after that tragedy, decommissioning in 1993. This sweatshirt commemorates the 1975 cruise — the year the attack carrier designation CVA was retired across the fleet, and Forrestal continued her service in the Mediterranean, her record as formidable under the new designation as it had always been.

• 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Pre-shrunk fabric
• Air-jet spun yarn for a softer feel
• Double-needle stitching throughout