USS Independence (CV-62) 1997 Cruise Shirt

In 1997, USS Independence (CV-62) completed what would be her final major deployment before decommissioning in 1998. Operating from Yokosuka, Japan, Independence sustained the forward-deployed carrier mission in the Western Pacific — a fitting final chapter for a carrier that had answered the call through the Cold War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and decades of forward presence in service to the United States Navy.