USS Independence (CVA-62) 1970-71 Cruise Sweatshirt

In 1970-71, USS Independence (CVA-62) deployed to the Western Pacific as the Nixon administration pursued Vietnamization — withdrawing American ground forces while maintaining air power. Operating from Yankee Station, Independence's air wing continued the carrier mission in support of remaining American and South Vietnamese forces, sustaining naval aviation's crucial role as the war's strategic calculus shifted.