USS Saratoga (CVA-60) 1958 Cruise Sweatshirt

The USS Saratoga (CVA-60) was a Forrestal-class attack carrier commissioned on April 14, 1956, and homeported at Naval Station Mayport, Florida. Named for the Battles of Saratoga in 1777, the pivotal engagements that turned the tide of the American Revolution. The 1958 Mediterranean deployment was one of Saratoga's earliest operational cruises, establishing the patterns of Cold War carrier presence that would define American sea power for decades. Operating with the Sixth Fleet, she and her embarked air wing made clear to Soviet naval forces and regional allies alike that the U.S. Navy was a permanent and capable presence in the Mediterranean basin. This sweatshirt honors the sailors who served aboard Saratoga during the 1958 cruise.