There are many USS Nimitz challenge coins found on sale on eBay but one great design which you can find is available on a limited edition and is exclusively minted for U.S. Challenge Coins only. Another variety of USS Nimitz challenge coins is all found on display at the Mall of Coins.
The USS Reagan (CVN-76) challenge coin is a Nimitz class super carrier named after the 40th president of the United States. This 2″ round token is one of the limited editions of the USS Nimitz challenge coins that is exclusively minted by U.S. Challenge Coins that is painted on both sides with 3D on one side and without any epoxy or edging. Another variety is the one sold at the Mall of Coins website were the coin shows off its insignia with five stars in honor of the US Navy’s last fleet admiral. This 1.5″ round challenge coin weighs 0.10 lbs.
USS Nimitz (CVN-68) was launched and commissioned as CVAN-68 on May 3, 1975. It is one of the largest warships in the world, a super carrier of the United States Navy and the lead ship of her league. It was named after the World War II Pacific fleet commander Chester W. Nimitz, the last fleet admiral of the Navy and was nicknamed “Old Salt”. It is also the only carrier of its league and the latest super carrier that is not named after someone who had held elective office in the United States.
Destined to be the largest warship ever, it was commissioned by President Gerald R. Ford speaking over a crowd of 20,000. During the president’s speech, he said that the Nimitz will be the United States symbol of strength and resolve, made in America and manned by Americans.
Its first deployment on July 7, 1976 marked the first time of nuclear – powered ships deployed to the Mediterranean in 10 years. It was awarded the Battle “E” for being the most efficient and the number one aircraft carrier in the Atlantic Fleet on November 1976.
During its third cruise, it was dispatched to strengthen the U.S. naval presence in the Indian Oceans when the tension heightened over Iran’s hostage taking of 52 Americans. Operation “Evening Light” was launched as an attempt to rescue the hostages from Nimitz which was later aborted. It continuously operated at sea for 144 days and it received the largest homecoming given to any carrier battle group on May 26, 1980 since World War II.
On its fourth deployment on August 18 and 19, 1981, Nimitz together with USS Forrestal conducted an open ocean missile exercise at the Gulf of Sidra called the “Line of Death” by Libyan leader Khadafi. In the morning of August 19, Libyan pilots fired at two Nimitz aircraft which forced the Nimitz pilots to return fire and shot both Libyan aircrafts from the sky. This caused the newspapers in the US to rally around the incident against terrorist backing Libya.
It was ordered to speed back to the Eastern Mediterranean on June 14, 1985 when the TWA Flight 847 was hijacked by Shiite Muslims and remained at sea until it returned to its new homeport in Bremerton, Washington on July 2, 1987.
The ship operated off at the South Korean coast to provide security during the Seoul Olympic Games in September 1988. It also participated in the Operation “Earnest Will” wherein U.S. Navy ships are called to protect shipping lanes and escort U.S. registered (re-flagged) Kuwaiti tankers. It relieved the USS Ranger on February 25, 1991 during the Operation Desert Strom and later deployed to relieve the USS Kitty Hawk in support of Operation Southern Watch on February 1, 1993.
By November 1995, USS Nimitz was deployed again in the waters off Taiwan and helped in calming the volatile standoff between mainland China and Taiwan. It stood out on her 10th overseas deployment on March 3, 2003 in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom.
The USS Nimitz Strike Group including the CVW – 11 was deployed on July 31, 2009 to begin flying combat missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom.
It was awarded the Meritorious Unit Commendation in January 2010 while in the Persian Gulf for its support on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.
Starting late this year, USS Nimitz is going to be stationed at the Naval Station Everett in Washington and is set to replace the USS Abraham Lincoln Nimitz class carrier.
