USS Coral Sea’s 1979–1980 WestPac Deployment

Author: James K. Lewis

NOTE; I was on board the USS Coral Sea during all of this.

The USS Coral Sea (CV-43) embarked on a major Western Pacific deployment from November 13, 1979, to June 11, 1980, during one of the most tense periods in modern U.S. history: the Iran Hostage Crisis. On November 13, 1979, the carrier departed Alameda, California, for her WestPac deployment. The seizure of the U.S. Embassy in Tehran on November 4, 1979, and the taking of 63 American hostages set the stage for extended U.S. naval operations in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea.

After departing Alameda, the Coral Sea made a brief 6½-hour stop at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, for quick resupply. The expedited stopover reflected the urgency of U.S. naval movements in response to international developments, leaving no time for extended liberty, as the ship was needed to move directly toward the Gulf of Oman to provide support for potential contingency operations related to the hostages.

From Pearl Harbor, the carrier continued to Pusan, South Korea, arriving December 10–12, 1979, following the assassination of President Park Chung-hee. This stop was a brief diplomatic and operational transit point before moving southward. On December 22, 1979, Captain Richard M. Dunleavy relieved Captain Stanley R. Arthur as commanding officer, becoming the first Naval Flight Officer in history to command an aircraft carrier.

Before continuing on to Singapore, on February 2, 1980, the Coral Sea crossed the equator at 0° Lat. and 105° 40' E. Long. to initiate a crossing-the-line ceremony for crew members who had never previously crossed the equator. This traditional Navy ritual, also known as the shellback ceremony, formally inducted pollywogs as trusty shellbacks in the domain of King Neptune. The ceremony combined elements of naval tradition, camaraderie, and humorous “hazing” in a controlled, celebratory environment, giving the crew a morale-boosting experience.

Following the crossing, the carrier made port calls at Pattaya Beach, Thailand, and Singapore, allowing the crew brief liberty and resupply before proceeding to the northern Arabian Sea. On February 5, 1980, the Coral Sea relieved the USS Midway at Gonzo Station in the northern Arabian Sea. Over the next 102 consecutive days, the carrier supported U.S. operations during the Iran Hostage Crisis, maintaining continuous air and sea presence without any major engineering failures. During this period, the crew endured very cold conditions, with many sailors sleeping in heavy weather gear in their bunks, as the ship passed within about 300 miles south of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska.

On April 24, 1980, the Coral Sea, along with assorted other ships, played a critical supporting role in Operation Eagle Claw (Operation Evening Light), the attempt to rescue American hostages from Tehran using helicopters that took off that night from the USS Nimitz. The Coral Sea's aircraft were fully armed and ready to provide contingency cover and strike support for helicopters on the ground. The mission required the crew to go to battle stations. Normally, after battle stations drills, sailors would have time to relax, “shoot the bull,” or pass the time while waiting for clearance to return to their duty stations. This time, however, nobody was in a mind to do anything like that. The younger sailors sat around wide-eyed, with a look that basically said, “What the hell’s going on?” It was pucker time for real this time.

After about four hours, the captain came on the PA system and let us know what had happened. I will always remember what he said because I was freaked out of my mind over the possibilities of what was going on. He told us that he was releasing us from Red Alert to Yellow Alert and explained that the reason we went to Yellow Alert was because something had happened the previous night that might cause the Iranians to get a little upset with us.

Later, when I found out that it had been the failed helicopter rescue attempt that caused us to go to Red Alert, I thought, no kidding the Iranians would get upset at that. Unfortunately, mechanical failures with some helicopters led to a mid-operation cancellation, and the rescue attempt ended in failure.

Following Operation Eagle Claw, the Coral Sea steamed through Korean waters. In order to make it back to San Francisco in a reasonable amount of time, the ship took the great circle route north toward Alaska and then down the West Coast of Canada to San Francisco. During this transit, the crew crossed the International Date Line on June 5, leading to a shipwide joke about having “two fifths.” The passage was extremely cold, as the ship was approximately 300 miles south of the Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Many sailors slept in their racks wearing heavy weather gear, and even the men in the boiler room kept their jackets on next to the boilers to combat the frigid temperatures.

The Coral Sea then made port at Subic Bay, Philippines, arriving May 8–9, 1980, providing the crew rest and resupply after months of extended operations. On May 21, the Coral Sea departed Subic Bay for her return transit to Alameda, California, which she reached on June 10, 1980, marking the end of her challenging deployment.

During this deployment, the Coral Sea’s performance highlighted the ship’s operational endurance and the professionalism of her crew. The carrier and her crew were awarded the Navy Expeditionary Medal for their sustained efforts related to the Iran Hostage Crisis. This WestPac tour was also notable for the first and only time in U.S. Naval Aviation history that a carrier air wing deployed with all Marine Corps fighter assets—VMFA-323 and VMFA-531 F-4Ns—supporting Carrier Air Wing 14 during a period of hectic West Coast fighter transition.

Source Links

USS Coral Sea (CV-43) WestPac Cruise Book 1979–80. Navysite.de, .

"USS Coral Sea (CV-43) History." 

USS Coral Sea Tribute Site

"USS Coral Sea (CV-43)." Wikipedia

"Operation Eagle Claw." Wikipedia 

"USS Coral Sea (CV-43) Deployments & History. Hull Number 

"Dates & Events." USS Coral Sea CVA-43 Association, .