Playing CARDS from USS Newport News CA–148 Vietnam War 1967-1968 USN Card Deck

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USS Newport News (CA–148), Playing Cards, Full Deck This is an exceptionally nice souvenir of the day & night activities during the long Cruse on the Big Guns, the USS Newport News. During its Vietnam War deployment from 1967 through 1968 a trip to the commissary and you are in business. This is a real 52 card deck ready to be used for poker or solitary, the cards feature a wonderful front cover photo of the warship under steam . Box measures 3-3/4” by 2-2/8" and is 7/8" thick. Condition: New in Package, an estate item in overall good shape. The original Plasticine wrap is still bright and shiny ( one pictured shows a large shrinkage split in wrapper) but is otherwise unopened, and a great slice of history. OK after you have seen this listing and checked out the matching cruse book, ask me about combined S&H. Yes, buy a cruse book, and enjoy owning a free deck of cards. --- History / Wikipedia:The USS Newport News (CA–148) was a Des Moines-class heavy cruiser in the United States Navy. Newport News was laid down 1 November 1945; launched on 6 March 1948 by Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Company, Newport News , Virginia . The vessel was sponsored by Mrs. Homer L. Ferguson upon commissioning on 29 January 1949, Captain Roland N. Smoot commanding. It was the first air-conditioned surface ship in the United States Navy,[1 ] and the last all-gun heavy cruiser in commission in naval history.On 1 September 1967, Commander Second Fleet shifted his flag to USS Springfield, and Newport News departed Norfolk 5 September for a six-month deployment to Southeast Asia . Arriving Da Nang , South Vietnam , on the morning of 9 October, she became the flagship of ComCruDesFlot 3. That night, at 2300, she fired her eight-inch rifles for the first time in anger against shore targets in North Vietnam as part of Operation Sea Dragon. Newport News spent some 50 days patrolling the coast of North Vietnam as part of Operation Sea Dragon – the Navy’s effort to destroy waterborne logistics craft as well as military supply routes ashore in North Vietnam . During this period, the ship conducted 156 strikes against enemy targets and, in the execution of these strikes, 325 North Vietnamese coastal defense sites were taken under fire. According to spotters’ reports, Newport News sank 17 waterborne logistics craft, damaged another 14 and destroyed several enemy bunker and radar sites, bridges, barges, trucks and roads. The ship was subjected to hostile fire on several occasions, but each time countered effectively and silenced the enemy batteries. On 19 December 1967, Newport News exchanged fire with 20–28 separate shore batteries, simultaneously, off the coast of North Vietnam . During the short period of this engagement, over 300 enemy rounds bracketed the cruiser’s position, but suffered no direct hits. This encounter led American forward observers to nickname Newport News “The Gray Ghost from the East Coast,” a moniker she retained throughout her three Vietnam deployments.[4] Subsequent to the end of Operation Sea Dragon and for the remaining several months of this deployment, Newport News participated in Naval Gunfire Support operations near the DMZ. In support of Third Marine Division forces on the beach, the ship fired around the clock for periods sometimes lasting several weeks in succession. During the total period of this deployment, Newport News expended a record 59,241 rounds of high-explosive ammunition, while conducting a total of 239 observed and 602 unobserved missions against the enemy. She came under fire of enemy coastal defense batteries on seventeen separate occasions, was frequently straffed with shrapnel, but never suffered a direct hit. The cruiser departed Subic Bay on 21 April and arrived at her homeport of Norfolk , Virginia , on 13 May 1968, via the Panama Canal .Following an extensive yard overhaul period to prepare her for further combat operations, on 21 November 1968 Newport News once again departed Norfolk to com... read more

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