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General Characteristics

Crew List

Memorabilia

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms

COs of USS Harry S. Truman

Accidents aboard the Ship

About the Ship's Battle Flag

About Ship's Namesake

History

Deployments of USS Harry S. Truman

Homeports of USS Harry S. Truman

Patch Gallery

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USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75)

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN is the eighth NIMITZ - class nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the first ship in the Navy to bear the name.

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Crew List:

This section contains the names of sailors who served aboard USS HARRY S. TRUMAN. It is no official listing but contains the names of sailors who submitted their information.

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• Click here to see which USS HARRY S. TRUMAN memorabilia are currently for sale on ebay.

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USS HARRY S. TRUMAN Cruise Books:

• Maiden Cruise Book 2000-01
• Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2002-03
• Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2004-05
• Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2007-08
• Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2010
• Mediterranean and Arabian Sea Cruise Book 2013-14

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About the Ship's Coat of Arms:

Oval in shape, the coat of arms characterizes the global on-station capability of the ship and the United States Navy. Truman's name forms the shape of a forward-deployed aircraft carrier prepared to uphold and protect American interests.

The eagles assume a dominant presence denoting command of the sea, strength and authority, yet one grasps an olive branch, emphasizing the carrier's peacekeeping mission and Harry S. Truman's attitude: "To bear no malice." The eagle embodies the principles of integrity and honesty which personify Truman's attitudes and beliefs.

The encased signal flag inscription spells H S T and is flanked by wreaths denoting the honor and achievement which President Truman accomplished and the ship strives to achieve.

Thirty-three gold stars commemorate Harry S. Truman's term as 33rd president of the United States. The ship's motto, "The Buck Stops Here," derives from President Truman's belief that he ultimately bore the responsibility for making the final decision. Passing the buck was not an option.

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USS HARRY S. TRUMAN's Commanding Officers:

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Accidents aboard USS HARRY S. TRUMAN:

Date	Where	Events
September 10, 2002	25 miles south-southeast of Puerto Rico	One of VS-22's S-3B aircraft operating from USS HARRY S. TRUMAN was reported missing. Search and rescue efforts involving the TRUMAN Battle Group and other ships and aircraft operating in the southern Puerto Rican Operating Area covered more than 3,600 square miles of water. A debris field was discovered about 25 miles south-southeast of Puerto Rico. There were no survivors. The three deceased crewmembers have been identified as: Lt. Cmdr. Jeffrey J. Gray, 40, of Mound, Minn.; Lt. Cmdr. Michael D. Chalfant, 36 of Jacksonville, Fla.; and Lt.(jg) Thomas Brandan McCombie, 25 of State College, Penn. At the time of the accident, the TRUMAN Battle Group was conducting training exercises as part of a Composite Unit Training Exercise (COMPTUEX).
August 15, 2007	off North Carolina	An E-2C assigned to VAW-120 crashes into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after being catapulted off the flight deck of HARRY S. TRUMAN. The accident happened at 11.10 p.m. local time and the E-2C went down in an explosion approx. 1/2 mile from the TRUMAN. The carrier performed an emergency stop and a plane guard helicopter and small boats were dispatched immediately but no survivors or debris could be located. Killed in the accident were LT Ryan K. Betton, LT Cameron N. Hall and LT Jerry R. Smith.
January 7, 2008	Persian Gulf	An F/A-18E and an F/A-18F, both operating from USS HARRY S. TRUMAN, crash in the Persian Gulf after a mid-air collision. Both aircraft were providing en route close air support from Iraq when they crashed. All three aviators are rescued and were reported in good condition following their ejections.
October 16, 2012	east off Florida	During an underway replenishment with USNS PATUXENT (T-AO 201) a line parts injuring four TRUMAN sailors. Two of the sailors were medevaced to NAS Jacksonville, Fla. for treatment while another one was flown to NAS Norfolk, Va. The fourth sailor was treated on board.
December 9, 2012	Virginia Capes	The starboard wing of an E-2C collides with the spinning port propeller of another Hawkeye while both aircraft are chocked and chained. No injuries are reported.
August 12, 2015	off Virginia	An F/A-18C from Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 106 catches fire on the flight deck of the HARRY S. TRUMAN while parked forward of the island during refueling. The fire is immediately extinguished by the ship's flight deck firefighting team. The pilot of the aircraft ejected and landed on the flight deck. The pilot received medical treatment by the ship's medical department before being transported to New Hanover Regional Medical Center, Wilmington, North Carolina, for further treatment of non-life threatening injuries. A Sailor assigned to the ship also sustained non-life threatening injuries from the incident and was also transported to the same location for treatment.
July 8, 2022	Mediterranean	An F/A-18E assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 1, embarked aboard HARRY S. TRUMAN, blew overboard due to unexpected heavy weather in the Mediterranean Sea. The carrier was conducting a replenishment-at-sea, which was safely terminated through established procedures. One Sailor received minor injuries while conducting operations during the unexpected heavy weather. The aircraft was recovered on August 3, 2022 from a depth of 9,500 feet.
February 12, 2025	off Port Said, Egypt	USS HARRY S. TRUMAN is involved in a collision with the merchant vessel BESIKTAS-M at approximately 11:46 p.m. local time while operating in the vicinity of Port Said, Egypt, in preparation for a Suez Canal transit. The carrier suffers slight damage on the starboard side aft of elevator 3. No injuries are reported among the crew. As a result of the collision, TRUMAN's CO, Capt. Michael D. Snowden, is relieved on February 20.
April 28, 2025	Red Sea	USS HARRY S. TRUMAN loses an F/A-18E Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 136 and a tow tractor as the aircraft carrier operates in the Red Sea. One Sailor sustained a minor injury.
May 6, 2025	Red Sea	An F/A-18F Super Hornet assigned to Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 11 is lost in the Red Sea during an attempted night landing aboard HARRY S. TRUMAN at approx. 9 p.m. The tailhook failed to catch an arresting wire and both aviators ejected from the aircraft. They were quickly rescued by a helicopter assigned to HSC-11 and only received minor injuries.

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About the Ship's Battle Flag:

Steeped in tradition, every U.S. naval vessel has flown a battle flag from its mast during special evolutions. The crew of USS HARRY S. TRUMAN designed her battle flag as more than a tribute to the ship’s namesake.

TRUMAN’s battle flag is a variation of the flag carried by the 129th Field Artillery Regiment of the 35th Division, the battery under the command of, then, Capt. Harry Truman during World War I.

The scarlett background is representative of the price Americans have paid for freedom throughout history, symbolizing President Truman’s thoughts on American independence. "Freedom, in the American tradition, is always coupled with service...it still costs money. It still costs blood. "Freedom must be fought for today, just as our fathers had to fight for freedom when the nation was born."

The crossed cannons that once represented Battery D now seem to greater exemplify Truman’s leadership and dedication to service during WWI. Ironically, the cannons are French 75s, the type of cannon Battery D fired during some of the fighting in France. The swallowtail design, crossed cannons, "129" and "D" comprised the original battle flag. The original components of the battle flag are superimposed on TRUMAN’s hull number, signifying the relationship between the firepower of the past and present.

"Give ‘em hell" has become the carrier’s battle cry and is part of Truman’s legacy. The phrase was first mentioned during Truman’s 1948 re-election campaign during his 21,928-mile "whistle stop" rail tour. He delivered more than 300 speeches in 33 days to an estimated six million citizens, something no president had done before to meet the people. In Seattle, Truman was holding an enthusiastic campaign rally when someone cried, "Give ‘em hell, Harry!"

Truman later wrote, "I have never deliberately given anyone hell. I just told the truth on the opposition and they thought it was hell."

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USS HARRY S. TRUMAN History:

USS HARRY S. TRUMAN entered service at Norfolk on July 25, 1998, then spent its first two years finishing trials, certifying the flight deck, and qualifying air wing detachments. The carrier's first deployment ran from November 28, 2000 to May 23, 2001, centered on the Mediterranean and Arabian Sea in support of Operation Southern Watch. During the cruise the ship exercised with regional partners and visited ports including Souda Bay, Crete; Rhodes, Greece; Jebel Ali and Manama in the Gulf. A second deployment followed from December 5, 2002 to May 23, 2003, transitioning from Southern Watch to early phases of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Liberty and logistics stops that winter and spring included Marseille (France), Naples (Italy), Souda Bay, Koper (Slovenia), and Portsmouth (United Kingdom).

After a short training cycle, HARRY S. TRUMAN deployed again from October 13, 2004 to April 18, 2005, supporting OEF/OIF and participating in major NATO and US Sixth Fleet events such as Majestic Eagle and MEDSHARK. Port calls on that cruise included Naples and Souda Bay as well as Bahrain and Jebel Ali. In January-December 2006 the carrier entered a docked Planned Incremental Availability at Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) for modernization and preventive work, then completed workups and got underway on November 5, 2007 for a deployment that lasted until June 4, 2008, operating in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. That period included visits to Marseille and Naples and routine Gulf logistics stops.

HARRY S. TRUMAN's 2010 deployment (May 21-December 20, 2010) paired North Arabian Sea operations for Enduring Freedom with Mediterranean tasking, with stops that included Souda Bay, Marseille, Jebel Ali, and Hidd, Bahrain. From March 2011 to July 2012 the ship underwent a docking availability at NNSY, followed by sea trials and a return to fleet operations. The next cruise - July 22, 2013 to April 18, 2014 - again combined Mediterranean transits and Gulf operations for Enduring Freedom. Noted port calls included Marseille, Palma de Mallorca, and Gulf logistics piers in Bahrain and the UAE.

Maintenance shifted to a continuous/condensed incremental availability in late 2014-spring 2015, completed in May 2015 at NNSY. With a compressed workup, HARRY S. TRUMAN departed November 16, 2015 for an extended deployment that ran to July 13, 2016. Unusually, a large share of strike operations were flown from the Eastern Mediterranean in support of Operation Inherent Resolve; the schedule also included visits to Split (Croatia), Souda Bay, and standard Gulf logistics ports. After returning, the carrier entered a 10-month Planned Incremental Availability beginning August 25, 2016 and completed the yard period in July 2017.

Under the Navy's "dynamic force employment" model, HARRY S. TRUMAN deployed on April 11, 2018, returned to Norfolk for a five-week "working port" in July, and then re-deployed at the end of August. The fall phase featured North Atlantic and High North operations tied to NATO's Trident Juncture 2018 and a port visit to Portsmouth, U.K. Repairs to the ship's electrical distribution system in late 2019 interrupted preparations for a subsequent deployment. The Navy completed those repairs in November 2019, and HARRY S. TRUMAN deployed soon after. The strike group returned in June 2020 following a deployment that spanned late 2019-spring 2020. Due to COVID-19 mitigation the carrier remained at sea off the East Coast during the sustainment phase before entering a short repair period in July 2020. From mid-2020 through spring 2021 the ship was in an Extended Carrier Incremental Availability at NNSY, getting underway in May 2021 to resume training.

HARRY S. TRUMAN's next deployment began on December 1, 2021. Planned to continue to the Middle East, the strike group was instead held in the Mediterranean under US Sixth Fleet as European security conditions evolved in early 2022. The air wing flew sustained operations, and the carrier made scheduled visits including Naples (May 10, 2022) and Palma de Mallorca (July 15, 2022). The ship returned to Norfolk on September 12, 2022 and shifted into a new maintenance phase.

A Planned Incremental Availability at NNSY ran from December 2022 to late December 2023, after which HARRY S. TRUMAN re-entered the basic phase. The carrier deployed again on September 23, 2024 for Sixth Fleet operations. Through October and November 2024 the strike group operated in the North Sea and High North, completed the NATO vigilance activity Neptune Strike 24-2 on October 31, transited the Strait of Gibraltar, and conducted holiday port periods that included Oslo and Marseille (arrival December 2). After additional Mediterranean operations through early 2025, the strike group concluded an eight-month deployment and moored at Norfolk on June 1, 2025. Post-deployment sustainment included a five-day ammunition offload while underway in the Atlantic in early August 2025, followed by routine training periods off the Virginia Capes.

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Homeports of USS HARRY S. TRUMAN:

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USS HARRY S. TRUMAN Patch Gallery:

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Construction Gallery:

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USS HARRY S. TRUMAN Image Gallery:

			Click here to view more photos.

The photos below were taken by me and show the HARRY S. TRUMAN undergoing her Planned Incremental Availability (PIA) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va., on February 3, 2009.

The photo below was taken by me and shows the HARRY S. TRUMAN in the final stages of her 15-month dry-docking planned incremental availability (DPIA) at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Va., on May 6, 2012. The carrier entered the shipyard on March 25, 2011.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HARRY S. TRUMAN at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., May 8, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HARRY S. TRUMAN at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., October 23, 2014.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HARRY S. TRUMAN at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., October 12, 2016. The carrier entered the shipyard on August 25, 2016, for a 13-month Planned Incremental Availability (PIA). Work will include repair or replacement of shipboard nuclear support and propulsion systems; work within nuclear-controlled spaces; and work on specialized systems.

The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HARRY S. TRUMAN at Naval Base Norfolk, Va., on October 4, 2017.

The photos below were taken by me and show USS HARRY S. TRUMAN anchored in the Solent off Portsmouth, UK, on October 8, 2018. The carrier is presently operating in the North Atlantic and is scheduled to participate in the large scale NATO exercise Trident Juncture 2018 October 25 - November 7, 2018, off and in Norway.

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The photos below were taken by Michael Jenning and show the HARRY S. TRUMAN at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, Va., on October 9, 2023.

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