USS Kitty Hawk hoists "Don't Tread On Me" Navy Jack
NAVY WIRE SERVICE (NWS) - 23 November 1998

by JO1 Mike Morley, USS Kitty Hawk Public Affairs

YOKOSUKA, Japan (NWS)
           -- "Command Master Chief, break the First Navy Jack." 
With that order from Capt. Jack J. Samar, Jr., USS Kitty Hawk (CV 
63) commanding officer, a unique flag was raised on the ship's jack 
staff, distinguishing Kitty Hawk from all other ships in the U.S. 
Navy. 
        Kitty Hawk received the First Navy Jack during ceremonies 
Nov. 20 in Yokosuka, Japan, designating the 37-year-old aircraft 
carrier as the oldest ship in the fleet. This distinction allows 
her to display the First Navy Jack in place of the Union Jack flown 
aboard other Navy ships.  
        The First Navy Jack, a flag consisting of 13 horizontal, 
alternating red and white stripes with a rattlesnake across the 
center, bears the motto, “Don't Tread On Me.” Conceived in 1775 by 
Commodore Esek Hopkins of the Continental Navy, the flag was first 
used as a signal among ships to engage the enemy.   
        In 1977, the Secretary of the Navy directed the ship with the 
longest total period of active service to display the First Navy 
Jack until decommissioned or transferred to the inactive reserve. 
At that time, the flag shall be passed to the next ship in line 
with appropriate honors. 
        Kitty Hawk received the flag from the USS Independence (CV 
62) following its decommissioning Sept. 30, 1998, in Bremerton, 
Wash. Machinist’s Mate 2nd Class (SW) Patrick Higgins, of Omaha, 
Neb., accepted the flag on behalf of Kitty Hawk during 
Independence's decommissioning and brought it back to Japan.
        "I hope it helps people feel more pride in their ship and the 
Navy," Higgins said before the ceremony. 
        "The flag we raise today is a symbol," Samar told the crowd 
of Kitty Hawk crew, family members and Japanese guests. "Today, we 
honor the 223 years of naval tradition and pride American Sailors 
have shown. We honor the young men and women who've fought and died 
for America's freedom, and we honor the crew members who stand with 
us today." 
        Sailors at the ceremony said the jack will bring a new sense 
of pride among the crew. 
        "It makes me proud," said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 
(Launching and Recovery Equipment) 3rd Class Jose Solis, of Uvalde, 
Texas. "It's kind of a cool thing being able to say you've served 
on the oldest ship." 
        Another Kitty Hawk Sailor feels the flag represents a unique 
experience in his career. "When I came in the Navy, my first ship 
was brand new," said Seaman Disbursing Clerk Kason Brizele, of 
Monroe, La. "Now, here I am on the oldest one. It's a new 
experience, and I think Kitty Hawk is now ready to take part in 
some big events."

-USN-