The 90,000 ton USS Nimitz, America’s largest nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, put to sea today after a five day courtesy call at Haifa which her commander, Rear Adm. Robert F. Schoultz, described as “an experience never to be forgotten” and “illustrative of the close ties and mutual esteem that exist between the U.S. and Israel.”
During her stay, the giant ship played host to Premier Menachem Begin, Deputy Premier Yigael Yadin, Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, Israel’s top army, navy and air force commanders, hundreds of Israeli navy and air men and several thousand civilians who were privileged to receive invitations.
Begin and Yadin lunched aboard the carrier and exchanged toasts with her officers fallowing an inspection tour. Begin was presented with a cap bearing the name and official insignia of the ship and a wooden model of her upper decks.
Over the weekend, Begin invited a number of Jewish officers from the carrier’s 6000-man complement to a Sabbath reception at his home in Jerusalem and a tour of the city. Among them were Bruce Finkelstein and Ronald Shapiro of New York; Steve Diamond of Los Angeles; Jeferry Segall of Florida; Jeff Goldstein, of Wisconsin; and Jay Miringoff, of Kansas City. Schoultz and his staff were guests of the Premier at a reception Saturday night.
The Nimitz, more than 1000-feel long and over 100-feet broad, remained anchored in Haifa Boy during her visit. She is too large to enter the port. When she weighed anchor today, the signal flags on her masthead spelled out the words “Shalom, L’Hitraot.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
