Like her famous namesakes, USS Constellation (CV-64) has a proud and distinguished record. “Connie”, as her crew affectionately called her, served 40 years sailing into harm's way from Yankee Station off the coast of Vietnam to the turbulent waters of the Arabian Gulf. Connie, also known as “America’s Flagship ”, is the only naval vessel ever authorized to display red, white, and blue designation numbers. One example of Connie’s distinguished Combat service was off the coast of Vietnam with CVW-9 aboard in 1972. On 19 January, VF-96 F-4 Phantom crew Lieutenant Randall H. “Duke ” Cunningham and Lieutenant (junior grade) William P. Driscoll scored a kill against a MiG-21, the first for a Navy aircraft since Connie's VF-142 kill on 28 March 1970. On 8 May, Cunningham and Driscoll scored against another MiG-17. Then on 10 May, Cunningham and Driscoll downed 3 MiG-17s, becoming the first aces of the Vietnam War. Three more MiG-17s were downed by 2 other VF-96 crews, two by Lieutenant Michael J. Connelly and Lieutenant Thomas J. Blonski and 1 by Lieutenant Steven C. Shoemaker and Lieutenant (junior grade) Keith V. Crenshaw. Adding to the score, VF-92 aircrew Lieutenant Curt Dose and Lieutenant Commander James McDevitt shot down a MiG-21. All told, Constellation fliers shot down 7 MiGs on 10 May. The 9 month deployment ended on 01 July, the carrier having spent 154 days off Vietnam. The thousands of Sailors serving aboard ship's named Constellation have written a proud, illustrious, and stellar history as they protected and defended freedom for both America and other nations around the world.