May 28, 2008YOKOSUKA, Kanagawa -- A ceremony to mark the departure of the U.S. aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk from its home port at Yokosuka Naval Base was held Wednesday, with about 600 people seeing the ship off.
Photo: The Kitty Hawk aircraft carrier leaves Yokosuka at about 9 a.m. on Wednesday.The aircraft carrier, which departed at about 9 a.m., is heading to Hawaii to be replaced by the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier George Washington. The Kitty Hawk is due to be decommissioned in January next year.
Among those at the farewell ceremony on Wednesday were U.S. Ambassador to Japan Thomas Schieffer and Hitoshi Kimura, Senior Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Citizens groups in Yokosuka have sought the establishment of a public referendum ordinance to question the placement of the George Washington in Yokosuka, and have filed a lawsuit seeking a halt to dredging work at the port.
A fire occurred on the George Washington in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of South America on May 22, and there is a possibility that the placement of the nuclear-powered vessel could be delayed as a result.
(Mainichi Japan) May 28, 2008
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