USS America

Eric Smallwood, a former US Navy officer (Attack Squardron) attached to the USS Saratoga and who served during Desert Storm (Gulf War), sent me this picture that I took while based in Cairo, Egypt of the USS America aircraft carrier passing through the Suez Canal. It was published in the Dothan Eagle newspaper in Alabama and today (15 January 2021) is the 30th anniversary of its Suez Canal crossing.

The picture was widely published at the time including a double page in Life Magazine. I ended up covering the Gulf War attached to the French Army in Saudi Arabia who were part of the massive left flanking movement into Iraq along with US forces. The photo brought back lots of memories and I am grateful that Eric passed it along its publication in the Dothan newpaper to me.

1991: USS America

The bow of the aircraft carrier USS America looms above the sand dunes along the Suez Canal on Jan. 15, 1991, as an Egyptian army truck and anti-aircraft position guard

Mike Nelson // Getty ImagesDothan Eagle

Also of interest, in the link above is a slideshow of the 50 historic photos from American military history