West Freemason in Norfolk, Virginia — The American South (Mid-Atlantic)

USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Teamwork - A Tradition

Photographed by Sandra Hughes, August 11, 2010

1. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Marker

Inscription. On the night of May 25, 1981, while operating off the Florida coast, a twin engine EA-6B jet aircraft crashed into the flight deck of USS Nimitz CVN-68, killing 14 crewmembers and injuring 45 others. Nimitz pulled into port, had its catapults repaired and was back at sea within 24 hours. Shipmates of the USS Nimitz CVN-68 Association dedicate this plaque to those shipmates killed in the EA-6B crash, and all other Nimitz shipmates that made the ultimate sacrifice for our great country.

Erected 2002 by Shipmates of the USS Nimitz CVN-68 Association.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Military • Waterways & Vessels. A significant historical date for this entry is May 25, 1880.

Location. 36° 50.92′ N, 76° 17.664′ W. Marker is in Norfolk, Virginia. It is in West Freemason. It is on Bousch Street near Wisconsin Square ft of Harbor St.. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Norfolk VA 23510, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Virginia’s Hampton Roads,

specifically in Coastal Virginia,

and in the Hampton Roads Metropolitan Area.

It is also in the American South,

specifically in the Upper South,

in the Tidewater,

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the original Thirteen Colonies,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: USS Scorpion (SSN-589) (here, next to this marker); USS Cole (DDG 67) (here, next to this marker); USS Belknap (CG 26) (here, next to this marker); USS Iowa (BB-61)

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(here, next to this marker); USS Liberty AGTR-5 (here, next to this marker); USS Forrestal CVA/CV/AVT-59 (here, next to this marker); USS Newport News CA-148 (here, next to this marker); The Pentagon (here, next to this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Norfolk.

Also see . . . USS Nimitz - Wikipedia. (Submitted on September 2, 2010, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland.)

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Marker (Left) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Brandon D Cross, January 18, 2022

2. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) Marker (Left)

USS Nimitz (CVN-68) After the Fire image. Click for full size.

Photographed by PH1 Ken Brewer, May 28, 1981

3. USS Nimitz (CVN-68) After the Fire

This view shows Nimitz returning to port three days after the accident. While attempting to land, the EA-6B had struck a helicopter, another plane, and a tow tractor, which combined to trigger a fuel fire that detonated four missile warheads. Public Domain USN Photo, DVIDS ID DNSC8203496

EA-6B Prowler Recovering Aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68) image. Click for full size.

Photographed by PH3 Robinson, circa August 1981

4. EA-6B Prowler Recovering Aboard USS Nimitz (CVN-68)

Taken at least a week (or at most, two months later) after repairs, this is the same type of aircraft that crashed on 25 May 1981. Public Domain US Navy Photo 330-CFD-DN-SC-85-01956 via the National Archives.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 9, 2026. It was originally submitted on August 27, 2010, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. This page has been viewed 1,168 times since then and 25 times this year. Last updated on October 19, 2011, by Keith S Smith of West Chester, Pennsylvania. Photos: 1. submitted on August 27, 2010, by Sandra Hughes Tidwell of Killen, Alabama, USA. 2. submitted on January 19, 2022, by Brandon D Cross of Flagler Beach, Florida. 3, 4. submitted on June 25, 2026, by Evan Dwyer of Richmond, Virginia. • Craig Swain was the editor who published this page.