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Original 1969 USS Hornet (CVS-12) Shellback Certificate
Original U.S. Navy “Imperium Neptuni Regis” (Shellback) certificate commemorating the crossing of the Equator aboard the USS Hornet (CVS-12) during its 1968-69 Western Pacific deployment.
Details
* Original period certificate
* Date: February 23, 1969
* Ship: USS Hornet (CVS-12)
* Location: Near Singapore, Malaysia
* Original embossed U.S. Navy seal
* Professionally framed
* Issued to George E. Hurley
* Signed by Captain Jackson A. Stockton, USN, Commanding Officer
Research indicates the recipient is Lieutenant George E. Hurley, who appears in the official USS Hornet 1968-69 WestPac cruise book. Publicly available military biographies identify Lt. George E. Hurley as the future Commander George E. Hurley, USN (Ret.), U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1965, Vietnam helicopter pilot with HS-2, later Commanding Officer of HS-6, and the Navy’s Chief Test Pilot for Rotary Wing Aircraft.
The official USS Hornet cruise book includes Lt. George Hurley among the officers assigned during the same deployment as this certificate. The ship’s published 1969 command history also confirms the February 1969 transit through Singapore during which this equator crossing occurred.
This listing includes only the framed certificate. Supporting historical research referenced above is not included unless otherwise stated.
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Item Specifics
* Original/Reproduction: Original
* Branch: United States Navy
* Conflict: Vietnam War (1961-1975)
* Ship: USS Hornet (CVS-12)
* Type: Shellback / Crossing the Line Certificate
* Date: February 23, 1969
* Named Recipient: George E. Hurley
* Embossed Seal: Yes
* Framed: Yes
* Country/Region of Manufacture: United States
