US Stars and Stripes photo of Admiral Phillip Sawyer shaking hands who in the Vietnamese media are mysteriously described as "leaders of Danang" .
---
US nuclear supercarrier USS Carl Vinsonhas docked near Vietnam's 3rd Regional Command Danang (or Da Nang) naval base for the very first time. This is the first US carrier visit to Vietnam since the US retreat in 1975.
Da Nang was the site of a major US air base during the Vietnam War.
This week Commander of the US 7th Fleet, Vice Admiral Phillip Sawyer is enthusiastic about organising a followup visit by an, as yet unnamed, nuclear submarine. On his way to becomming an Admiral Sawyer commanded attack Submarine Squadron 15 (Apra navy base, Guam). The US The Navy has four Los Angeles class fast-attack submarines — USS Key West, USS Oklahoma City, USS Asheville and USS Topeka — forward deployed to Guam.
The Vietnamese media has a useful description of what the visit means to Vietnam.
Admiral Sawyer arrived in US Navy Carrier Strike Group 1 (Carrier Strike Group 1) aircraft carrier Carl Vinson (CVN-70). Escorted by cruiser USS Lake Champlain (CG-57) and destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer (DDG 108) which entered Da Nang Bay, beginning a four-day visit to Vietnam.