The USS George Washington was Commissioned on July 4th 1992 at Norfolk Naval Base in Virginia. "GW" is the fourth ship of the fleet to bear the name and the sixth Nimitz Class nuclear aircraft carrier. The mission of USS George Washington (CVN-73) is to carry, launch, and recover naval combat aircraft and to conduct sustained combat air operations in support of United States national interests. During the maiden voyage in 1994, George Washington (CVN-73) was the US Flagship for the 50th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion of Normandy (Operation Overlord) celebration in Portsmouth, England and commemoration ceremony near Omaha Beach in France. The Official Insignia Patch for USS George Washington (CVN-73) was designed by the crew and the motor "Spirit of Freedom" comes from a letter written in the battlefield by George Washington to his wife, Martha, to describe the the attitude of his troops and the sentiment of the American people.