USS America (hull number CVA/CV-66) was one of three Kitty Hawk-class supercarriers built for the United States Navy in the 1960s. Commissioned in 1965, she spent most of her career operating in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, but did make three Pacific Ocean deployments serving in the Vietnam War. She also served in the Persian Gulf War's operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm.

America was the first large aircraft carrier since Operation Crossroads in 1946 to be expended in weapons tests. In 2005, she was scuttled southeast of Cape Hatteras, after four weeks of tests, despite a large protest of former crew members who wanted to see her instituted as a memorial museum. She was the largest warship ever sunk.

Originally ordered as an Enterprise-class nuclear carrier, the ballooning costs of Enterprise during construction caused the cancellation of the nuclear CVAN-66 and her reordering as a conventionally powered Kitty Hawk-class carrier. She was laid down on 1 January 1961 at Newport News, Virginia, by the Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Corp.. The aircraft carrier was launched on 1 February 1964, sponsored by Mrs. Catherine McDonald, the wife of Admiral David L. McDonald, the Chief of Naval Operations. America was commissioned at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard on 23 January 1965, Captain Lawrence Heyworth Jr., in command.

After fitting out there until 15 March 1965, America remained in Hampton Roads for operations off the Virginia Capes until getting underway on 25 March. She conducted her first catapult launch on 5 April. The ship then proceeded to the Caribbean Sea where she conducted shakedown training and concluded it at Guantánamo Bay on 23 June. The ship returned to Norfolk on 10 July and remained there until 21 August. America next operated locally through late August, operating off the Virginia Capes and Bermuda, arriving back at Norfolk on 9 September. On 25 September, Rear Admiral J. O. Cobb broke his flag as Commander, Carrier Division 2 (CarDiv 2).

On 16 October 1965, two Phantom jets collided in midair 20 miles (32 km) from America, and both pilots ejected safely. On 3 September 1965 on the way to Taranto, a plane and pilot were lost when the catapult malfunctioned and tore the front landing gear off the plane; the plane's auxiliary fuel tank ruptured, and the plane went over the side. An airman was burned in the catwalk and the RA ejected safely, but the pilot went down with the plane. Since leaving Norfolk, America had lost five planes. America sailed for her first Mediterranean Sea deployment late in 1965, returning to the United States in mid-1966. Early in the deployment, from 28 February – 10 March, America participated in a joint Franco-American exercise "Fairgame IV", which simulated conventional warfare against a country attempting to invade a NATO ally. She arrived at Naval Station Norfolk on 10 July. America operated locally in the Norfolk area from 29 August to 19 September, after which time she proceeded to Guantánamo Bay to carry out training. After Hurricane Inez passed through the region, her sailors aided in the operational recovery of the naval base at Guantanamo. The following month, America initiated into carrier service the A-7 Corsair II, conducting its flight qualifications off the Virginia Capes, while she also conducted automatic carrier landing system trials which demonstrated the feasibility of "no hands" landings of F-4 Phantom, F-8 Crusader and A-4 Skyhawk aircraft. From 28 November to 15 December, America took part in "LANTFLEX 66", an exercise in anti-air, anti-submarine, and carrier strike operations. The ship also participated in a naval mine drop and missile shoots, and provided air support for amphibious operations. She returned to Norfolk on 15 December, remaining there through the end of the year 1966.

On 10 January 1967, America departed Norfolk for her second Mediterranean cruise and relieved Independence at Pollensa Bay on 22 January. Upon nearing Gibraltar, she received a visit from Soviet long-range reconnaissance aircraft, Tu-95 "Bears" on 18 January. Two F-4B Phantom jets met the "Bears" as they approached and escorted them past the ship. Before anchoring at Athens, on 4 February, America participated with Italian control and reporting centers in an intercept-controller exercise. Shortly afterwards, she again met with Italian forces in an exercise involving raids upon an attack carrier by fast patrol boats. The beginning of March found America and her consorts, operating as Task Group 60.1 (TG 60.1) of Task Force 60, participating in the United States/United Kingdom exercise "Poker Hand IV" with the British carrier HMS Hermes. America and Hermes provided raid aircraft to test each other's anti-aircraft defenses. On 1 April, "Dawn Clear", a two-day NATO exercise, commenced with TG 60.1 units participating. During the first day, America provided raid aircraft against Greek and Turkish "targets". The following day, the exercise continued as Greek aircraft flew raids against TG 60.1 surface units. Following "Dawn Clear", the ship conducted routine training operations in the Ionian Sea. In April America took part in TG 60.1 operations in the Ionian Sea where she conducted an open sea missile exercise with the guided missile destroyers Josephus Daniels and Harry E. Yarnell. While operating in the Ionian Sea, the Greek junta performed military coup that ended parliamentary rule in Greece. America was tasked to with supporting US forces in preparation for an evacuation of US citizens in case of civil war. America remained in the area as the crisis was resolved, operating in the Ionian and Tyrrhenian Seas.

In May, the ship was redirected to the Sea of Crete as tensions escalated in the Middle East. There, America joined up with the carrier Saratoga and her destroyers. During this time, the carrier conducted normal training operations off the of Crete and held two major underway replenishment operations. The US deployments in the region soon attracted observers. A Soviet destroyer had maneuvered nearby in the morning of 2 June. Armed with surface-to-air missiles, the Russian ship constantly cut in and out of the carrier's formation. After being warned off by the American commander, the Soviet destroyer left America. Other Soviet ships arrived to shadow the carrier and her escorting destroyers for days.

In June, the Six-Day War commenced between Israel and an alliance of Arab nations. On 7 June, the destroyer Lloyd Thomas, in company with America, obtained a sonar contact, which was classified as a "possible" submarine. Lloyd Thomas and the guided missile destroyer Sampson were ordered to investigate the contact. Sampson obtained contact quickly and coordinated with Lloyd Thomas in tracking the possible submarine. America launched one of her anti-submarine helicopters, a Sikorsky SH-3A Sea King of Helicopter Antisubmarine Squadron 9, and gained sonar contact. At midnight, the contact was reclassified as a "probable" submarine. At that time, no known or friendly submarines were reported to be in the area of the contact. The destroyers maintained good sonar contact through the night. At 05:30 on 8 June, a Lockheed SP-2H Neptune anti-submarine patrol plane of Patrol Squadron 7, coordinating with the destroyers and helicopters, obtained a magnetic anomaly detector (MAD) confirmation over the contact. The MAD equipment allows an ASW aircraft to confirm that a contact detected in the sea by other means is actually a very large metal object. At about 14:00 local time on 8 June 1967, the technical research ship Liberty was attacked by Israeli torpedo boats and jet fighters, about 15 mi (24 km) north of the Sinai port of El Arish, in international waters. America deployed her aircraft to provide cover the damaged ship and airlift the wounded to America. There was some controversy over America's role in the conflict. The Arabs charged that the aircraft carrier was providing support for the Israelis, which the Americans denied.