March 23, 1982: Duane and Laura Spindler of Benicia, California, hug after the return of the USS Coral Sea to Alameda Air Station. The aircraft carrier returned from a seven-month tour that included 78 days in the Indian Ocean.
The carrier's return sparked a media event. Politicians were fighting for a share of the Navy's buildup during the Reagan years. I covered the ship's arrival for the Vallejo Times-Herald. By staying after most photographers departed, I got this image of the Spindlers – which told the story. Later that day, I offered this image to Associated Press but was told they had already moved a photo on the regional news wire. After I promised a better picture, AP moved this during a Northern California geographical split. The next morning, this photograph appeared on the front page of many Bay Area newspapers, including the San Jose Mercury -News and Oakland Tribune. The USS Coral Sea was decommissioned in 1990 and later scrapped.
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Scott Harrison
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