USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) aircraft carrier, with multiple nicknames of Battle Cat, Shitty Kitty, Chicken Hawk... is the oldest active ship in the United States Navy as of 1998 (to creation of this webpage, Dec 2006). She became the oldest active serving vessel after retirement of USS Independence (CV-62) aircraft carrier in 1998. USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kitty_Hawk_%28CV_63%29

Upon deactivation, the Independence was towed to her retirement mooring at a contractor cost of $400,000, but was cheaper than steaming there under her own power and crew complement. By 2004, CV-62 was struck from naval list, her parts salvaged for carriers Kitty Hawk and George H.W. Bush. Next US vessel to assume Independence name is a LCS-2 littoral combat ship prototype. USS Independence - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Independence

Since 1920s, all US naval vessels are assigned hull nomenclature prefix to distinguish vessels and their service era regardless duplicate ship names. For aircraft carriers used CV-prefix nomenclature, C is Carrier and V for hosting fixed-winged aircrafts. This was further expanded to reflect carrier power source and frontline deployment abilities : CV are conventional powered carriers, CVN are nuclear powered carriers, CVA are attack aircrafts for bombing / ground-support missions, etc.

Commissioned 29 April 1961 as the first super carrier class, Kitty Hawk was designated CVA-63 mainly as attack aircraft complement, but was changed on 29 April 1973 to multi-purpose combat wing complement, hence its current CV-63 status. From 1973 to 1977, carrier underwent periodic conversion & reconfiguration, mainly to add anti-submarine warfare (ASW) capabilities such as helicopter calibrating stations, sonar center, airborne ASW analysis, propulsion plant (replaced Navy Standard Oil to Navy Distillate Fuel), larger jet blast deflectors, more powerful catapults (to handle incoming F-14 Tomcat jets), etc. Anti-submarine warfare - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-submarine_warfare

By US naval tradition since 1977, only oldest active service warship had privilege of flying the First Navy Jack (rattler on white-red stripes), while all other warships flew standard Navy Jack (stars on blue). US First Navy Jack - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_navy_jack

However, by order of US Secretary of Navy in 2002, all US naval ships now fly First Navy Jack in support of global operations in War on Terror. US Navy Jack - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/US_Navy_Jack