This Navy captain fled Iran as a child. Now he's preparing to return at the helm of an aircraft carrier
Brock Vergakis, The Virginian-Pilot
August 14, 2019 at 08:54 AM
NORFOLK, Va. -- The new skipper of one of America's aircraft carriers fled Iran as a child.
Now, he's preparing for a deployment that could take him back to the region at a time of heightened tensions between the two nations that helped mold him into who he is today.
Capt. Kavon Hakimzadeh took command of the USS Harry S. Truman in July, achieving a goal he set for himself 30 years ago after he first laid eyes on an aircraft carrier in Norfolk. Back then, he was a young sailor who'd joined the Navy straight out of high school to serve a country he had only lived in for about a decade.
His journey from Tehran to enlisted sailor to an officer in command of the ultimate symbol of American seapower is a story that he believes serves as a testament to the opportunities the United States provides.
https://taskandpurpose.com/kavon-hakimzadeh-harry-truman-iran
