Secretary of Defense William S. Cohen (center) passes through the sideboys on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier USS Independence (CV 62), while the ship is moored in Yokosuka, Japan, on Jan. 21, 1998. Cohen is visiting the ship to speak to the crew and announce the deployment of the Independence Battle Group to the Persian Gulf to relieve the USS Nimitz Battle Group. Sideboys part of Navy tradition used in honoring visiting dignitaries.

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Photo credit: © Vital Archive / Alamy / Afripics
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Keywords: aircraft, archive, armed, carrier, ceremony, defence, defense, forces, independence, japan, military, people, reportage, secdef, secretary, servicemen, ship, usa, uss, visit, yokosuka