WILLIAMSBURG— Keith Nitka, a Williamsburg resident, is a proud U.S. Navy veteran.
Nitka enlisted at 17. Because he was a minor, his parents had to sign off on his service application. As he prepared to ship out to boot camp, Nitka was excited about the possibilities of traveling the world and experiencing new cultures.
After receiving orders to join the USS Richard E. Byrd, a guided-missile destroyer, Nitka embarked on a UNITAS exercise cruise around South America. While aboard, he received his next assignment: the USS Wisconsin at Norfolk Naval Base. It wasn’t long before Nitka and his new shipmates were underway toward the Persian Gulf to join Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
On the Wisconsin, Nitka served as a quartermaster in charge of navigation. He was part of a crew that witnessed the first enemy combatant surrender to an unmanned aerial vehicle, or drone, and he was also present for one of the first Tomahawk missile strikes that started the war.
After earning the Navy Marine Corps Combat Action Ribbon, Nitka completed his four-year enlistment and began service in the Navy Reserves, serving 10 more years before separating from the Navy.
As Nitka wrapped up his naval service, so did the battleship Wisconsin. She was decommissioned in September 1991 and struck from the Naval Vessel Register in January 1995. In December 2000, the Wisconsin began a new mission as a museum ship docked at Nauticus, with stewardship transferred to the city of Norfolk.
Nitka remains connected to the ship as the Battleship Wisconsin Association’s second vice president.
“The position of second vice president is appointed by the president. In my role, I assist the president and vice president as needed and perform the duties of the vice president in his absence. I am also chairman of the Ship’s Store Committee. The committee purchases items sold by the association to generate revenue to fulfill the mission,” Nitka said.
Nitka took office in January after being approached by the association’s leadership.
His duties also include helping plan the ship’s biennial reunion in Norfolk, which brings together former shipmates and their families for camaraderie and fellowship.
Nitka said his volunteer position allows him to continue serving his ship in a different capacity.
“Volunteering as the second vice president is fulfilling in many ways. First, I continue to serve my battleship and support her current mission as a museum ship, educating people about what it means to be a battleship sailor. The battleship, in the true definition of the word, will never again be part of the U.S. Navy. I continue my friendships with shipmates I served with during the war—my ‘band of brothers’—and also interact with shipmates from previous conflicts, like World War II and Korea. I gather with these ‘old men,’ friends for more than 30 years, and together with our families, we tell ‘sea stories’ about our time in the Navy,” he said.
To learn more about the Battleship Wisconsin Association, visit usswisconsin.com