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Presidential Visits to Naval Ships
DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER ^ | 5-3-2003

Posted on 05/07/2003 5:49:28 AM PDT by buffyt

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DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
805 KIDDER BREESE SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Presidential Visits to Naval Ships  http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq49-1.htm

This list includes ship visits by presidents, during their terms as president, presently known to the Ships History Branch. There have undoubtedly been others; any additional information would be appreciated. Commissioned presidential yachts are included though these were not, strictly speaking, "visits to Navy ships" since these yachts were not part of the operating forces. The yacht Sequoia is listed under F.D. Roosevelt only, the only period during which she was in commission. Small craft, such as the motor boats used by a number of presidents after World War II, are not included. Individual ship histories are included in the Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
John Tyler (1841-45)           Steam sloop Princeton (1844)

Franklin Pierce (1853-57) Steam frigate Wabash (1856)

William McKinley (1897-1901) Yacht Sylph (1898-1901)

Theodore Roosevelt (1901-09) Yacht Sylph (1901-09) Battleship Illinois (1902) Yacht Mayflower (1905-09) Submarine Plunger (1905) Battleship Louisiana (1906) Battleship Connecticut (1907; 1909) Battleship Mississippi (1907)

William H. Taft (1909-13) Yacht Sylph (1909-13) Yacht Mayflower (1909-13) Battleship Arkansas (1912)

Woodrow Wilson (1913-21) Yacht Sylph (1913-210 Yacht Mayflower (1913-21) Transport George Washington (1919)

Warren G. Harding (1921-23) Yacht Mayflower (1921-23)

Calvin Coolidge (1923-29) Yacht Mayflower (1923-29) Battleship Utah (1928) Battleship Texas (1928)

Herbert C. Hoover (1929-33) Battleship Maryland (1928-29) Battleship Utah (1928-29) Battleship Arizona (1931)

F. D. Roosevelt (1933-45) Yacht Sequoia (1933-36) Cruiser Houston (1934; 1935; 1938; 1939) Yacht Potomac (1936-45) Cruiser Indianapolis (1933; 1936) Destroyer Phelps (1937) Cruiser Philadelphia (1938) Cruiser Tuscaloosa (1939, 1940) Cruiser Augusta (1941) British battleship Prince of Wales(1941) Battleship Iowa (1943) Cruiser Memphis (1943) Cruiser Baltimore (1944) Destroyer Cummings (1944) Cruiser Quincy (1945)

Harry S. Truman (1945-53) Yacht Williamsburg (1945-52) Cruiser Augusta (1945) Battleship Missouri (1945, 1947) Destroyer Lansdowne (1945) Submarine U-2513 (1946) not yet identified (1946-47)

Dwight D.Eisenhower (1953-61) Yacht Williamsburg (1953) Carrier Saratoga (1957) Submarine Seawolf (1957) Cruiser Des Moines (1959) Cruiser Saint Paul (1960) Submarine (unidentified) Submarine Patrick Henry (year?)

John F. Kennedy (1961-63) Destroyer Joseph P Kennedy Jr (1962) Coast Guard training ship Eagle (1962) Submarine Chopper (1962) Submarine Thomas A. Edison (1963) Missile test ship Observation Island 1963) Carrier Kitty Hawk (1963) Carrier Oriskany (1963)

Lyndon B. Johnson (1963-69) Carrier Enterprise (1967)

Richard M. Nixon (1969-74) Carrier Hornet (1969)

James E. Carter (1977-81) Submarine Los Angeles (1977) Carrier Dwight D Eisenhower (1978)

Ronald Reagan (1981-89) Carrier Constellation (1981) Battleship New Jersey (1982) Battleship Iowa (1986)

George H. W. Bush (1989-92) Carrier Forrestal (1989) Guided Missile Cruiser Belknap (1991)

William J. Clinton (1992-2001) Carrier Carl Vinson (1993; 1995) Carrier George Washington (1994) Carrier Independence (1996) Carrier Harry S. Truman (1998)

George W. Bush (2001- ) Carrier Abraham Lincoln (2003)


5 May 2003



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Extended News; Government; News/Current Events; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: carrierbush; naval; navyone; presidential; ships; visits
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1 posted on 05/07/2003 5:49:28 AM PDT by buffyt
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To: buffyt
"United States approaching"
"United States aboard"
2 posted on 05/07/2003 5:53:10 AM PDT by Semper Paratus
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To: Semper Paratus
I'm surprised that Clinton didn't visit a submarine, after all even he would know they go down...
3 posted on 05/07/2003 5:55:39 AM PDT by Kozak
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To: Lev; T'wit; anymouse; PetroniDE; RonDog; Tony in Hawaii; Texas Mom; Gracey; Humidston; Bob J; ...
That date should have read 5 May 2003. I typed wrong date on the fact page. Robert Byrd is demonizing Bush for visiting the ship..... Looks like Bush was not the first president do visit a naval ship........
4 posted on 05/07/2003 5:55:46 AM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: Kozak
The USS Lincoln was the biggest thing a president landed on since Clinton's impeachment! (Leno & Letterman joke, same night)
5 posted on 05/07/2003 5:56:59 AM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: Semper Paratus
I was so excited and proud when Top Gun Bush landed on that ship last week. I found it thrilling. Sheets Byrd didn't see it that way. Well, Bush never joined the KKK either!!!!!!!!!!!
6 posted on 05/07/2003 5:58:09 AM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: buffyt
Makes Byrd look like a FOOL- but then we all knew that anyway!
7 posted on 05/07/2003 5:58:32 AM PDT by Laserman
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To: buffyt
Thanks for the info! Paging Sen. Pretty Pretty...
8 posted on 05/07/2003 5:58:54 AM PDT by mewzilla
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To: Kozak
And Clinton only visited carriers (biggest ship in the fleet). This clearly shows that he is racist against cruisers, destroyers, frigates, landing ships, helicopter carriers, oilers, supply ships, submarines, minesweepers, zodiacs, Coast Guard cutters, dingys, the USS Constitution (sailing ship), etc.

I hope the NAACP and the ACLU condemns Clinton for his racism vs certain US Naval ships.

9 posted on 05/07/2003 6:01:39 AM PDT by xrp
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To: buffyt
Thank you!!! I just used that info in an e-mail I was composing to Senator Byrd.
10 posted on 05/07/2003 6:01:41 AM PDT by tsmith130
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To: tsmith130
GOOD! I was hoping everyone would write to Pretty Pretty SHEETS Byrd today and remind him of this info. It is nothing new for a US President to visit a naval ship!!!!

11 posted on 05/07/2003 6:05:44 AM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: xrp
Got this info from Alamo-Girl.com  

Five Navy aviators Clinton bodyguards/escorts (names not determined)


Died March 26, 1993 All died in the crash of an E-2C Hawkeye in Italy. The crash occurred shortly after the plane was "waved off" from a landing attempt on the Carrier Roosevelt, due to a "foul deck." All five men had been Clinton's escorts during Clinton's visit to the Roosevelt two weeks prior. Three other men, who had flown Clinton to the Roosevelt for that visit also died later in a helicopter crash. (2)

ADDED TO THE DOWNSIDE LEGACY

Lt Cmdr Jon A Rystrom – Hawkeye Crash
Lt William R Dyer– Hawkeye Crash
Lt Robert A Forwalder– Hawkeye Crash
Lt Patrick Ardaiz– Hawkeye Crash
Lt John A Messier– Hawkeye Crash

 

5 Navy Aviators

wordarchive.com 1999 Dan Jacobson "....On March 12, 1993, President Clinton visited the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, at Norfolk, Virginia.....On March 25, 1993, just thirteen days after Clinton's visit, tragedy struck the Roosevelt when five naval aviators, Lt. Cmdr. Jon A. Rystrom, Lt. William R. Dyer, Lt. Robert A. Forwalder, Lt. Patrick J. Ardaiz, and Lt. John A. Messier, went down in the Ionian Sea in an E-2C Hawkeye radar plane. The plane had been monitoring nightly drops of humanitarian aid to Muslims in eastern Bosnia, and was returning to the Roosevelt. As the plane approached the carrier, it was waved off because of a fouled flight deck; the crew circled into a holding pattern, and the plane disappeared about a mile from the carrier. There was never any distress call, and the cause for the crash was never determined. Bill Clinton expressed his "deep concern over the accident," mentioned his recent trip to the Roosevelt, and complimented in a general way the sailors and marines aboard the ship. He did not mention that the particular naval aviators that had died had been part of a special squadron chosen to personally escort the President when he boarded the ship....."

 

Sgt. Brian Haney

Sgt. Tim Sabel

Maj. William Barkley

Capt. Scott Reynolds

Died: May 19, 1993 - All four men died when their helicopter crashed in the woods near Quantico, Va. - Reporters were barred from the site, and the head of the fire department responding to the crash described it by saying, "Security was tight," with "lots of Marines with guns." A videotape made by a firefighter was seized by the Marines. All four men had escorted Clinton on his flight to the carrier Roosevelt shortly before their deaths. (1)

Died May 19, 1993 All four men died when their helicopter crashed in the woods near Quantico, Va. Reporters were barred from the site, and the head of the fire department responding to the crash described it by saying, "Security was tight," with "lots of Marines with guns." A videotape made by a firefighter was seized by the Marines. All four men had escorted Clinton on his flight to the carrier Roosevelt shortly before their deaths. (2)

Brian Haney, Timothy Sabel, William Barkley and Scott Reynolds died in a helicopter crash on 19 May 1993. These four were members of Marine Helicopter Squadron One, the unit responsible for transporting the President. They died when the Blackhawk helicopter they had taken out for a maintenance-evaluation flight crashed. There was no evidence of sabotage. Clinton had set foot in the aircraft on only one occasion, two months before, when he traveled from the White House to the USS Theodore Roosevelt. (3)

Line of Duty - Staff Sgt. Brian Haney, Helicopter Crash (Clinton Bodyguard)
Line of Duty - Marine Sgt. Timothy Sabel, Helicopter Crash (Clinton Bodyguard)
Line of Duty - Maj. William Barkley, Helicopter Crash (Clinton Bodyguard)
Line of Duty - Capt. Scott Reynolds, Helicopter Crash (Clinton Bodyguard) (4)

wordarchive.com 1999 Dan Jacobson "....Clinton had been transported to the USS Roosevelt aboard one of the Marine helicopters in the presidential fleet. That very helicopter, a VH-60 Blackhawk, went down on May 19, 1993 (less than two months after the radar plane from the USS Roosevelt had gone down) in a wooded area 35 miles southwest of Washington during a routine inspection flight. All four crewmembers were killed. They were identified as Maj. William S. Barkley Jr., Capt. Scott J. Reynolds, Staff Sgt. Brian D. Haney, and Sgt. Timothy D. Sabel. At least Barkley, Reynolds, and Sabel had all previously flown with Clinton to the Roosevelt on the same helicopter. No cause for the crash was ever determined....."

12 posted on 05/07/2003 6:06:58 AM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: All
That was from Alamo-Girl's BODY COUNT pages....
13 posted on 05/07/2003 6:08:28 AM PDT by buffyt (Can you say President Hillary, Mistress of Darkness? Me Neither!!!!!!!!!!!!!)
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To: Semper Paratus
"United States approaching"
"United States aboard"

Actually, it's "United States, arriving" preceeded by striking the ships bell 8 times and done when the President's foot hits the deck.

Which brings to mind an old sea story of mine. I was standing in port Officer of the Deck Watch on my destroyer when we received word that the commanding officer of a cruiser moored nearby was coming on board. My Boatswain Mate of the Watch was brand new, this was his first watch as BMOW, and a little on the dense side to begin with. So I took him aside and made sure that he knew what was expected. Captains are identified by the name of their ship, I remined him. They rate four strikes of the ships bell and then the arrival message. It will go like this, "Ding-ding...ding-ding...Virginia arriving." I walked him through this three times, imitating the striking of the bell and the proper cadence, making sure he knew what was expected. He assured me that he had it down. So the big moment arrives, I'm at the head of the brow, ready to return the salure, and the moment his foot hit the deck I heard the hum of the 1MC and the strong, confident voice of my Boatswain Mate as he said, "Ding-ding...ding-ding...Virginia arriving."

14 posted on 05/07/2003 6:13:16 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: buffyt
Just to point something out to everyone absolutely every President since Theodore Rosevelt has visited a US navy ship.
15 posted on 05/07/2003 6:22:05 AM PDT by harpseal (Stay well - Stay safe - Stay armed - Yorktown)
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To: harpseal
One reason is that Coolidge, Hoover, and Roosevelt used navy ships to vacation on. They would board the Augusta or the Arizona or whatever and head down to the Caribbean for a few weeks. They were like the Air Force One of the day, the President could get away and relax and the communications facility of the ship would let them stay in touch with Washington.
16 posted on 05/07/2003 6:26:40 AM PDT by Non-Sequitur
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To: harpseal
Not Pres Ford. He was too busy golfing, being a stumblebum and getting eaten by wolves.
17 posted on 05/07/2003 6:32:43 AM PDT by xrp
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To: Non-Sequitur
LOL!
18 posted on 05/07/2003 6:35:24 AM PDT by katykelly
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To: Non-Sequitur
That sort of thing made many a Stan Freburg comedic routine. In fact, it's one of The Ten Original Jokes. All jokes are variations on one of the Ten.

Sounds like you needed to be carrying a Popeil's Pocket Rimshot. Looks just like a pager, clips to your belt, has a speaker and a red button on top. Something funny happens in the room where you are, you press the button and a booming vaudevillian RIMSHOT rings out.

Alas. Popeil's Pocket Rimshot is "vaporware."

Michael

19 posted on 05/07/2003 6:43:14 AM PDT by Wright is right! (Have a profitable day!)
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To: buffyt
William J. Clinton (1992-2001) Carrier Carl Vinson (1993; 1995) Carrier George Washington (1994) Carrier Independence (1996) Carrier Harry S. Truman (1998)

Didn't Clinton's entourage make off with towels and other Navy property during one of his visits?

As I recall the White House was made to return and/or pay for the missing items...

--Boris

20 posted on 05/07/2003 7:39:55 AM PDT by boris (Education is always painful; pain is always educational)
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