[Governor Dinwiddie]

I always think of Newport News as a coal port: endless Appalachian trains dumping coal, mounds of coal 40 feet high. And of course the collier ships from around the world loading cargo after cargo of this underrated source of energy and world prosperity: coal to light the world.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I had a window seat in the Vasbf(sp?) (Virginia Ship Building Facility) for about two weeks. I represented my company in August 2001 for the contractors’ kick-off meeting for the CVN-77. My window overlooked the coal mounds, with the fire hose sweeping back and forth to keep the dust down, and Cheasie & Ohio coal cars dumping loads, while the conveyors fed the ships bound mostly for Germany. We used the buddy system walking across the street to the (pretty decent) greasy spoon for lunch.

The CVN-68 (Nimitz) was in dry dock across the yard for her three overhaul to swap out her reactor vessels. Nimitz-Class have a 60 service life with a three year overhaul to swap out reactor vessels after 30 years.