Commissioning of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan --Live Thread--

Fox News Channel | July 12, 2003

[Tree of Liberty]

The commissioning of the U.S.S. Ronald Reagan is just getting underway. Live video is available on Fox News.

[PhiKapMom]

Not to be picky back but go look at a map of MA and you will find Groton, MA, just outside Littleton to the west and Leomister and Fitchburg to the west of Groton. FYI, Groton School for Boys, the rich prep school attended by NY young men was two miles from our house. Not to mention that Groton, MA, was a location on Paul Revere's ride!

Ayer, MA, home of what used to be Fort Devins was just south of us!

There is a Groton, CT, but there is also a Groton, MA -- better check your facts!

[CaptRon]

The tour they're showing on C-SPAN is pretty good.

[PhiKapMom]

From what Senator Warner said -- it members of the Senate Armed Services who recommend names to the Secretary of the Navy who then recommends a name to the President.

That's one of the best reasons for keeping a Republican in the White House that I can think of!

[CaptRon]

I stand corrected. I meant no disrespect.

[PhiKapMom]

We were talking about weather in the New England being horrible not just the Navy.

[theophilusscribe]

No kidding! LOL!

[hole_n_one]

Each anchor chain link.......

[PhiKapMom]

No problem!

I hated it so bad in MA that I kind of went off because there was a miserable place named Groton where my two oldest kids went to an elementary school which should have been done away with 50 years ago -- had the rudest people I have ever known. In fact, I hated NE period!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks for the ping Darksheare. We caught the very end of it.

[CaptRon]

I did a little time at New London, just next door to Groton, so naturally...

[hole_n_one]

The tour guide looks just like James Carville......

[PhiKapMom]

That's what I figured! I would have rather been in Groton, CT! At least down there they liked the military. My husband was on an Industry assignment for the Air Force at RCA in Burlington so we figured living outside Fort Devins -- too conjested in Bedford where Hanscom was at, that the people would be more hospitable. Boy were we wrong -- they loathed Pres Reagan, the military, and anyone associated with it. We had decals on our cars from Norton AFB and used to get comments put on the windows if I left the car parked at the local stores. Began shopping in NH!

When the Challenger blew up, I had to keep my two oldest kids home for school for three days because I was called by another a mother whose husband was a Fort Devins to warn me about the anti-military attitude of the school and how the kids would be blamed as one teacher had already been on the radio blaming the military for the accident. She was right -- when they went back to school, my oldest daughter was confronted and called her Dad called names! Their dislike for President Reagan was more than I could take. I almost tore that school down when I found out what was being said. For next few months until we got out of there the teacher's made sure my two kids did not have problems. I have such a bad feeling to this day for that community that I will never, ever sit foot there again!

[LibWhacker]

Okay, this land lubber can't figure this out . . . it's been christened, it's had its sea trials, it's been commissioned . . . Does this mean it could be in the Persian Gulf or sitting off the coast of N. Korea next month?

I thought I read an article a few months ago that said it won't be fully ready for duty, and won't be whacking any dictators and stupid frogs over the head, until at least 2005. So what exactly still has to be done to it to get it fully ready for deployment?

[AGreatPer]

Thanks all for the champagne bottle answer and pix hole. I guess I ask silly questions but I really don't know much about the Navy being a former Army guy. Sure had tears in my eyes for this event. Proud to be an American.

One last question: Are they allowed to smoke on a ship?

[PhiKapMom]

It is now headed for its berth at Coronada, San Diego, where it will continue to go through quals but won't be ready to be deployed until 2005!

The carrier and its crew along with its aircrew have to go through numerous qualifying runs before the ship will be deployed. The crew you saw today will grow in numbers as the ship becomes fully manned. A lot of the Constellation crew has put in to go to the USS Ronald Reagan and they just returned recently from the Gulf on the Connie's last deployment.

[PhiKapMom]

They have smoking areas on the ship!

[rockfish59]

USS (Yellow) Clinton

[OldFriend]

Oh I loved that WITHOUT A PERMISSION SLIP LINE......BROUGHT ME TO MY FEET WITH A CHEER!

In other words, BRING EM ON

[LibWhacker]

Thanks, PKM! It sounds like it's not at all a trivial thing getting a ship like this in service. But boy, isn't it already a beautiful sight!

[OldFriend]

The sailors running to their stations brought me to tears. I looked over at strongman hubby and saw him trying not to cry.