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Posted on 09/05/2003 3:36:30 AM PDT by snippy_about_it
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 are acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated.
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The USS Tarawa LHA-1 by private invitation from the ship's OA (Meteorology Office) crew and FReeper bkwells  Welcome Home Brian and the entire Tarawa crew Link to USS Tarawa news stories On January 6th, 2003 FReeper bkwells (Brian Wells), Senior Chief aboard the USS Tarawa LHA-1, posted a thread on FR telling everyone that he was about to be shipped out and I took note of it. I made a decision to do my best at supporting Brian and his crew in his immediate unit, the OA department on board the USS Tarawa LHA-1 Amphibious Assault Ship. I contacted Brian initially by FReepmail and a wonderful relationship began with Brian and his immediate unit the OA Division on the Tarawa. We were in contact throughout their six month deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom and continued after they arrived home July 13th. It was an emotional roller coaster ride as I know we all felt during that time. During their six month deployment to OIF there was a period of 107 days that the ship did not have a port call. As the Tarawa headed for home after their outstanding performance in OIF, an invitation arrived in early June to come to San Diego for a private tour of the ship and to meet the OA crew. I was ecstatic to say the least. I immediately called SAM. Then two more invitations came from the crew. Who could say no. LOL. We began planning right away. Brian told us the ship would go into dry dock in late September and encouraged us to come before that would happen. After over 3 years on board the Tarawa, Brian would be moving on. He is now at NAS North Island for a couple of years of well-deserved shore duty and attending classes. The Tarawa came home to San Diego from OIF July 13th. Logistically between the Tarawa, SAM and I we came up with a date of September 2nd through the 4th to be in San Diego. We continued to hear from Brian and the crew and made plans for taking them all out to dinner. Our personal tour of the ship was scheduled for Wednesday. Jeff and Tom thought it would be best to have James pick us up at the hotel and drive us onto base and to the ship. As Tom put it "Chauffeur service and no chance of getting lost!" After the tour we planned on getting together at a called Claim Jumpers near Grossmont." We anxiously awaited the travel date, hearing from the Tarawa crew up to the last minute. It was hard to believe they seemed as excited as we were. As far as not letting you all in on it ahead of time, we know just as in life, with the military anything can happen. We decided to wait until our trip was completed and then report back as soon as we returned to Oregon and prepared the thread for Friday the 5th. SAM and Snippy's Diary Tuesday September 2nd, 2003 Snippy was wheels up at 7:04 a.m. EST Tuesday morning, SAM was wheels up at 7:10 a.m. PSTW and we were winging our way to San Diego. SAM arrived at 9:15 a.m. and Snippy at 9:55 a.m. We missed each other at the gate, both of our individual flights were early and we were at different gates than planned. SAM traveled with one carry on and headed down to the baggage claim area to find snippy at the baggage carousel with two huge suitcases and a carry on! Having found each other and retrieving the luggage we headed for the shuttle to the car rental office. We picked up the car and headed for the hotel in Mission Bay. One of the Tarawa crew, Rebecca would be on duty Wednesday and not be able to attend the dinner so we made plans in advance of the trip to take her and her husband out to dinner our first night in. We called once them once we arrived at the hotel to get directions and that evening we picked them up and headed to the restaurant of their choice, which was Miguel's on Coronado Island. Becca and her husband were very gracious and had flowers for snippy upon our arrival and we had beef jerky for them. Then off to dinner.  Crossing the beautiful Coronado Bridge is where we got our first glance of the USS Tarawa. We ate dinner outside while birds terrorized Becca, LOL. I don't suppose it had anything to do with SAM throwing tortilla chips around her chair. (He can be soooo bad.) We spent a very nice evening with a very sweet couple and enjoyed pleasant conversation. We drove them home after dinner and then we headed back to the hotel. Much to my chagrin SAM talked me into watching a movie called "28 Days Later", UGH!!! If you don't know what that movie is about just look up Zombies on google. Yuck, yuck, yuck. Wednesday September 3rd, 2003 The big day James was scheduled to arrive at 0830 to pick us up at the hotel. We awoke early, had breakfast on the balcony and headed down to the hotel's business center to check in with the Foxhole for a brief moment. As we were headed down the elevator, James called my cell phone to tell me he had arrived and we told him we were on our way. Just as we walked out James pulled up and off we went to the Navy Base.  Our "chauffeur" James from Texas Before parking at the base James gave us the nickel tour of the base. We saw the base movie theater, the commissary and some other ships docked there. It is evident the base takes the terrorism threat seriously because their were concrete barriers, tire puncture strips and armed guards at the many checkpoints.  The Hospital Ship Mercy James searched for a spot to park that was below E7. It is quite a long walk to the ship and bless his heart he was trying to get as close to the front of the parking as possible. We ended up "accidentally" taking a chief's parking spot. ;) After quite a walk we went through more security with our escort and had to walk the entire length of the dock as Tarawa was the last one after passing the Champlain and the Elliot.  DDG Elliot on the right, CG Lake Champlain on the left and then the USS Tarawa behind it. We walked 8 flights of stairs to get to the ship's airplane elevator on the aircraft deck level. After our escort saluted the flag and officers James signed us in at yet another security check point and we received our passes. We left the hanger bay area by first walking up a city block long steep ramp to the equipment deck then to another level up a stairway to the flight deck at the stern of the ship where the OA sailors were working. The ship is undergoing construction prior to going into dry dock. After introductions and welcomes Tom took over and we began our "Grand" tour of the USS Tarawa LHA-1.  Snippy sneaks picture of the ramp between hanger decks. On the way we passed Rebecca and Yvonne the only two women of the crew of 13 who were busy banding helium tanks. From here went down below first and then headed toward the flight deck to the bow of the ship and we climbed ladders and stairways and walked on the outer side of the island tower touring each level all the way to the top! We saw the ship's exercise room where over $100,000 dollars of equipment is housed and were told that when the Marines are onboard it is used 24/7! It is also one of the few air-conditioned areas of the ship. While proudly not bumping his head or tripping over doorways, SAM managed to trip over an exercise bike in the gym. LOL. He caught himself of course and was fine to carry on. He loved sliding down the interior steep stairwells though! From here we headed back to the stern and the island. On the island the first stop was the Admirals bridge. Here is where the Admiral fought the war when the Tarawa was the Flagship of the Coalition in OIF.  Snippy and SAM on the Captain's Bridge Next it was up to the Captains bridge with steering and communications. The captain's bridge has a wing. A section that juts out from the bridge kind of like a small balcony. Next up was the Air traffic control bridge on the side of the island. You can sit in the flight control seats to see all of the ship where flight control and coordination is performed.  Tom explains the operation of the Flight Control Station At the very top of the island is where the OA crew works. What a view from the very top, the roof, so to speak of the tower. Along the way we saw the Sparrow launcher, the Vulcan and 2 .50 -caliber machine guns (MA Deuce)! Tom also pointed out the ship's mast where a flag was flown that we will discuss on the thread later. Next Tom took us to the OA division office where Senior Chief Wells and the crew worked around the clock. A very small office that was in the process of being renovated and updated.  Door to the OA division Office where our Tarawa crew works We went down halls, up stairs, down stairs and couldn't imagine how one could get used to finding there way on a ship this size. We visited the mess deck where they eat, the flight deck and the well deck where they launch the LCAC's and LCU's and equipment such as tanks and armored vehicles for the Marines that the Tarawa transports. We toured the ship for almost 2 hours and then were turned back over to James for the ride back to the hotel. Before we left Tom told us dinner had been moved up and hour and would now be at 1530 as Chief Wells class schedule would allow an earlier than first thought dinner. We arrived right at 3:30 and Brian was waiting outside to escort us in. About six of what would be 11 for dinner had already arrived. We ordered drinks and waited for Senior Chief Wells and the others. They weren't far behind and we finally got to meet our fellow FReeper and one of the Navy's finest and welcome the crew home after a job well done. |
Today's classic warship, USS Trevor (DD-339)/(DMS-16)
Clemson class destroyer converted to minesweeper
Displacement. 1,308 t.
Lenght. 314'4"
Beam. 30'11"
Draft. 9'10"
Speed. 35.0 k.
Complement. 122
Armament. 4 4", 1 3", 12 21" tt.
Trever (DD-339) was laid down on 12 August 1919 at Vallejo, Calif., by the Mare Island Navy Yard; launched on 15 September 1920; sponsored by Mrs. Bess McMillan Trever, widow of Lt. Comdr. George A. Trever; and commissioned on 3 August 1922, Lt. H. E. Snow in command.
After shakedown, Trever was placed in out-of-commission status, with Destroyer Division 44, at San Diego, Calif., on 17 January 1923. She reposed in "red lead row" until called to active duty on 2 June 1930. As part of Destroyer Division (DesDiv) 15 and later, DesDiv 10, she operated out of San Diego with the Battle Force until reclassified as a high-speed minesweeper and redesignated DMS-16 on 19 November 1940. Then, she worked out of Pearl Harbor through 1941, assigned to Mine Division (MineDiv) 4, Mine Squadron 2, as part of the Base Force, United States Fleet.
On 7 December 1941, Trever lay moored in West Loch, Pearl Harbor, with sister ships Zane (DMS-14), Wasmuth (DMS-15), and Perry (DMS-17) the entire complement of MineDiv 4, nested together off the Pearl City Yacht Club. Shortly before 0800 that Sunday morning, Japanese aircraft swept over the Pacific Fleet's base in a daring stroke calculated to immobilize the Fleet at a single blow.
MineDiv 4's ships commenced firing almost immediately. Trever's .50-caliber Browning machine guns concentrated on one attacker strafing the Pearl City Yacht Club and caused the enemy plane to plunge into a hillside and explode. A second, bolder raider peeled off to strafe the nested minecraft, soon lost its wings in a hail of bullets, and tumbled across the flak-torn sky until it crashed and burned near Beckoning Point.
The forthcoming signal to sortie resulted in a frenzied scramble to reach the open ocean. Many ships, including Trever, left behind commanding officers who were unable to reach their departing ships. During the hasty exit, Trever embarked the captain and executive officer of Henley (DD-391). Later in the morning, these two officers returned to their own ship by an ingenious,if unorthodox, method. With the threat of a submarine attack, a direct-alongside high-line transfer was out of the question. Henley assumed a position ahead of Trever and reeled out a long manila line with a life raft attached. Henley's two officers climbed down into the raft, and, after a wet and bumpy ride in choppy seas, reached their own ship and were taken on board.
Trever's own commanding officer, Lt. Comdr. D. A Agnew, who had gone to sea in Wasmuth, boarded his own ship in mid-afternoon as it swept the Pearl Harbor channel. For the next few months, Trever conducted more minesweeping operations, as well as local escort missions and antisubmarine patrols.
On 15 April, Trever and Hopkins (DMS-13), as Task Group (TG) 15.2, got underway to escort a six ship convoy from Honolulu to the California coast, arriving at San Pedro on 25 April. Soon afterwards Trever entered the Mare Island Navy Yard for an extensive overhaul, including the removal of her 4-inch mounts and the installation of 3-inch antiaircraft guns and 20-millimeter Oerlikon cannons.
Newly refitted, Trever joined TG 15.6 and escorted a west-bound convoy to Oahu, arriving at Pearl Harbor on 2 July. She remained in Hawaiian waters until the 12th, when in company with Zane, Hopkins, Navajo (AT-64), and Aldebaran (AF-40) she steamed for Tutuila, Samoa; and Tongatabu in the Tonga Islands. Upon arrival, these ships joined Task Force (TF) 62, which was preparing for the first American amphibious assault of the war in the Pacific, the thrust into the Solomon Islands.
Arriving off Guadalcanal on 7 August, Trever helped to screen the transports until she was detached with Hovey (DMS-11) and Hopkins to bombard targets ashore. While the American ships steamed in column some 3,000 yards away, Japanese shore batteries on Gavatu Island opened fire at 0807. One minute later, as the enemy's shells straddled the American formation, Trever's 3-inch guns, accompanied by the stentorian chatter of her 20-millimeter guns, barked out a telling reply. At 0830, her shells silenced the troublesome gun with a direct hit; and, five minutes later, the destroyer minesweepers ceased fire and withdrew.
Later, while she was conducting sweeping operations with MineRon 2, her antiaircraft fire helped to drive off enemy bombers which had attacked the transport areas. The following day, twin-engined "Betty" bombers swept over the American ships. Trever commenced firing at 1203. In the brief, four-minute, running fight, she helped to splash four bombers.
That evening, a Japanese cruiser force threaded its way down "the Slot" between Guadalcanal and Savo Island and surprised five Allied cruisers (four American and one Australian) and their attendant destroyers. In the brief, bitter night battle known as the Battle of Savo Island, Vincennes (CA-44), Quincy (CA-39), Astoria (CA-34), and Australian Canberra were sunk. Providentially for the Americans, the Japanese commander inexplicably decided not to press further on down the strait, where he might have caught the anchored American transports, some still heavily laden with supplies for the marines ashore. On 9 August, Trever helped to screen the transports as they retired to Noumea, New Caledonia.
After various escort assignments, Trever joined TF 65 on 14 September and departed Espiritu Santo for a run to Guadalcanal with reinforcements and supplies for the hard-pressed marines. TF 66 arrived off the island on the 17th and hastily unloaded before retiring toward Noumea, where it arrived on the 22d.
On 10 October Trever, as part of Mine Squadron 2, escorted McCawley (AP-10) and Zeilin (AP-9) from Espiritu Santo to the Solomons. Upon their arrival on 13 October, Trever and Hovey received orders to search for survivors of the Battle of Cape Esperance, fought on the night of 12 October.
During the day's search, Trever took on board 34 enemy survivors, including three officers. One raft of eight refused to surrender but put up a fight, giving Trever no recourse but to destroy it and its occupants. Returning to the transport area, Trever transferred her prisoners to McCawley and headed back to Espiritu Santo with the returning transports.
Trever next headed back to the Solomons with Zane and arrived at Tulagi on 26 October 1942 with torpedoes, ammunition, and aviation fuel for Motor Torpedo Boat Squadron 3. After unloading, they remained there, expecting orders to bombard Japanese positions along Guadalcanal's coast. The directive did not come, but something else did a message intercepted at 1000, telling that three Japanese destroyers were standing down the strait, apparently to bombard the airstrip at Henderson Field.
Two choices were open to Lt. Comdr. Agnew of Trever, who was in command of the task unit. One was to head for the Maliala River to join Jamestown (PG-55) and the damaged McFarland (AVD-14) which were both well camouflaged. By following this plan, Zane and Trever, both un camouflaged, might attract the Japanese into the area, thus assuring the destruction of all four highly vulnerable American ships. Not wishing to be thus caught like "rats in a trap," Agnew decided on the second alternative, a dash for safety.
Shaping course for Sealark Channel, the two old minecraft got underway and bent on speed to clear the area. At 1014, three distinctive silhouettes came over the horizon into view, hull-down and "bones-in-their-teeth ."
The "black gangs" on the American ships were able to pound and cajole 29 knots from the old machinery. however the Japanese, making 36 knots, gained rapidly and opened fire with their 6.6-inch guns while still out of range of the Americans' 3 inchers. The first enemy shells whistled overhead and sent up fountains of water several hundred yards beyond the minecraft, and the next salvo fell some 300 yards astern.
Trever and Zane dodged nimbly and kept up a steady fire from their 3-inch guns as exploding shells drenched their decks with spray. The Japanese then drew blood by hitting Zane amidships and killing three men.
Agnew now decided that his ships could not make Sealark Channel and chose instead to attempt a high speed transit of shoal-studded Niella Channel. Just as the Americans were changing course, the Japanese broke off the action, perhaps remembering their primary mission.
Three days later, Trever and Zane once again conducted a resupply run to Tulagi, each carrying 176 drums of gasoline lashed to her deck. Continuing such runs through January 1943, Trever then steamed to Australia for overhaul, arriving at Sydney on 27 January. She returned to Espiritu Santo on 28 February before calling at Wellington, New Zealand, on 31 May.
Returning to escort duties, she accompanied LST-848 from Lunga Roads to the Russell Islands on 20 June 1943. After nightfall, a twin-float Japanese biplane "washing machine Charlie" came over and dropped bombs on the two ships, sending them to general quarters and provoking an angry return fire from Trever's 20-millimeter guns.
The old destroyer minesweeper next took part in operations in the New Georgia campaign. On the 29th Rear Admiral George H. Fort hoisted his flag to Trever's main as Commander, TG 31.3. That night, in company with Schley (APD-14), McKean (APD-6), and seven infantry landing craft (LCI's), Trever departed Wernham Cove, Russell Islands. At daybreak the next morning, the APD's launched their landing boats. The troops stormed ashore at Oliana Bay, taking the Japanese defenders by surprise. Later that day with the objective secured, Rear Admiral Fort disembarked at Renard Sound.
On 5 July, American forces struck hard at Kula Gulf to occupy Rice Anchorage and thus to prevent Japanese reinforcements from reaching Munda from Vila. Trever embarked 216 men of the Army's 3d Battalion, 148th Infantry Regiment, and joined bombardment and transport groups in the assault.
On 6 August, Trever joined Honolulu (CL-48) which had lost her bow to a "long lance" torpedo during the Battle of Kolombangara and escorted the damaged cruiser from Espiritu Santo to Pearl Harbor. On 19 August, Trever got underway to escort an eastbound convoy to San Francisco.
After a month's overhaul at Mare Island, Trever steamed for Pearl Harbor on 8 October and touched there briefly before heading for Guadalcanal. On Armistice Day, she joined the screen for American Legion (AP-35) and escorted her to Empress Augusta Bay. Later that month, Trever took part in the landings at Cape Torokina, Bougainville.
Trever devoted the next year to escort missions and target towing duty in the South and Central Pacific. Perhaps the highlight of this service came in October 1944 when she joined the screen for torpedoed cruisers Houston (CL-81) and Canberra (CA-70) and escorted them safely to Ulithi.
On 18 December, as Trever was escorting a convoy toward the Western Carolines, the wind velocity began to increase steadily, with the seas rising and the barometer falling. By 1440, typhoon conditions prevailed. Visibility dropped to zero, and torrential rains deluged the ship while mountainous waves and 90-knot winds threatened to tear her apart. Heavy seas carried away the two motor whaleboats and bent and twisted their davits. At 1630, a man making emergency repairs topside was washed overboard; and Trever immediately began a search for the missing sailor. Two hours later, she picked up her man: bruised, battered, and in shock but alive.
The following day, Trever put into Guam and transferred her injured seaman to the naval hospital on shore. On 22 December, she reached Eniwetok. On 24 December, she and Army transport Santa Isabel got underway for Hawaii, arriving at Pearl Harbor on the last day of 1944. Continuing her homeward journey, Trever moored alongside the Mole Pier at the Naval Repair Base, San Diego, and began overhaul on 9 January 1945.
Upon completion of her repairs, she headed for Oahu on 25 March 1945. For the remainder of the war, Trever operated out of Pearl Harbor, where she had entered the hostilities with Japan four years before. On 4 June 1945, she was reclassified as a miscellaneous auxiliary and designated as AG-110.
On 22 September 1945, she departed Pearl Harbor for the last time and steamed to San Diego. After repairs, she proceeded via the Canal Zone to Norfolk Va., where she arrived on 21 October 1945. She was decommissioned on 23 November 1945, struck from the Navy list on 5 December 1945, and sold for scrapping on 12 November 1946.
Trever received five battle stars for her World War II service.
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Air Power |
The AV-8B V/STOL strike aircraft was designed to replace the AV-8A and the A-4M light attack aircraft. The Marine Corps requirement for a V/STOL light attack force has been well documented since the late 1950's. Combining tactical mobility, responsiveness, reduced operating cost and basing flexibility, both afloat and ashore, V/STOL aircraft are particularly well-suited to the special combat and expeditionary requirements of the Marine Corps. The AV-8BII+ features the APG-65 Radar common to the F/A-18, as well as all previous systems and features common to the AV-8BII.
The AV-8B Harrier is a single-seat, light attack aircraft that provides offensive air support to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF). By virtue of its Vertical/Short Take-Off or Landing (V/STOL) capability, the AV-8B can operate from a variety of amphibious ships, rapidly constructed expeditionary airfields, forward sites (e.g., roads), and damaged conventional airfields. This makes the aircraft particularly well-suited for providing dedicated close air support.
The mission of the VMA STOVL squadron is to attack and destroy surface and air targets, to escort helicopters, and to conduct other such air operations as may be directed.
Specific tasks of the AV-8B HARRIER II include:
- Conduct close air support using conventional and specific weapons.
- Conduct deep air support, to include armed reconnaissance and air interdiction, using conventional and specific weapons.
- Conduct offensive and defensive antiair warfare. This includes combat air patrol, armed escort missions, and offensive missions against enemy ground-to-air defenses, all within the capabilities of the aircraft.
- Be able to operate and deliver ordnance at night and to operate under instrument flight conditions.
- Be able to deploy for extended operations employing aerial refueling.
- Be able to deploy to and operate from carriers and other suitable seagoing platforms, advanced bases, expeditionary airfields, and remote tactical landing sites.
The primary mission of the Harrier as employed by the Royal Air Force is that of a ground-attack fighter-bomber. In this role, a variety of external ordnance with maximum weight up to 5000 pounds may be carried, as well as two 30-mm cannons. The Royal Navy employs the aircraft in a fleet air-defense role; in this capacity, Sidewinder missiles are carried in addition to the cannon and various external stores. In naval use, the Harrier employs a short takeoff technique from a small carrier equipped with a ski-jump launching ramp; after its mission and at a much reduced weight, the aircraft makes a vertical landing on the carrier. This mode of operation is referred to as STOVL, short takeoff and vertical landing. Although generally available information is far from complete, the Harrier was apparently employed with great effectiveness in the Falkland Islands dispute between Great Britain and Argentina in 1982.
The improved version of the Harrier, known as the AV-8B, was manufactured in the United States by McDonnell Douglas under an agreement with the British Aerospace Corporation. In the various trials, demonstrations, and special exercises conducted, the AV-8B's high availability and its successful completion of operational objectives in highly restrictive environments confirmed that it could be effectively maintained and supported. The supportability of any weapon system can be illustrated by its performance over an extended period of time in terms of Mean Time Between Failures (MTBF) and Maintenance Man-hours per Flight Hour (MMH/FH). The AV-8B proved to be a supportable weapon system with performance data showed a steady improvement in the supportability factors throughout the life cycle of the aircraft.
Since the aircraft entered the inventory as a mature, off-shore weapons system, there were initial programmatic difficulties in provisioning which plagued the airplane with a high Not Mission Capable Supply (NMCS) rate. Indeed, through the years, the operationally ready rate improved and continued to improve to a rate that was favorable when compared to other first line aircraft. Logistics support continued to challenge the Marines throughout the Day, Night Attack and Radar aircraft programs. Now with an ongoing remanufacture program for selected Harriers in the inventory will provide new engines and radar, a Forward Looking Infrared Radar (FLIR), moving map and night vision goggles. These improvements will give the Harrier a day and night attack capability, and will extend the service life into the next century as well as greatly improving warfighting capability and logistics support ability.
The British Aerospace Harrier is used by the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy, the US Marine Corps, and the navies of Spain and India. In addition to the USMC, the Spanish and Italian Navies fly the AV-8B. The Spanish Navy has nine Day Attack and eight Radar aircraft. The Italian Navy has two Trainer and sixteen Radar aircraft. Both Spanish and Italian Pilots and maintenance personnel train with USMC personnel to ensure commonality between forces. There have been no Foreign Military Sales (FMS) of the Night Attack Aircraft and the AV-8B has not been sold the any other military force at this time.
Specifications:
Primary Function: STOVL close-support
Contractor: McDonnell Douglas
Crew: One
Powerplant: one Rolls-Royce F402-RR-408 Pegasus (23,800 lb)
Dimensions:
Length: 46.3 feet
Wingspan: 30.3 feet
Height: 11 feet, 7 inches
Weights: Empty: 14,867 lb / Maximum Takeoff: 31,000 lb
Performance :
Speed: 1.0 Mach
Ceiling: N/A
Combat Radius: 103 mi (90 nm / 167 km)
Armaments:
One fuselage-mounted 25 mm gun system
Standard Air-to-Ground (A/G) load: Six Mk 82, 500 pound bombs
Standard Air-to-Air (A/A) load: Four AIM-9L/M Sidewinder missiles
Provisions for carrying up to 9,000 pounds of ordnance on seven stations
All photos Copyright of Global Security.Org
And the Navy and Marines are still kicking butt today!
I knew y'all had to be up to something good but had no idea it would be this good! What a thrill it must have been to tour the USS TARAWA!!!!! Yep, you bet I'm jealous! :-)
Thank you so much, snippy and SAM, for sharing this wonderful experience of a lifetime with us!! Love the pics!! Right now I'm sitting here with a big dopey grin on my face, knowing what a thrill it must have been for you to get to walk through the areas where those fine Sailors and Marines walked during the war. Lucky, lucky, lucky!!
I had the pleasure and honor of having a couple of pen pals on the TARAWA while they were deployed during Operation Iraqi Freedom and had met Brian here at FR. Many happy tears were shed when this ship came home.
Brian, you're a gem for arranging this experience for snippy and SAM. I said it in July and I'll say it again...
"Surprise" is definitely an understatement!! LOL!! Thanks so much for the ping!
LOL! Hi Race. Hey SAM didn't even bump his head going through the doors. His job was also closing them behind us!
I don't know how you all find your way around those boats.
We noticed the sailors all called their ship a "boat" while we called it a ship. SAM asked about it at dinner and we were told if you're servin on it, it's a boat. To everyone else it's a ship. LOL!
LOL. We waited three months from our invitation! It was worth it for us also.
Meeting FReeper bkwells, Senior Chief of the dept until a couple weeks ago, was an honor and more than that a pleasure!
We're glad you liked the thread.
The Navy was certainly gracious to you
The Navy was more than gracious. These young sailors and the young Senior Chief were wonderful, sweet, kind, polite, adorable, and, well, there aren't enough words to describe just how proud I am of all of them.
That they would go out of their way for us, after all they already do for us serving our country, was just amazing.
I was in seventh heaven on this trip.
For me, the combination of having SAM with me and meeting the crew and especially Brian was just something I couldn't ever have imagined and was a dream come true. I was so honored to spend some time with them.
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