|
Posted on 08/16/2002 2:53:40 AM PDT by Snow Bunny
|
Hi everyone, thank you for your fabulous support of the USO Canteen FReeper Style. God bless the troops and their families. Thank you Veterans for serving our country!!!
He hates to type but said he will come on and play at the Canteen most of the morning.
Yikes I better go to sleep so I can be up in a little while too.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/734172/posts
Excerpt:
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Death anniversaries tend to be somber affairs, as we remember those we loved and admired.
There's no parade in Dallas on Nov. 22. Ceremonies in New York on the day John Lennon was killed, or here in Memphis on the anniversary of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, are tearful and melancholy.
In the land of Elvis, things are different.
"Sure, it's sad that he's gone," says Fred Chamberlain, a 39-year-old fan. "But we're treating this as a happy occasion. As time goes on, we look at it differently. This is a way of projecting all the happiness he left for us."
Mr. Chamberlain seems to be a good representative of the tens of thousands of people packed into Memphis this week to mark the 25th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death on Aug. 16, 1977. He's come a long way (from London) at considerable personal sacrifice (he's a school caretaker of modest income) and has gone to lengths that probably seem excessive to nonbelievers (a big Elvis tattoo has adorned his arm since age 16).
Today's classic ship, USS Kula Gulf (CVE-108)
Commencement Bay class escort carrier
Displacement. 11,373
Lenght. 557' 1"
Beam. 75'
Draft. 32'
Speed. 19 k.
Complement. 1,066
Armament. 2 5", 36 40-mm., 20 20-mm., aircraft, 34
Commissioned on 12 May 1945
Sold for scrap on 15 Sept 1970
USS KULA GULF was laid down by Todd-Pacific Shipyards, Inc., Tacoma, Wash., 16 December 1943; launched 15 August 1944- sponsored by Miss Dorothy Mott; completed by Williamette Iron & Steel Corp., Portland, Oreg.; and commissioned at Portland 12 May 1945, Captain J. W. Ring in command.
After shakedown and night carrier training off the West Coast, KULA GULF departed San Diego 5 August for operations with the 7th Fleet in the Western Pacific. Steaming via Pearl Harbor and the Marshalls, she arrived Leyte Gulf, Philippines, 14 September. During the net 2 months she patrolled the East China Sea out of Okinawa and shuttled planes between Saipan and Guam. Assigned to "Magic-Carpet" duty, she departed Guam 17 November with 600 veterans of the Pacific fighting embarked and steamed to San Francisco, arriving 4 December. Between 10 December and 10 January 1946 she returned to the Far East, and, after embarking 1,520 returning veterans at Tientsin and Tsingtao, China, she sailed to the West Coast, reaching San Diego 26 January. She departed San Francisco for the East Coast 26 February, arrived Norfolk 16 March, decommissioned at Boston 3 July, and entered the Atlantic Reserve Fleet.
When the Korean conflict brought an urgent need for a greatly expanded need throughout the world, KULA GULF recommissioned at Boston 15 February 1951, Captain Alden D. Schwarz in command. After shakedown out of Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the escort carrier departed Norfolk 6 August and carried a cargo of airplanes to Casablanca, French Morocco. Following her return to Norfolk 1 September, she spent the next 15 months training pilots of helicopter, air-antisubmarine, and fighter squadrons to strengthen U.S. forces in Korea.
During May 1952 KULA GULF supported Marine helicopter maneuvers on Vieques Island, Puerto Rico; and in October she operated as ASW screen to troop transports bound for Labrador. Following a modernization overhaul from January to July 1953, she resumed air-antisubmarine maneuvers in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast.
From 1953 to 1955 KULA GULF helped perfect ASW techniques by participating in search and kill exercises with ships of the Atlantic Fleet. She played an important role in the development of more effective antisubmarine warfare tactics that help the Navy control the seas. In addition to ASW development, she also aided the advancement of helicopter warfare tactics, which were so important during the struggle to repel Communist aggression in South Vietnam. KULA GULF supported Marine vertical assault landing exercises at Vieques Island between February and April 1955. After returning to Norfolk 26 April, she entered Boston Naval Shipyard 13 May and Philadelphia Naval Shipyard 19 August for inactivation overhauls. She decommissioned at Philadelphia 15 December 1955 and joined the Atlantic Reserve Fleet. She was reclassified AKV-8 on 7 May 1959.
As Communist aggression in South Vietnam increased, the United States expanded efforts to protect the integrity and independence of the Republic of South Vietnam. This assistance posed vast logistic demands and created the need for additional sea power. Because of this urgent need, KULA GULF was transferred to MSTS 30 June 1965 for use as an aircraft ferry. During the summer of 1966 she carried helicopters and troops of the 1st Cavalry Division from the East Coast to Vietnam. She continued aircraft shuttle operations between West Coast ports and American bases along the coast of South Vietnam into 1967.
Placed out of service 6 Oct 1969. Stricken for disposal 15 Sept 1970. Subsequently sold and scrapped.
On August 15, 1942, the 82nd Infantry Division became the first airborne division in the U.S. Army. On that date, the All-American Division was redesignated the 82nd Airborne Division.
The 82nd Airborne Division is enjoying it's 60th anniversary...
Good morning, Snow! Good morning, EVERYBODY!HAPPY FRIDAY!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
