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USO Canteen FReeper Style ~ Help Decorate the Canteen Christmas Tree ~ December 14 2002
68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub and FRiends of the Canteen

Posted on 12/14/2002 5:28:07 AM PST by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub

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To: Kathy in Alaska
Wisconsin Marine Recruit Dies in Basic Training
81 posted on 12/14/2002 12:40:05 PM PST by Dubya
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; LindaSOG; GatorGirl; radu; bentfeather; SpookBrat; LaDivaLoca; TEXOKIE; ..

A PRAYER OF PROTECTION

The light of God surround you
The love of God enfold you
The power of God protect you
The presence of God watch over you
Wherever you are,God is,
And all is well.
Amen.

.

Bless This House



Bless this house O Lord we pray;
Make it safe by night and day;
Bless these walls so firm and stout,
Keeping want and trouble out:
Bless the roof and chimneys tall,
Let thy peace lie over all;
Bless this door, that it may prove
ever open to joy and love.


Bless these windows shining bright,
Letting in God's heav'nly light;
Bless the hearth a'blazing there,
with smoke ascending like a prayer;
Bless the folk who dwell within,
keep them pure and free from sin;
Bless us all that we may be
Fit O Lord to dwell with thee;
Bless us all that one day we
May dwell O Lord with thee.


.

(Click on praying hands above,
or on banner at the top to hear the music)


82 posted on 12/14/2002 12:41:21 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: Kathy in Alaska
MONACO, FREE TED MAHER NOW!!!!!!
83 posted on 12/14/2002 12:41:51 PM PST by E.G.C.
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; larryjohnson; radu; bentfeather; MoJo2001; LindaSOG; bluesagewoman; ...
Good Morning Troops, families, veterans, and Canadian and Israeli allies (and everybody else). Thank you for taking such good care of the USA.

Today in Anchorage, Alaska:

Sunrise 10:08am
Sunset 3:40pm

Hi 24F
Lo 12F

Partly sunny

Actual yesterday in Anchorage:

Hi 29F
Lo 23F

State Hi 45F Annette
State Lo -6F Minchumina

84 posted on 12/14/2002 12:47:37 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Duty ~ Honor ~ Country
85 posted on 12/14/2002 12:47:42 PM PST by Soaring Feather
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To: Kathy in Alaska
A PRAYER OF PROTECTION


Thanks Kathy
86 posted on 12/14/2002 12:48:39 PM PST by Soaring Feather
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To: Aeronaut
Good morning, Aeronaut and Otto, hope you are enjoying your holiday season. Thanks for your daily flyover of protection.
87 posted on 12/14/2002 12:51:30 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: tomkow6
I failed the quiz miserably. I only knew Oktoberfest. Woe is me. I'll try to do better next time.
88 posted on 12/14/2002 12:56:25 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Thanks for your prayer Kathy.
89 posted on 12/14/2002 1:02:18 PM PST by Dubya
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To: All

90 posted on 12/14/2002 1:03:26 PM PST by Dubya
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To: All

I like this one.

91 posted on 12/14/2002 1:06:31 PM PST by Dubya
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; All

92 posted on 12/14/2002 1:21:44 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: LindaSOG; radu; Radix; bentfeather; LaDivaLoca; Kathy in Alaska; WVNan; SassyMom; kneezles; ...

At sea aboard USS Constellation (CV 64) Dec. 12, 2002 – Sailors from V-2 Division in the Air Department perform maintenance on one of four Jet Blast Deflectors (JBD) on the ship’s flight deck. Constellation is currently on a regularly scheduled six-month deployment conducting missions in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Charles E. Alvarado.

At sea aboard USS Constellation (CV 64) Dec. 12, 2002 -- Operation’s Specialist Seaman Michael Martin stands the low visibility watch as USS Higgins (DDG 76) pulls along side the aircraft carrier for a refueling at sea (RAS). Constellation is currently on a regularly scheduled six-month deployment conducting operations in support of Operation Enduring Freedom. U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Charles E. Alvarado. ">

93 posted on 12/14/2002 1:26:57 PM PST by tomkow6
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To: LindaSOG; MoJo2001; bentfeather; radu; TEXOKIE; tomkow6; Radix; southerngrit; bluesagewoman; ...

Marian and Jules H. "Skeets" Powers, both 77, pose in the hallway outside their room at the Naval Home in Gulfport, Miss. Photo by Rudi Williams

Marian Ditzler Powers realized her life-long dream when she parachuted from an airplane on her 80th birthday. The Navy parachute rigger had been hankering to skydive since World War II. Photo courtesy the Palatka Florida Skydiving Club.

World War II Veteran Marian Ditzler Powers
Great-Grandmother Jumps From Airplane on 80th

By Rudi Williams
American Forces Press Service

GULFPORT, Miss., Dec. 11, 2002 — Some people's wildest life-long dreams never become reality. By her count, Marian Ditzler Powers' dream took 20,984 days to come true. She finally did what she'd been hankering to do since World War II — jump out of an airplane!

"I did it on my 80th birthday, Nov. 3, 2002," exclaimed the mother of two, grandmother of three and great-grandmother of four. She jumped tandem with an instructor of the Palatka (Fla.) Skydivers Club. She and her husband, retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Jules "Skeets" Powers, are residents here at the Armed Forces Retirement Home, formerly the U.S. Naval Home.

Skeets said he was "a nervous wreck" as he watched his wife of more than 57 years prepare for the jump. He anxiously watched as she donned a lavender and hot pink jump suit, put on the harness, stepped into the straps and secured them snugly at her thighs.

"My arms went into two more loops; each was tightened to a snug fit," the great-grandmother recalled. "The four buckles that would keep Ralph (Nichols, her instructor) and me together would be secured in place when we were on the plane."

"My oldest grandson, Chris (Navy Petty Officer 2nd Class Chris Anderson), was there to watch granny jump, but made a last-minute decision to go along and jump, too," she said. "He did his tandem jump with an instructor first." Anderson is a drug and alcohol counselor at the hospital at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fla.

Noting that she doesn't know how she made it to the aircraft's doorway, Powers said, "Over the cold, brisk wind blowing in my face, I heard, 'One … two … three … Go! Jump!' I'd done it — at 13,500 feet! After free-falling for about 9,000 feet, I felt a sudden jolt. The chute opened, just as I knew it would. We did a spin. One was enough of that!"

Powers said she wasn't far behind when her grandson landed. "I bent my knees and stuck my feet out in front of me," she recalled. "We had landed! Wheels-up landing? No wheels. Belly landing? Not quite that, either. I guess you would have to call it a two-butt landing."

The 80-year-old skydiver said her dream of skydiving blossomed during World War II when she was a Navy parachute rigger. At that time, the Navy wouldn't allow women riggers to jump.

She enlisted in the Navy on Nov. 27, 1942, a few weeks after her 20th birthday, and reported for active duty on Dec. 22. After boot camp in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Powers and 26 other women reported to parachute rigging school at Lakehurst, N.J. Hers was the second class at Lakehurst to accept women.

There's no room for error in parachute rigging. "A twisted shroud line, an undetected rip or tear could ultimately mean the difference between life and death," Powers pointed out. The students, men and women, were taught upkeep and maintenance of all aerial lifesaving equipment, including repair of flight clothing, chute packing and a practical knowledge of chute construction. They also studied all phases of lifesaving work connected with aviation plus the theory of parachutes.

Training for men and women riggers was the same, except the men were required to jump using their handiwork, but the women were not. That was the disappointing part of the course for Powers. She'd wanted to jump, too.

She never got to jump, but became the first female chief parachute rigger on Jan. 11, 1946. She and Skeets married on Feb. 21, 1946, in the chapel at Naval Auxiliary Air Station Kingsville, Texas. They were the first two Navy chiefs on active duty to be married. She became pregnant, however, and was discharged on June 12.

Could this mean he love for parachutes was over? "Not really, just put on hold," Powers said. "My dream of jumping someday never went away. Skeets decided to make the Navy a career, and being a Navy wife with two children to care for made the dream unthinkable then."

Skeets retired from the Navy in 1961, and he and Marian obtained civil service jobs. They retired in 1985 at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla., and traveled throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia before settling down in May 1997 at the Naval Home. A member of the Parachute Riggers' Association, Powers attended the 2001 reunion in Pensacola, Fla., where she met riggers she had known long ago. Her dream was aroused.

She saw some skydivers while she and Skeets were visiting their daughter Beti and her husband, Mike Anderson, in Palatka last August. That rekindled the fire to finally go skydiving. They went to the airport and arranged for her to jump on her 80th birthday.

"When an 80-year-old person has a dream to fulfill, it's time to get really serious," Powers said.

94 posted on 12/14/2002 1:33:01 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Hey Kathy, how goes it? I'm always gladdened to see your message. Thank you.
95 posted on 12/14/2002 1:41:58 PM PST by Aeronaut
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To: bentfeather; radu; LindaSOG; MoJo2001; TEXOKIE; tomkow6; Radix; southerngrit; bluesagewoman; ...

Staff Sgt. William Vaughan (left) helps Spc. Rob Bibbie (bottom) and Spc. Christian Normandy hoist a flotation bag into their Zodiac rubber boat. The flotation bags are used to move the concrete piers. (photo by Stephanie Carl)

7th Dive Detachment removes hazards in Hawaii

by Spc. Stephanie L. Carl

SCHOEFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii (Army News Service, Dec. 10, 2002) -- Six months of planning came to fruition last week as soldiers from the 7th Engineer Detachment (Heavy Dive) collapsed the last of 23 hazardous finger piers in the Wai'anae Small Boat Harbor.

The project, which is known as innovative readiness training, allowed the detachment to fulfill part of its Mission Essential Task List that has been nearly impossible in the past, unit leaders said, while benefitting the Wai'anae community.

"This project falls under port construction and demolition using non-explosive means," said Master Sgt. Rodney Heikkinen, the master diver and first sergeant for the dive detachment.

"To my knowledge, this is the first time a project like this has ever come up for our unit," he said.

Heikkinen added that the project helped soldiers to brush up on skills that are imperative during real-world deployments.

"Each finger pier weighs approximately five and a half tons," he said. "The guys are going to sink the piers, then raise them, move them to another location and re-sink them. This is going to teach them weight-handling."

What Heikkinen meant is that each pier is secured with two thick ropes. Using a chipper and sledgehammer, the divers chop away at the concrete the pier is made of, exposing the long metal rods that gave it support.

Unfortunately, according to William Aila, a Wai'anae native and the harbormaster, many of these supports have either broken or bowed, creating long cracks in the outer surface of the piers.

"Some of the piers collapsed into the water on their own, others are at risk to fall at any time," Aila explained.

For the supports that hadn't snapped, the divers used a blowtorch to cut through the metal.

Each pier has six supports. After each support is cut, the pier simply collapses. On some of the piers, the soldiers preferred to use another method. They placed several large metal canisters in the center of the pier, using rubber tires to keep the cans floating after the pier collapsed. They then filled the canisters with water, which exceeded the weight that the already-weakened piers could handle.

Once the divers collapsed the piers, they attached flotation bags to the piers, then towed the piers to the opposite side of the harbor, where they will be picked up by a civilian contractor and hauled out to sea and re-sank as part of the artificial reef program.

"We don't have any crane support for completing this mission," Heikkinen said. "When we deploy we won't have it, so we need to be able to do this without logistical support.

"We're not always going to have that support, so this project teaches everyone to think outside the box."

The project gave soldiers of the dive detachment an opportunity to interact with the Wai'anae community.

"Many people didn't even know the Army had divers," Heikkinen said. "But now that they know, everyone seems glad we're here.

"In fact," he said, "we were invited to a fishing tournament that is coming up, and many of the fishermen brought us some of the fish they caught and taught us how to cook it."

Spc. Rob Bibbie, a diver with the detachment, said the unit doesn't usually get this kind of training.

"We're working on techniques to partially demolish and recover a pier, both tasks that are common on real-world missions," he said. "Not only that, but it's great that we're helping out the community and training at the same time."

"The Army has saved the state of Hawaii tens of thousands of dollars by coming out and removing these piers," said Hawaii's Department of Land and Natural Resources Oahu District Manager Steve Thompson . "We're lucky to have them out here. All the piers that were removed were stressed and unstable; they needed to be replaced. Now, the money the Army saved can be used toward another part of the project, building a new dock."

Aila said that these new piers will be constructed of different materials, which can withstand more weathering than the old piers were able to, making them hold up better.

"Those piers were built about 20 years ago," Aila said. "We've learned a lot in 20 years and can make the new piers last longer."

(Editor's note: Spc. Stephanie L. Carl is a staff member of the Hawaiian Army Weekly newspaper.)

96 posted on 12/14/2002 1:42:56 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: Aeronaut
Anchorage is FINALLY covered in white stuff! I am a happy camper now. And it's been a few days now, so most folks have finally remembered how to drive in winter conditions.
97 posted on 12/14/2002 1:45:37 PM PST by Kathy in Alaska
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To: tomkow6; All

At sea aboard USS Constellation (CV 64) Dec. 12, 2002 – Sailors from V-2 Division in the Air Department perform maintenance on one of four Jet Blast Deflectors (JBD) on the ship’s flight deck.

WOW those Jet Blast Deflectors are huge!!
Gotta make sure they are clean!!
I love this stuff regarding ships!

At sea aboard USS Constellation (CV 64) Dec. 12, 2002 -- Operation’s Specialist Seaman Michael Martin stands the low visibility watch as USS Higgins (DDG 76) pulls along side the aircraft carrier for a refueling at sea (RAS).

"Operation’s Specialist Seaman Michael Martin stands the low visibility watch as USS Higgins (DDG 76)
U.S. Navy photo by Photographer’s Mate 2nd Class Charles E. Alvarado.

Thanks men!!!

98 posted on 12/14/2002 1:50:07 PM PST by Soaring Feather
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To: Kathy in Alaska
World War II Veteran Marian Ditzler Powers Great-Grandmother Jumps From Airplane on 80th

Now here's a lady after my own heart, see Kathy there is nothing wrong with FLYING!!!!

99 posted on 12/14/2002 1:54:20 PM PST by Soaring Feather
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Anchorage is FINALLY covered in white stuff!

I just found out last week that St. Paul only has a 50-75% chance of snow for Christmas. We have none so far. There is a week and a bit to go, however, and I'm keeping the faith...!

100 posted on 12/14/2002 1:54:36 PM PST by Aeronaut
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