Can’t Live Without Coffee? Thank This Pope.

 

Coffee is one of the most consumed drinks in the world, second only to water, enjoyed by millions every day. The drink was not always so ubiquitous, only becoming popular relatively recently during the 16th century. If you can’t start the day without first having your morning cup of coffee, then you should probably thank Pope Clement VIII.

Coffee was first introduced around the 9th century when Muslim shepherds noticed wild coffee beans were having a stimulant effect on their flocks of sheep. Clerics learned the techniques to cultivate the beans, and the drink quickly spread throughout the Muslim world.

When it inevitably found its way to Europe, the majority of Catholics treated it with a great deal of suspicion because it was the popular beverage of Islam, which Catholicism had been at war with for centuries. Because of its reputation, it gained the moniker “Satan’s drink.”

As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome, and coffee was first brought to Pope Clement VIII around the year 1600.

Initially, the pope’s closest advisers tried to get him to ban the drink, proclaiming it was “the bitter invention of Satan.” However, the pope wished to try it himself before issuing a papal decision.

After tasting it, the pope enjoyed it so much he declared that “This Satan’s drink is so delicious that it would be a pity to let the infidels have exclusive use of it. We shall cheat Satan by baptizing it!”

Allegedly, he formally blessed the coffee bean because the drink was deemed less harmful than alcohol. After his blessing, it quickly spread throughout the rest of Europe and eventually the world, becoming a chief crop and the most popular beverage. Next time you enjoy your favorite brew, thank God for Pope Clement VIII.

Kilroy Was Here

 

Kilroy Was Here: The Story Behind the Iconic WWII Graffiti

WHO WAS KILROY?

 

For many, especially those born between 1913 and 1950, the name "Kilroy" brings back a flood of memories. This piece of American history is immortalized in stone at the National War Memorial in Washington, DC, hidden away in a small alcove.

 

So, who was Kilroy?

 

In 1946, the American Transit Association sponsored a nationwide contest through its radio program, "Speak to America," to find the real Kilroy, offering a prize of a real trolley car. Almost 40 men claimed to be the genuine Kilroy, but only James Kilroy from Halifax, Massachusetts, provided the necessary evidence.

 

James Kilroy was a 46-year-old shipyard worker during WWII, employed as a checker at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy. His job involved counting the rivets completed by the riveters, who were paid by the rivet. To prevent double counting, Kilroy marked the inspected rivets with semi-waxed lumber chalk. However, riveters would erase his marks to get paid twice.

 

To combat this, Kilroy began writing "KILROY WAS HERE" in large letters alongside his check-marks, eventually adding a sketch of a chap with a long nose peering over a fence. This made it difficult for the riveters to erase his marks, and soon, his graffiti began appearing on ships leaving the shipyard.

 

With the war in full swing, these ships often went unpainted, leaving Kilroy's markings visible to thousands of servicemen who boarded them. The troops, amused and intrigued by the mysterious graffiti, began spreading the "Kilroy was here" message across Europe and the South Pacific, claiming it was already there when they arrived.

 

Kilroy became a symbol of the U.S. service-men's presence, appearing in unlikely places such as atop Mt. Everest, the Statue of Liberty, the underside of the Arc de Triomphe, and even in the dust on the moon. The legend grew, and it became a challenge for troops to place the logo in the most improbable locations.

 

In 1945, during the Potsdam Conference, Stalin used an outhouse built for Roosevelt, Stalin, and Churchill. After emerging, he reportedly asked, "Who is Kilroy?"

 

To prove his authenticity in 1946, James Kilroy brought officials from the shipyard and some riveters to the contest. He won the trolley car, which he gifted to his nine children as a Christmas present, setting it up as a playhouse in their yard in Halifax, Massachusetts.

 

And so, the tradition of Kilroy continues, a testament to the spirit and humor of the WWII generation. 

 

The Tradition Continues...Details occurred from Groton historical Society Newsletter

The Sea, It's Memories Never Go Away

 

I was a Sailor on some of the greatest Navy ships afloat. So, let me share with you a glimpse of the life I so dearly loved. I liked standing on the bridge wing at sunrise with salt spray in my face and clean ocean winds whipping in from the four quarters of the globe I liked the sounds of the Navy - the piercing trill of the boatswains pipe, the syncopated clangor of the ship's bell on the quarterdeck, harsh, and the strong language and laughter of sailors at work.

I liked Navy vessels -- plodding fleet auxiliaries and amphibs, sleek submarines and steady solid aircraft carriers. I liked the proud names of Navy ships: Midway, Lexington, Saratoga, Coral Sea, Antietam, Valley Forge - memorials of great battles won and tribulations overcome.

I liked the lean angular names of Navy "tincans" and escorts, mementos of heroes who went before us. And the others - - San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, St.Paul, Chicago, Oklahoma City, named for our cities.

I liked the tempo of a Navy band.

I liked liberty call and the spicy scent of a foreign port.

I even liked the never ending paperwork and all hands working parties as my ship filled herself with the multitude of supplies, and to cut ties to the land and carry out her mission anywhere on the globe where there was water to float her.

I liked sailors, officers and enlisted men from all parts of the land, farms of the Midwest, small towns of New England, from the big cities, the mountains and the prairies, from all walks of life. I trusted and depended on them as they trusted and depended on me -- for professional competence, for comradeship, for strength and courage. In a word, they
are all "shipmates"; then and forever.

I liked the surge of adventure in my heart, when the word was passed: ''Now Hear This - Now set the special sea and anchor detail - all hands to quarters for leaving port!" I truly liked the infectious thrill of sighting home again, with the waving hands of welcoming family and friends waiting pier side.

The work was hard and dangerous; the going rough at times; the parting from loved ones painful, but the companionship of robust Navy laughter, the "all for one and one for all" philosophy of the sea was ever present. I liked the fierce and dangerous activity on the flight deck of aircraft carriers, earlier named for battles won but sadly now named for politicians: Enterprise, Independence, Boxer, Princeton and oh so many more, some lost in battle, and sadly many scrapped. And so tearfully seeing our great ones being sunk to make a reef, truly sad indeed - such a waste.

I liked the names of the aircraft and helicopters; Sky Raider, Intruder, Sea
King, Phantom, Skyhawk, Tomcat, Corsair, and many more that bring to mind offensive and defensive orders of battle.

I liked the excitement of an alongside replenishment as my ship slid in alongside an oilier and the cry of "Standby to receive shot lines" prefaced the hard work of rigging span wires (high-lines) and fuel hoses echoed across the narrow gap of water between the ships and welcomed the mail, fresh milk, fruit and vegetables that sometimes accompanied the fuel.

I liked the serenity of the sea after a day of hard ship's work, as flying fish flitted across the wave tops and sunset gave way to night, and the bosun's mate's after-supper call over the speaker system: "Let's have a clean sweep down, fore and aft, empty all trash over the transom. The smoking lamp is now lighted".

I liked the feel of the Navy in darkness - the masthead and range lights, the red and green navigation lights and stern light, the pulsating phosphorescence of radar repeaters - they cut through the dusk and joined with the mirror of stars overhead.

I liked drifting off to sleep lulled by the myriad noises large and small that told me that my ship was alive and well, and that my shipmates on watch would keep me safe.

I liked quiet mid-watches with the aroma of strong coffee - the lifeblood of the Navy permeating everywhere. I liked hectic watches when the exacting minuet of haze-gray shapes racing at flank speed kept all hands on a razor edge of alertness.

I liked the sudden electricity of "General quarters, general quarters, all hands man your battle stations," followed by the hurried clamor of running feet on ladders and the resounding thump of watertight doors as the ship transformed herself in a few brief seconds from a peaceful workplace to a weapon of war - ready for anything.

I liked the sight of space-age equipment manned by youngsters clad in dungarees and sound-powered phones that their grandfathers would still recognize.

I liked the traditions of the Navy and the men and now women who made them. I liked the proud names of Navy heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Perry, Farragut, John Paul Jones, Burke, Osborn and Jenks.

A sailor could find much in the Navy: comrades-in-arms, pride in self and country, mastery of the seaman's trade. An adolescent could find adulthood. In years to come, when sailors are home from the sea, we will still remember with fondness and respect the ocean in all its moods, the impossible shimmering mirror calm and the storm-tossed dark blue water surging over the bow.

Then there will come again a faint whiff of stack gas, a faint echo of engine and rudder orders, a vision of the bright bunting of signal flags snapping at the yardarm, a refrain of hearty laughter in the wardroom and Chief's quarters and mess decks.

Once ashore for good we grow humble about our Navy days, when the seas were a part of us and a new port of call was ever over the horizon.  

"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy'." - John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

 

USS LONGBEACH CGN9 - PROUDLY SERVED!

 

They That Go Down to the Sea in Ships

 

It was 2:00am, I was just off the mid-watch. It was a boring 2 hours, just form-filling out administrative stuff. When my relief came I stepped to the mess deck for a sandwich and coffee. With my sandwich finished I topped off my coffee and headed for my rack, but on this night, I took a detour out on deck. With my mug of coffee in one hand, cigarette in the other and one foot resting on a tie-down, I looked out over a calm sea. As I stood there, the world around me disappeared, it was just me and the sea. It was as if I was looking into the eyes of God, listening to his angels singing the hallelujah chorus. 

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth and the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters."

The Sea is mentioned many times in the Bible. Jesus once walked on the sea. I think the passage I like the most comes from Psalms 107: 23-31:

"They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters; These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof. They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths: their soul is melted because of trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunken man, and are at their wit's end. Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!"

President John Kennedy commissioning of the USS Oriskany CVA 34, the ship I was standing on.

"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy'." - John F. Kennedy (1917-1963)

"The first time I saw the stars out at sea, I was 20 and almost cried. Now at ... well, over 70, if I could see them again, I know I would."

 

Sea-Fever

By John Masefield

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,

And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;

And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,

And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.

 

I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide

Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied;

And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,

And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.

 

I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,

To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;

And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,

And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

 

I Was a Sailor Once

 

"I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction, 'I served in the United States Navy'." - John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) 

 

"I WAS A SAILOR ONCE"

 

- I liked standing on the bridge wing at sunrise with salt spray in my face and clean ocean winds whipping in from the four quarters of the globe.

 

- I liked the sounds of the Navy - the piercing trill of the boatswains pipe, the syncopated clangor of the ship's bell on the quarterdeck, harsh, and the strong language and laughter of sailors at work.

 

- I liked Navy vessels - plodding fleet auxiliaries and amphibs, sleek submarines and steady solid aircraft carriers.

 

- I liked the proud names of Navy ships: Midway, Lexington, Saratoga, Yorktown, Shangri-La, Coral Sea, Canisteo, Antietam, Essex, America, FDR, Intrepid, Wasp, Valley Forge, Oriskany - memorials of great battles won and tribulations overcome.

 

- I liked the lean angular names of Navy "Tin-Cans" and escorts, mementos of heroes who went before us; and the others - San Jose, San Diego, Los Angeles, St. Paul, Chicago, Oklahoma City, named for our cities.

 

- I liked the tempo of a Navy band, liberty call and the spicy scent of a foreign port.

 

- I even liked the paperwork, on-loads, vert-reps,, un-reps, ammo loads, and all hands working parties as my ship filled herself with the multitude of supplies, both mundane and to cut ties to the land and carry out her mission anywhere on the globe where there was water to float her.

 

- I liked sailors from all parts of the land, farms, small towns, the mountains and the prairies, from all walks of life.

 

- I trusted and depended on them as they trusted and depended on me - for professional competence, for comradeship, for strength and courage. In a word,,, they were "Shipmates", then and forever.

 

- I liked the surge of adventure in my heart when the word was passed: ''Now Hear This, Now hear This'', "Now station the special sea and anchor detail, All hands to quarters for leaving port," and I liked the infectious thrill of sighting home again, with the waving hands of welcome from family and friends waiting pierside. The work was hard and dangerous, the going rough at times, the parting from loved ones painful,but the companionship of robust Navy laughter, the "all for one and one for all" philosophy of the sea was ever present.

 

- I liked the fierce and dangerous activity on the flight deck of aircraft carriers, earlier named for battles won: Enterprise, Independence, Boxer, Princeton and oh so many more. Some lost in battle and some, sadly, many scrapped.

 

- I liked the names of the aircraft and helicopters; Spad, Skyraider, Corsair, Hell-Cat, Crusader, Willie-Fudd, Intruder, Sea King, Phantom, Skyhawk, Huey, Demon, Hupp, Skywarrior, Banshee, Widow-Maker, and many more that bring to mind offensive and defensive orders of battle.

 

- I liked the excitement of an alongside replenishment as my ship slid in alongside the oiler and the cry of, "Standby to Receive Shotlines", prefaced the hard work of, rigging spanwires and fuel hoses, echoed across the narrow gap of water between the ships and welcomed the mail and fresh milk, fruit and vegetables, that sometimes accompanied the fuel. Sometimes we'd Hi-Line the "Chaplain", back and forth in the "Bo'sun Chair". Oh, and I always liked when they would Hi-Line those big brown boxes,that contained the New Movies. Then in-port, we'd have a working party to set up those old folding hairs so, we could watch those movies in hangar bay #1 in port, or down on the Mess Decks. Sometimes we'd even get a treat of popcorn.

 

- I liked the serenity of the sea after a day of hard ship's work, as flying fish flitted across the wave tops and sunset gave way to night. I liked the feel of the Navy in darkness - the Masthead and Range Lights, the red and green navigation lights and stern light, the pulsating phosphorescence of radar repeaters - they cut through the dusk and joined with the mirror of stars overhead. And I liked drifting off to sleep lulled by the myriad noises, large and small, that told me that my ship was alive and well, and that my shipmates on watch would keep me safe.

 

- I liked quiet mid-watches with the aroma of strong coffee - the life blood of the Navy permeating everywhere. The smell of the Chipped-Beef or SOS being cooked for breakfast. And I liked hectic watches when the exacting minuet of haze-gray shapes racing at flank speed kept all hands on a razor edge of alertness.

 

- I liked the sudden electricity of "General Quarters, General Quarters, All Hands Man Your Battle Stations", followed by the hurried clamor of running feet on ladders and the resounding thump of watertight doors as the ship transformed herself in a few brief seconds from a peaceful workplace to a "Weapon of War" - ready for anything. And I liked the sight of space-age equipment manned by youngsters clad in dungarees and sound-powered phones that their grandfathers would still recognize.

 

- I liked the traditions of the Navy and the men who made them.

 

- I liked the proud names of Navy heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Perry, Farragut, John Paul Jones and Burke.

 

- A sailor could find much in the Navy: Comrades-in-Arms, Pride in Self and Country, Mastery of the Seaman's Trade. An Adolescent would find Adulthood.

 

- In years to come, when sailors are home from the sea,,, we still remember with fondness and respect the ocean in all its moods - the impossible shimmering mirror calm and the storm-tossed green water surging over the bow. And then there will come again a faint whiff of stack gas, a faint echo of engine and rudder orders, a vision of the bright bunting of Signal Flags snapping at the Yard-Arm, a recall of hearty laughter in the Chief's Mess and Mess Decks.

 

- Having gone ashore for good,,, we grow humble about our Navy days, when the seas were a part of us and a new port of call was ever over the horizon.

 

- Remembering this, We Stand Taller and say, "I WAS A SAILOR ONCE." - Author Unknown

 

USS Oriskany CVA34 - OE Division 1972-1976

 

USS Longbeach CGN9 - OE Division 1976-1978

War and Misunderstandings of Those who Weren't There

I was talking to a friend about her Dad and WWII. She said he never talked about it. My Dad was also in WWII, When he passed away I received his WWII awards and medals. I never new it but he was a Master Shot with pistol, rifle and machine gun. He was also one of the first to hit the beach at Attu. He helped lay down fire for the rest of the invasion. I didn't know any of this until he passed away. 

Vietnam was different from most of our previous wars. In Vietnam, everyone was the enemy, the enemy did not wear uniforms, a little child could be carrying a loaded pistol in the bag he carried as he walked past you. When we came home, we didn't see all the grandeur that our fathers saw when they come home. Young people, collage age through their garbage at us as we walked through airports and train stations. In my case, my own family called me a failure; partly because of the things I did in the war, but also because I voluntarily participated. 

There are many misunderstandings about wars like Vietnam. 

 

 Some of you may remember this image.

It is a grisly, iconic, Pulitzer Prize-winning photo from the Vietnam War that shocked the world.

My eyes were always strangely drawn to the Executioner, General Nguyen Ngoc Loan. The blend of his menacing face, the nonchalance in shooting the man, one must wonder, what leads a person down this path to villainy?

How could one so quickly kill a bound, unarmed prisoner? Upon my further investigation - this might be one of the most misunderstood photos in history. The plainly dressed victim might resemble a normal pedestrian - but he was no ordinary prisoner. He was the leader of a Vietcong death squad, that had infiltrated Saigon with the express purpose of assassinating a long list of people. He had personally executed several military officers and their entire families.

He was found standing over a grave with 34 bodies in it, that included women and children that had been killed execution style.

Following this famous photo, Loan continued fighting in the war for several years. He was later injured, losing one leg.

Loan and his wife eventually escaped to the US. Where he had 5 children and owned a restaurant in Virginia.

 

But his life was haunted by the photo that was taken of him as he was held up as a standard bearer for the evils of war. Loan's property was frequently vandalized and he was targeted by various outlets over the years.

The photographer, Eddie Adams, was deeply regretful of ever having taken the picture. He knew Loan well and stated that he was a good man and misrepresented. Adams felt he captured two deaths in that photo: that of the victim and that of Loan.

And - to be clear - this is not an attempt to absolve this man of all blame. This is dark stuff. However, what Loan did was not far beyond the bounds of what other soldiers were doing.

War is and has always been hell. To pretend it is anything less is to pretend fire isn't hot. So before making demons of men, remember: given the wrong circumstances, we are all capable of terrible things.

After all, we are human.

"Oriskany" - First & Last Thoughts - Seagull's Memories

Time is cruel to the body, but the memories will never fade. I will forever be 20, standing on the flight deck of the USS Oriskany - CVA34, watching the sun set over a calm sea. The smell of salt in the air, its taste in my mouth and the feel of hard steel beneath my feet and eager anticipation in my hart looking out across the sea to my newest adventure. With the coming of the next morning's horizon and the dawn of each passing day I lived like it was a given that I would be there to see it through with each rising sun. 

Now I lay my head down each night in anticipation of the newest adventure that my mind will create from the gallant stories of that young man for my body can no longer sail the seas but my mind will forever soar!

I was stationed at Naval Schools Command, Treasure Island. That's a small flat island in the middle of San Francisco Bay. It was my first duty station. I was maintaining electronic test equipment for an Electronic Technician "A" school on the island. I just received my new orders. Sea Duty aboard the USS Oriskany CVA 34. I had never heard of Her so, I started asking others on the island if they knew anything about this ship. The "CVA" told me that she was an attack carrier of some kind but no one I talked to had ever heard of this "Oriskany" thing.

The orders also stated that before reporting aboard I would spend a few weeks in a "C" school learning something called NTDS (Naval Tactical Data) SRC-16 radio transmitter - receiver system (one of the Navy's first communications networks) at Mare Island Naval Shipyard, somewhere close to San Francisco.

When I got to Mare Island and started the school, I also started asking around if anyone knew anything about this "Oriskany" ship. I found one old instructor that knew about her. He broke out into a huge laugh when I mentioned I was going to the Oriskany. He asked me who I pissed off. He said she was the OLDEST THING AFLOAT! Her SRC-16 system was serial number XN1 #1. That meant it was experimental model number 1 and was nothing like the machine I learned in school. Well, at least I now knew something about this thing called "Oriskany."

On the 17th of April 1973, I stood at the head of a pier in Alameda California. On my port side stood the USS Enterprise. Pride of the Navy, Queen of the sea. She was all decked out to start her sea tour tomorrow. Today she stood tall sleek and shinny. A necklace of aircraft around her island, She looked like an Ensign standing inspection, not a scratch or bruise on her skin, wrinkle in her uniform, and not a hair out of place. So beautiful and "sexy" - A sailor's "dream boat". I could almost feel her tugging at me, whispering a beautiful sea chantey in my ear, trying to lure me away from my destination on the opposite side of the pier.

On the starboard side, stood the Old Bitch of the Sea - Oriskany. Just back from her sea tour yesterday. There she stood, Her uniform of grey: dirty, torn, wrinkled and tattered. Her skin scratched, bruised, covered in soot, salt and seagull crap. As I walked up her after-brow I could smell her sweat. Sweat from hundreds of miles in scorching sun and rough stormy seas, sweat from dozens of weeks at Yankee Station with flight ops sometimes going 24 hours a day. She was old, ugly and decrepit and she smelled of death.

At the head of her brow I stopped, turned and saluted her ensign. As I turned a 180, grabbed my packet of papers to hand to the Brow Watch, I thought: What the hell am I doing here? Did I piss off God? Why couldn't I be ridding that sleek young thing across the pier? The world knew her name and who's girl she was. Why am I, not even 20 years old yet, why do I have to ride this lonely Old Bitch of the Sea that no one knew, and from the looks of her, no one cared about?

On 14 June 1976, I stepped out on her flight deck for the last time. Slated for decommissioning instead of being cleaned up primed and painted, she was being stripped of all of her equipment. As I looked around I saw Her uniform of grey, still dirty, torn, wrinkled, tattered and Her skin scratched, bruised, covered in soot, salt and seagull crap from Her last Westpac. She was older and probably a bit uglier, but she wasn't the old bitch of the sea that I thought she would be. Once you got to know her she became a Fighting Lady. "The Mighty 'O' "is what we called her. A bitch to her enemy, but a Mighty Fighting Lady to her crew. She was the last of her kind, the last Essex Class Carrier, the last of the mighty fighting ships that took back the Pacific from the Japanese. From Alaska in the north to all the little islands that dot her south, the Essex Class Carriers fought and won the Pacific war. No, Oriskany wasn't the old bitch of the sea, She was the proud mother of the modern carrier, the first "SUPER CARRIER." Without the Essex Class Carriers like Oriskany, we would not have the sassy, sleek and sexy carriers of today.

As I walked down her after-brow for the last time, I walked slowly so that I could savor her sweet sweat from missions to Korea and Vietnam, all the flight-ops involved in those wars along with the storms and typhoons we weathered. Along with her sweat is the always welcoming aroma of Subic bay with just a hint of Olongapo bar-maid perfume mixed with the breeze off shit-river.

...Sorry, I just couldn't help a little Westpac reminiscing.

ETN3 Harbit - Proud to say "I served on the USS Oriskany CVA 34"

       

 

 

January 28, 1973 in the South China Sea…The nuclear-powered attack aircraft carrier USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) (Center), the attack aircraft carriers USS America CV-66 (left of center) and USS Oriskany (CVA-34)(above & behind Enterprise), the escort ships USS Bronstein (DE-1037) and USS Fanning (DE-1076) and the destroyers USS Corry (DD-817), USS William C. Lawe (DD-763) and USS Cone (DD-866) cruise together in the multiple aircraft carrier force at the end of the hostilities with Vietnam." Photographer: SA Larry Hayes

 

As I grow older I realize the magic of "belonging" to some place or time. I was on the USS Oriskany CVA-34 for an incredibly short time considering the length of my life at the present moment (73 years) and I remember the day I came aboard and the day I saluted her ensign for the last time. I did not realize it but I was taking a part of her with me and leaving some of myself behind. I now realize that I will never truly leave her, nor will she ever leave me. She is in my makeup today. The things she taught me I have used through out my life. Of all my education, the 4 years aboard her was by far my greatest learning experience. 

She was decommissioned on 30 September 1976. The old girl was slowly torn apart but she did not whimper or cry, she realized she had stood her watch and it was her time to be relieved.

 

She did not die because she lives with in the 10's of thousand of sailors that have crossed her deck during her watch and to me she will always be "the Grand Old Lady ...... the Mighty 'O'. The last Essex Class ship made. The last Great Warrior of WWII. 

ETN3 Harbit OE division, May 1972 - July 1976.

Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

 

On Jeopardy the other night, the final question was, How many steps does the guard take during their walk across the Tomb of the Unknowns? ------ All three missed it ---

 

The Guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is really an awesome sight to watch.

Guard Duty at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

1. How many steps does the guard take during their walk across the tomb of the Unknowns and why? ...21 steps. It alludes to the twenty-one gun salute, which is the highest honor given any military or foreign dignitary.

 

2. How long do they hesitate after their about face to begin their return walk and why?...21 seconds for the same reason as answer number 1,

 

3. Why are their gloves wet? ...Their gloves are moistened to prevent losing their grip on the rifle.

 

4. Do they carry their rifle on the same shoulder all the time and if not, why not? ... They carry the rifle on the shoulder away from the tomb. After their march across the path, they execute an about face and move the rifle to the outside shoulder.

 

5. How often are the guards changed? ... Guards are changed every thirty minutes, twenty-four hours a day, 365 days a year.

 

6. What are the physical traits of the guard limited to? ... For a person to apply for guard duty at the tomb, they must be between 5' 10' and 6' 2' tall and their waist size cannot exceed 30.' Other requirements of the Guard: They must commit 2 years of life to guard the tomb, live in a barracks under the tomb, and cannot drink any alcohol on or off duty.

 

They cannot swear in public and cannot disgrace the uniform or the tomb in any way. After two years, the guard is given a wreath pin that is worn on their lapel signifying they served as guard of the tomb. There are only a little over 600 presently worn.

 

The guard must obey these rules while serving as guards or for the rest of their lives if they choose.

 

The shoes are specially made with very thick soles to keep the heat and cold from their feet. There are metal heel plates that extend to the top of the shoe in order to make the loud click as they come to a halt.

 

There are no wrinkles, folds or lint on the uniform.

 

Guards dress for duty in front of a full-length mirror.

 

The first six months of duty a guard cannot talk to anyone, nor watch TV.

 

All off-duty time is spent studying the 175 notable people laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. A guard must memorize who they are and where they are interred. Among the notables are: President Taft, Joe E. Lewis (the boxer) and Medal of Honor winner Audie Murphy, (the most decorated soldier of WWII) of Hollywood fame.

 

Every guard spends five hours a day getting their uniforms ready for guard duty.

 

ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM.

 

In 2003 as Hurricane Isabelle was approaching Washington , DC , our US Senate/House took 2 days off with anticipation of the storm. On the ABC evening news, it was reported that because of the dangers from the hurricane, the military members assigned the duty of guarding the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier were given permission to suspend the assignment. 

They respectfully declined the offer, 'No way, Sir!' Soaked to the skin, marching in the pelting rain of a tropical storm, they said that guarding the Tomb was not just an assignment, it was the highest honor that can be afforded to a service person.

 

The tomb has been patrolled continuously, 24/7, since 1930.

 

God Bless and Keep the Guards of the Unknown Soldier.

We can be very proud of our young men and women in the service no matter where they serve.

 

Duty - Honor - Country

 

IN GOD WE TRUST

 

 

In May 1864, one month prior to its establishment as a national cemetery, the first military burials took place at Arlington National Cemetery. The four burials took place in Section 27 (pictured), the oldest section of the cemetery:

 

  

 

Private William Henry Christman, 67th Pennsylvania Infantry: first military service member interred at Arlington.

 

Private William Reeves, 76th New York Infantry: first draftee.

 

Private William Blatt, 49th Pennsylvania Infantry: first battle casualty.

 

Private William H. McKinney, 17th Pennsylvania Cavalry: first to have family present at his funeral.

 

Learn more about the history of Arlington National Cemetery.

USS Longbeach CGN9

 

I was on the USS Longbeach from July 76 to July 79

The nuclear powered guided missile cruiser USS Long Beach (CGN-9) under construction at the Fore River Shipyard at Quincy, Massachusetts on 2 July 1959.

Longbeach was notable for being the last cruiser of the USN to use a traditional cruiser style hull based on those used during World War II. Following cruisers would be built on Frigate or Destroyer hulls.

An artist's impression of USS Long Beach (CGN-9) in her AEGIS cruiser configuration.

The United States Navy hoped to refit all of its nuclear cruisers and convert them into AEGIS equipped warships. USS Long Beach would have received a radical new appearance, losing her entire superstructure for a newer, more compact type.

Her weaponry was never sorted out as several different proposals were considered. She would have likely carried a heavy battery of harpoon anti-ship missiles. Proposals show either Mark 26 missile launchers (As seen in the photo) or potentially VLS for the anti-air missiles. For guns, the refitted Long Beach was depicted in both single and doubled ended configurations. More than likely two 5"/54 guns would have been carried, but a few proposals saw as many as two 8"/55 Mark 71 guns being carried.

Unfortunately, budget cuts in the early 1990s as well as a shift away from nuclear powered cruisers saw the proposals canned with Long Beach being decommissioned soon after.

Nuclear Energy - Here's Where it all Started

 

Under the stadium seats at University of Chicago (my hometown!).

Ten intriguing facts you might not know about the world’s first controlled release of nuclear energy:

1. The world's first self-sustaining controlled nuclear chain reactor took place at the University of Chicago on December 2, 1942. 

2. Chicago Pile-1 was the world’s first nuclear reactor to go critical.

3. 49 scientists led by Enrico Fermi, were present for the event. Leona Marshall was the lone female researcher.

4. The reactor was built with graphite blocks, some of which contained small disks of uranium.

5. Scientists monitored the reaction on instruments named after Winnie the Pooh characters—Piglet, Tigger and Pooh.

6. Scientist George Weil withdrew the cadmium-plated control rod unleashing the first controlled chain reaction.

7. The reactor had three sets of control rods. One was automatic and could be controlled from the balcony. Another was an emergency safety rod. The third rod (operated by Weil) actually held the reaction in check until it was withdrawn the proper distance.

8. The group celebrated with a bottle of Chianti that was poured into paper cups. Most of the participants signed the wine bottle’s label. This was the only written record of who had taken part in the experiment.

9. In the lead up to this experiment, a letter from Albert Einstein to President Franklin D. Roosevelt helped lead to the Manhattan Project—a government research project that produced the first atomic bombs. It was also the seed that grew into the modern U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory system.

10. The Energy Department’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is named in honor of Enrico Fermi for his contributions to nuclear physics and scientific success at nearby University of Chicago.

Links to more information about the birth of nuclear energy:

The first nuclear reactor, explained

Chicago Pile-1

Chicago Pile 1: A bold nuclear physics experiment with enduring impact

Manhattan Project

Chicago Pile-1 - Manhattan Project History

 

 

 

 

 

Harlem Nocturne

This is one I will never ever forget. I just heard it, after 50 years I still remember where I was and who I was with when I first heard it. <sigh> I was wishing I knew how to dance at my High School prom. My date Barbra wanted to dance to this tune soooooo bad.

 

Hearing it again brought back that same feeling...Wish I could dance.

Harlem Nocturne long version by The Viscounts

"Harlem Nocturne" has been recorded by many diverse artists, but this version by the The Viscounts is by far the best.

... Wonder if my Physics teacher remembers who he danced with while this played?