36 Anchors away

  Today was pretty staight forward we packed up as quickly as we could, double maybe triple checked every thing.  Stopped by the club to return some DVD's say our good bye's and we were on our way.  To JW and Carla a sincere thank you.   It was a big relief to not have to think about accomodations for a few days.   One more low water crossing on the way out.     We made our way toward San Antonio to drop off the keys.  From there it was interstate 37 all the way to Corpus.  At 75 miles per hour it doesn't take long to cover the ground,  you hate to leave those extra mph laying on the table.      We can't save them up and use them when we are in Minnesota.    Our destination was the USS Lexington Museum.   This was our first view of the "Lady" as we started up the bridge to the bay.  Admiral Niemitz said "a ship is always referred to as "she" because it costs so much to keep one in paint and powder."  We stayed at a motel on the beach and ate at Blackbeard's,   we shared the talapia and it was amazing.  The pirates stew had been recommended by the Aircraft guard.     It was spicy but very tasty Arhhh ( that's pirate talk for very good) Ruthie keeps warning me about my spicy food choices. We had talked about going for a walk on beach until the margarita hit Ruthie.  We watched the sunset from the balcony, even better. 
    We bordered the USS Lexington and started our tour.  I had served on the USS Enterprise and Ruthie had always wanted to see what it was like.  This was a smaller version of the carrier I was on.  One of the staff said the Lexington could hide behind mine.  We had over 7000 service men on the Enterprise we worked 12 hour shifts.   I was assigned to RVAH 6 squadron out of Albany Georgia.  Our mission was to maintain the Vigilante jets which were originally designed to carry bombs and then converted for photo and reconnaissance missions.  If you would like more information or to see the Vigilante in action  click here!  It is an amazing plane.
    I joined the Enterprise just as it was departing for Vietnam after being repaired from self inflicted flight deck explosions.  RVAH 6 and the Enterprise battle group were part of the largest battle task force since World War ll.  It was quite a site to look from the flight deck and see ships in every direction.  

    Ruthie was determined to see it all.  I had not thought about the ladders to get from one deck to the other.  She gamely went up and down them all day despite having knee surgery just prior to our trip.   There could be as many as 90 airplanes on board.  The planes are kept in the hangar bay and then transported to the flight deck by an elevator.       The flight deck is over 1000 feet long, to help launch the planes heavy with armament and fuel a catapult is used to give it a boost.  Think of it as sending a small model airplane aloft with a rubber band sling.  Now we have it in the air how are we going to get it on board.  It is an amazing feat of crew and pilot skill.

    The Vigilante weighing over 40,000 lbs and coming in at over 150 miles per hour has to land and stop in less than 500 feet.  There is a tail-hook on the rear of the plane that will catch (hopefully, sometimes not.) cables stretched across the flight deck to bring it to a stop.   This is a picture of crew berthing.  I don't remember the locker in the middle.  My bunk would have been on the top right.  There were small directional air vents to bring in fresh or air conditioned air above each bunk.  One time I rotated and turned it on and my area was filled with talcum powder.  Doesn't matter where you go there is always a comedian.   Must have been okay, I still smile about it this day.   The ceiling was actually the flight deck where the planes landed, can you imagine sleeping with a 40,000 lb plane landing 6 feet above when the tailhook hits the deck followed by the scream of the arresting cables. That's probably why I can sleep anywhere to this day.  We were probably given this area since we were the ones that brought all the noise on board.  The ship's company slept lower in the ship.

      The chow line was just like this, as I remember the food was always pretty good only not the type they are representing here.   I think I recognize the server.  
     It was a lonely time away from friends and family, during missions communication was stopped both ways to prevent ship location information.  The result family didn't know for months our status.  And we had no word from the outside. 
    The hallways and ladders continued to amaze Ruthie they are designed to save space by not having normal stairs and landings.  A ladder is the smallest way to get a person from one floor to another in both directions.

       If you just wanted to go down it would be a pole in a fire station.  The halls have a door way with a secure closure designed to contain fire or water from entering the next compartment.   New sailors usually have a mark on their forehead from bumping the top of the hatch and a scar on their shins from not picking their feet up high enough to clear the bottom. It seemed you were always hurrying thru the corridors on your way to or from something. 
     It was a fun day that brought back a lot of memories.  I wish I had kept in contact with some of the men I served with.  However that was before Al Gore and the internet. 
   We finished just in time as over 500 boy scouts and their chaperones were assembling to spend the night on board.  I think the one carrying the teddy bear will be in for a hard time.

     One last picture and then Ruthie and I are on our way to our next "Port".