Welcome home sailor
July 25, 2009 By: almostgotit Category: Uncategorized, john c stennis
My parents live on a beach, where the usual excitement consists of a lot of noisy sea gulls. But at 6:30 am in the morning, I was awakened by the sound of a ship’s horn and my father’s shouting “Hey, everyBODY!!”
There was a giant aircraft carrier going by. There was no sound at all after the horn, because of its nuclear-powered engines — just a giant ship silently gliding by, covered with tiny white figures. I ran to grab my camera.
It was the USS John C. Stennis, returning to port after completing a deployment of six months at sea. The white figures were sailors, thousands of them, all wearing their dress whites and ”standing the rail” as they navigated the final channels leading to their Bremerton homeport.
Can you imagine cornering in an aircraft carrier? I was a little worried that someone might fall off the deck. I called my friend Cyn Mobley, though, who served as a naval officer on an aircraft carrier (she writes books about them, too). Cyn said things are pretty steady up there.
Imagine sharing quarters with 5000 other people for six months. What a job.
And now, just around another corner to the right, and with another 10 minutes or so to go, these sailors were about to come home. I wondered what that felt like.
July 25th, 2009 at 3:19 pm
“Manning the rails.” But you’ve got the idea.
In a channel like this, with calm waters, the deck of a big boy like this doesn’t move. You barely can feel it at sea in good weather. Takes a big storm to really feel like you’re at sea.
July 25th, 2009 at 3:40 pm
Wow. Even these still shots gave me a lump in my throat, and made me remember our April trip to Arlington to bury Ross’ dad. Thanks for sharing.
July 25th, 2009 at 4:21 pm
Wow, what a sight. And to imagine what they were feeling in those moments just before being reunited with family and friends.
July 25th, 2009 at 9:06 pm
A long long time ago, in another era, my family attended an America’s Cup race off Newport, RI on our family cruiser “R.I.P.,” a Huckins. It had twin diesel engines, lots of power. There were hundreds of vessels of all shapes and sizes with people straining for a bobbing binocular glimpse through of the race while trying to stay out of each others way.
Suddenly, to me, an aircraft carrier was bearing down upon us, sailors lining the rail watching the chaotic vessel spectacle, and the America’s Cup too, and their tower hailling us booming “Give way, Give way.”
My father at our controls megaphoned his reply, “We don’t move. You move!”
All sailors I could see lining the rail cheering in reaction to my father’s defiance.
The carrier is massive. Somehow we avoided one another.
July 26th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
@ Cyn: I stand corrected. MANNING thr rails. It was quite a sight.
@A Little Tea: I got throat lumpish after reading the tribute to your father-in-law, so guess we’re even.
@pages: I couldn’t help but google some photos, and there was one of a daddy meeting his child for the first time… that’s the military photo theme that gets me every time!
@Bill: One aircraft carrier vs. a smaller, more maneuverable boat = the smaller moves. One aircraft carrier v. an entire fleet of participants and observers at the America’s Cup? Yeah, I’m thinking the aircraft carrier moves. If it can. Did it, is what I want to know? Erm, what DID ever become of the “R.I.P.?”
July 26th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Photo from official USS John C Stennis Website
July 26th, 2009 at 9:07 pm
Hey, you gotit. Weigh to go! Mom
July 27th, 2009 at 9:39 am
Dear AlmostGotIt:
Thank you for asking!
Upon reflection I realize I was incorrect (apologies!) about the carrier. Your pix stimulated a conglomorated memory. It was a US Navy vessel of some kind. Please see SweetWilliamNow for a more accurate reflection.
I spent 1964 summer at St. George’s (www.stgeorges.edu) in Newport, RI in school. (That summer I also attended the Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals and saw Jimmy Smith, Dylan, Baez, etc. I was 13!) Anyway Newport was still a naval station. It was there I saw a carrier and a battleship with seamen lining the rail.
US Navy vessel vs. Huckins?: well there you have my Father.
To your question, What DID ever become of the R.I.P?
I spent many happy hours on RIP with my family cruising on the Long Island Sound. My dad was happy on that boat.
As with so much for my Dad it all ended unhappily.
He kept/docked the boat in a slip in Essex,CT. on the CT River. One day he and my Mom went on a weekend cruise, they were to link up with friends. They went into the river, headed for the Sound, ran the boat aground, and sunk it! The Coast Guard rescued them off it. We 3 siblings believed alcohol, argument/fight, whatever; this would be consistent. Something happened and they sunk it!
My father, and my mother, never spoke to me of what happened or of RIP again. To my young adolescent eyes it all just vanished.
Only corrupted memories and photos of the Huckins remain.
July 27th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
My son came in on the Stennis as you saw it. I am in North Carolina and was advised by my very independent sailor not to come to Bremerton. “Waste of time, mom.” I envied the mothers that did go and got to go early, stand on the dock forever and get a hug from their sailor. Your three simple photographs gave me such cold chills. It’s folks like you that I am indebted to for allowing me to “be there” and watch the big 74 come into port. This blog and photos will be printed out to put in the memory book I am compiling in this six years. I haven’t even told my son about it, but I think his children will thank you me for it years down the road. Thank you so much. Katy, NC
July 27th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
@Bill: thanks for the story. Families and ships, ah yes..
@Katy: Oh my goodness! Thank you so much for YOUR comment. It is I who have chills! I’ve got a couple other photos and will email them to you. And thank you dear loving mama, so very very much, for lending your son to the rest of us.
July 29th, 2009 at 2:22 pm
I never get over being overwhelmed with emotion when I see those boats come in and ….go out. It always makes me want to thank each and every one of those people on that boat for keeping me safe, as well as thier loved one’s for the what they sacrifice.
My husband spend 21 years on almost every aircraft carrier in the Navy Fleet. You can see him get excited, worried, and proud all in the moment when we see the carriers coming in and out of Everett.
Too those of you out and about……..say Thank you to a man in uniform or to his family! It means a lot to them.
Thank you for the post.