Bill worth the visit. Larry

John good result. I've found some of frank's covers. Think I got them on ebay. Can't remember who or when. Think they're wwi era. See you at nj chapter meeting Tuesday? Larry

As far back as the 1970s, Navy ships were "homeported" at Hickham. All of the ARS types operated out of Hickham.

Having two sets of exchanges, security forces, med facilities, etc just makes no sense in today's world.

Photo in today's Globe of one of the WYTL's breaking ice up there.

RICHMOND, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- A 140-foot Coast Guard cutter has moved into the Kennebec River to help break up ice between Bath and Richmond.

CGC Morro Bay was delayed in getting up here from Connecticut, but it got straight to work tearing through the ice jam that threatens to flood areas between Augusta and Gardiner.

According to the Maine Emergency Management Agency, the Coast Guard cutters aren't used to taking on such thick ice;[MEMA is so smart, you know] they usually come in early spring, which makes this cutting extra dangerous for anyone still trying to ice fish on the river.

As the ice shifts under the weight of the massive cutter, it can cause a ripple effect... sending waves toward the shore and breaking up other ice along the way. Crews for MEMA, the Maine Marine Patrol, and the Maine Warden Service are all on standby over the weekend to make sure if something does happen to an ice fisherman or shack, they're there for an immediate rescue.

The Coast Guard will continue to cut the ice until they feel there's enough space for water to safely pass through.

Thad. Time to look at an antique or junk store or an estate sale. I have started a fire since the girls were young. Too tempting for crawling babies. That's 23 years ago. Now I'm more concerned about the dog. I should get a chimney sweep in this summer. Larry

There was another post below that one in which you mention a pictorial for the USS LOS ANGELES to be sent Attention Adela at San Pedro. What is the pictorial for?

This is why I asked you my previous question. I was confused as to what the pictorial was for.

Senator George LeMieux (R-FL) visited First Coast News Friday night and said the addition of the nuclear carrier will bring thousands of jobs and families to the area.

Keyport, WA 98345 does not have the USS JIMMY CARTER SSN-23 5th Commissioning Anniversary pictorial.

Please keep tracking receipt of paper LOG.

Thanks

Good morning Wolfgag

A massive ice jam remains in place just before the Gardiner/Randolph bridge.

By breaking ice downstream and getting the water to flow faster, the hope is that blockage will slowly break up. The cutters Tackle and Bridle smashed their way through a frozen section of the river right before the Route 197 swing bridge in Richmond.

Prior to the cutters' arrival the Maine Marine Patrol, along with game wardens, spent the past few days warning ice fisherman to stay off the ice and to move their smelting shacks.

The greater concern is for Saturday when a larger cutter comes through creating a more dangerous situation for anyone out on the ice. Patrol officer and game wardens will be back out bright and early making sure the area is clear.

NORFLOK, Va. (NNS) -- High-speed ferry ships MV Huakai and MV Alakai are preparing to sail to Haiti in support of Operation Unified Response to provide disaster relief following the Jan. 12 earthquake. Huakai and Alakai were originally built to serve as passenger and vehicle ferries in Hawaii but were turned over to the Maritime Administration's custody when the ferry service went bankrupt. The ships will be under operational control of the Military Sealift Command (MSC) during Operation Unified Response.
The ships' main tasks will be to transfer equipment and personnel in the region. They are configured for the mission to each hold 450 tons of cargo and 500 passengers and can travel at a sustained speed of 33 knots. Huakai loaded a rapid port opening package, communications gear, fork lifts, trucks, Humvees, supplies and other equipment at Fort Eustis, Va., Jan. 27. Huakai will also carry personnel from the 689th Rapid Port Opening Element, MSC's Expeditionary Port Unit Detachment and elements from the Army's 7th Sustainment Brigade. Huakai got underway Jan. 27 and is scheduled to arrive in Haiti Jan. 29.
Alakai is currently in Norfolk, Va., and is scheduled to get underway for Haiti in the next several days. Huakai and Alakai are two of 12 ships under MSC control mobilized to date in support of humanitarian relief efforts in Haiti. These ships include hospital ship USNS Comfort (T-AH 20), fleet replenishment oiler USNS Big Horn (T-AO 198), rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (T-ARS 51), oceanographic survey ship USNS Henson (T-AGS 63), maritime prepositioning ships USNS 1st Lt. Jack Lummus (T-AK 3011) and USNS Pfc. Dewayne T. Williams (T-AK-3009) and dry cargo/ammunition ship USNS Sacagawea (T-AKE 2). In addition, three ships have been activated from the Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force to assist with the effort. When activated, these ships will fall under operational control of MSC.

1960 - The Navy demonstrates the value of moon communication relay, which is used in fleet broadcasts.
1962 - USS Cook (APD 130) rescues 25 survivors after a section of the Panamanian tanker SS Stanvac Sumatra broke in two in the South China Sea.
1986 - The Space Shuttle Challenger explodes, killing Cmdr. Michael Smith and six other astronauts.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

http://www.nimitz.navy.mil/homeport/mainbodyheading.html

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The U.S. Postal Service will issue "Distinguished Sailors stamps" Feb. 4 to honor four Sailors who served with bravery and distinction during the 20th century.

William S. Sims, Arleigh A. Burke, John McCloy, and Doris Miller were selected for the honor.

The stamps will be unveiled in a ceremony at a First-Day-of-Issue Ceremony to be conducted at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C.

Vice Adm. William S. Sims served as commander of U.S. Naval Forces in European waters during World War I. He was an outspoken reformer and innovator who helped shape the Navy into a modern fighting force. After his service, Sims continued to write and lecture about naval reform until his death in 1936, at which time the New York Herald Tribune declared that he had "influenced our naval course more than any man who ever wore the uniform." The Navy has named three destroyers after Sims. The most recent, USS W.S. Sims (DE-1059), was commissioned in 1970.

According to the Postal Service, the William S. Sims stamp features a detail from a photograph of Sims (1919). Beside the photograph is a depiction of the crest of the destroyer escort USS W. S. Sims (DE-1059), which was commissioned in 1970.

Adm. Arleigh A. Burke was one of the top destroyer squadron commanders of World War II. He had an equally distinguished post war career in which he played a major role in modernizing the Navy and guiding its response to the Cold War.

When Burke died in 1996, he was hailed as a "Sailor's Sailor" who defined what it meant to be a naval officer: "relentless in combat, resourceful in command, and revered by his crews."

The Arleigh A. Burke stamp features a detail from a photograph of Burke (1951). Beside the photograph is a depiction of the crest of the guided missile destroyer USS Arleigh Burke (DDG-51), which was commissioned in 1991 as the first in a whole class of destroyers.

Lt. Cmdr. John McCloy was described by a shipmate as "like a bull" who couldn't be stopped. He has the distinction of being one of the few men in the nation's history to earn two Medals of Honor for separate acts of heroism.

McCloy retired from active duty in 1928 after a 30-year career in the Navy and "a lifetime of service on all the seven seas," and died in 1945.

In 1963, the Navy commissioned a destroyer escort, USS McCloy (DE-1038), which was named in his honor.

The John McCloy stamp features a detail from a photograph of McCloy (circa 1920). Beside the photograph is a depiction of the crest of the destroyer escort, USS McCloy (DE-1038), which was commissioned in 1963.

Petty Officer Doris Miller has been given the title of "the first African American hero of World War II." Miller became an inspiration to generations of Americans for his actions at Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

Although he was only the first of a number of African Americans to be recognized for their heroism in World War II, Miller is singularly remembered for providing inspiration to a campaign for equal recognition and opportunity for blacks in the military, a campaign that bore fruit in 1948 when then-President Truman ordered "that there shall be equality and opportunity for all persons in the Armed Forces."

The Doris Miller stamp features a detail from a photograph of Miller (1942). Beside the photograph is a depiction of the crest of the destroyer escort USS Miller (DE-1091), which was commissioned in 1973

Standby for heavy rolls after the state of the Union. The retired community isn't going to be quiet about the not so bombshell proposal.

Navy News Service for Wednesday, January 27, 2010

NNS100127-04. USS George H.W. Bush Departs for Sea Trials
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50878

NNS100126-14. JTF Haiti Commander Visits Killick, Praises Progress
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50857

NNS100127-22. Navy Lieutenant's Body Found
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50890

NNS100127-21. USS Carl Vinson Releases Haitian MEDEVAC Patients
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50893

NNS100127-20. VAW 125 Provides Support for Operation Unified Response
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50867

NNS100127-19. Bataan Receives First Landing Craft MEDEVACs
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50865

NNS100127-18. Gunston Hall Deck Department Works to Support Haiti Relief Effort
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50862

NNS100127-17. Navy Ships Provide Critical Resources in Haiti
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50885

NNS100127-11. Air Terminal at U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay Supports Haiti Relief Effort
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50856

NNS100127-06. VRC-40: Supporting Operation Unified Response
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50855

NNS100127-05. U.S. Postal Service to Honor Four Distinguished Sailors with Special Stamps
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50876

NNS100127-03. Makin Island Sets New Medical Readiness Standard
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50863

NNS100127-02. NAVSEA Warfare Centers Demonstrate Agility, Responsiveness to Humanitarian Crisis
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50871

NNS100126-15. Pay, Medical, Family Issues Highlight Budget Request
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50860

DNU -- Headlines from around the fleet: The U.S. Navy continues to aid Haiti Earthquake victims; New changes to Selective Reenlistment Bonuses; Navy's Cyber Forces is established at Norfolk.
-- http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13849

DNU -- Lt. Gen. Keen, commander, Task Force Haiti, visits Killick Haiti Coast Guard Base.
-- http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13850

DNU -- Bremerton, Washington's Emergency Medical Facility team deploys to Haiti.
-- http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13851

DNU -- USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) chaplains help in Haiti.
-- http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13852

DNU -- USS Patriot (MCM 7) deploys to 7th Fleet Area of Operations.
-- http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13853

DNU -- Bahrain holds their first air show.
-- http://www.navy.mil/swf/mmu/mmplyr.asp?id=13854

NNS100127-16. Current Daily News Update
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=50894

NNS020108-16. This Day in Naval History - Jan. 27
-- http://www.navy.mil/search/display.asp?story_id=583

Eye on the Fleet - U.S. Navy Photo of The Day
-- http://www.navy.mil/list_single.asp?id=80724

-USN-
-USN-
-USN-

NNS100127-04. USS George H.W. Bush Departs for Sea Trials

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Nathan A. Bailey, USS George H.W. Bush Public Affairs

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (NNS) -- USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) departed Northrop Grumman Newport News Shipbuilding in Newport News, Va., for sea trials Jan. 27 after a seven-month maintenance period.

During Sea Trials, the ship's electronics, communication, navigation and other combat systems that were built or modified in the shipyard will be tested.

In addition, an inspection of the ship's catapults and jet blast deflectors will be conducted, as well as inspections of the ship's berthing spaces, demonstrations of search and rescue equipment firefighting capabilities, and an evaluation of food service facilities to determine the ship's overall mission readiness.

Bush's sea trials comes after a highly successful Post Shakedown Availability/Selective Restrictive Availability that officially completed the construction of the Navy's newest aircraft carrier.

"In just seven months, the ship experienced an amount of depot and intermediate level work comparable to an 11-month planned incremental availability," said Bush's Chief Engineer, Cmdr. Shannon Terhune.

Work on the ship over the last seven months included finishing the airwing spaces and combat systems suite, implementation of ship alterations to get the ship on the class maintenance plan, and the completion of the ship's force work package.

Ship's force work saved the Navy more than half a million dollars, according to Bush Engineering Department Leading Chief Petty Officer, Master Chief Machinist's Mate (SW) Al Fuller, and more than 60 percent of the overall ship's force work package fell to Engineering Department Sailors to complete.

One major undertaking was completed by Damage Control division, who exhausted more than 6,800 man hours upgrading the ship's 10 damage control repair stations and 27 damage control unit lockers, saving the Navy more than $680,000.

Another upgrade included Electric division converting the carrier's "77" island lights from incandescent bulbs to light emitting diode, saving the Navy 90 percent of the cost associated with light operation. Terhune credited the teamwork and cooperation between ship's force, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding, Program Manager for Ships (In-Service Aircraft Carriers), Commander Naval Air Forces Atlantic (Maintenance and Material), Supervisor of Shipbuilding, Conversion and Repair (Newport News), and more than 20 separate contractor organizations for an unprecedented level of efficiency in the execution of production work on the ship. He said the ship's crew appreciated the professionalism of all maintenance providers.

Upon completion of sea trials, Bush will return to its homeport of Naval Station Norfolk, Va., to begin the work-up cycle towards deployment and prepare for sustained flight operations at sea.

For more news from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77), visit www.navy.mil/local/cvn77/.

http://www.coltoncompany.com/

Fifty-four soldiers from the 689th Rapid Port Opening Element are aboard the superferry Huakai, which is owned by the U.S. Maritime Administration and controlled by Military Sealift Command. About 70 soldiers from Eustis' 7th Sustainment Brigade are also bound for Haiti.

1942 - USS Gudgeon is the first U.S. sub to sink an enemy submarine in action, Japanese I-173.
1945 - Commissioning of USS Higbee (DD 806), the first U.S. Navy ship named after a women member of the U.S. Navy.
1967 - Fire in a command module at Cape Kennedy during simulation countdown. Lunar module pilot Lt. Cmdr. Roger B. Chaffee and two other crew members died.
1973 - Paris Peace Accords signed, ending U.S. participation in the Vietnam War.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

1942 - USS Gudgeon is first US sub to sink enemy submarine in action, Japanese I-173.
1945 - Commissioning of USS Higbee (DD-806), first U.S. Navy ship named after women member of U.S. Navy.
1967 - Fire in Command Module at Cape Kennedy during simulation countdown. Lunar Module Pilot LCDR Roger B. Chaffee and two other crew members died.
1973 - Paris Peace Accords signed, ending U.S. participation in the Vietnam War

•1953- U .S. Coast Guard forces assisted civilian authorities in evacuating 191 persons from the Coxuille Valley flood area.
•1963-The modern Canadian Coast Guard was founded on this date. A Mari usque ad Mare!
•1991- Upon receiving a request from the Saudi government, the Bush Administration determined that the Coast Guard would head an interagency team that would assist the Saudi government in an oil spill assessment and plan for a clean-up operation after an intentional Iraqi oil spill.
•1990- Coast Guard Air Station St. Augustine, home of CGAW-1, was formally commissioned on 26 January 1990. The Navy loaned E2Cs to the Coast Guard for use in the efforts by CGAW-1 to track drug shipments by radar. One E2C, #3501, crashed during a landing at Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico, on 24 August 1990 and all four crewmen on board were killed. CGAW-1 was disbanded soon thereafter and the remaining E2Cs were returned to the Navy.

15 January 2010 Cruise News
Cruise ship sails into Haiti bringing aid for quake victims
Cruise ship Independence of the Seas, which is based in the UK during the summer, arrived in Haiti today carrying much-needed relief supplies for victims of Tuesday's earthquake.
Two more ships from the Royal Caribbean fleet - Liberty of the Seas and Navigator of the Seas - will deliver more food next week.
The company operates a private beach resort at Labadee in the north of the island, a valuable source of revenue for Haiti - much of which is pretty much off-limits to tourists at the best of times.

1922 - Cruiser USS Galveston (CL 19) lands her Marine Corps detachment at Corinto, Nicaragua, to reinforce the Managua legation guard during a period of political tension.
1945 - Navy surface forces bombard Japanese positions at Iwo Jima.
1963 - The 1st Seabee Technical Assistance Team arrives in Vietnam.

Rich's Newsyletter has great info re ships off Haiti.

Story Number: NNS100124-06 Release Date: 1/24/2010 11:20:00 AM 1 Comment

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By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Chelsea A. Radford, Navy Public Affairs Support Element West

LOS ANGELES (NNS) -- After 33 years of patrolling the oceans, USS Los Angeles (SSN 688) was decommissioned in its namesake city, Los Angeles Jan. 23. The ceremony was held as a part of the five-day long Los Angeles Navy Days.

Los Angeles is the fourth naval ship to be named after the City of Los Angeles. The submarine's crest is recognizant of that, bearing four dolphins representing the four ships.

President and co-founder of Navy Days Los Angeles Grant W. Ivey said, "It is sad to see the Los Angeles go, but we are looking forward continuing our ties with the Navy with the commissioning of the USS California."

During his remarks USS Los Angeles Commanding Officer Cmdr. Steve Harrison said, "The Los Angeles is the 'first and the finest,' but her crew is her metal that makes her great."

The oldest attack sub of the 45 remaining submarines of the 62 boat class, Los Angeles received many honors, including eight Battle "E" awards, eight Meritorious Unit Citations, and one Navy Unit Citation.

Los Angeles was launched on April 6, 1974 at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company in Newport News, Va. and was commissioned on Nov. 13, 1976, as the 67th attack submarine and the 109th nuclear powered submarine in the U.S. Navy. In addition to 18 deployments, Los Angeles has participated in four Rim of the Pacific multinational exercises, along with nine Eastern Pacific underway periods.

As part of Commander, Submarine Squadron Seven, (CSS-7), the 360-foot submarine completed its first Western Pacific (WESTPAC) deployment from April 15, 1979 to June 6, 1979.

In 1992, Los Angeles temporarily changed her homeport to Mare Island Naval Shipyard in Vallejo, Calif. in order to conduct an engineering refueling overhaul. In addition to the overhaul, it received the latest state-of-the-art sonar and fire control systems, as well as the Navy's newest reactor controls equipment. After 31 months, the boat was returned to operational status and moved back to Pearl Harbor in March 1995, and attached to Submarine Squadron One.

Los Angeles concluded its last WESTPAC deployment Nov. 19, 2009. It is now scheduled to be sent to the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Wash. for inactivation. Inactivation will include defueling the reactor and safely disposing of the remainder of the submarine.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 25, 2010 - The U.S. military has dispatched a guided missile destroyer and a patrol aircraft to assist the search-and-rescue effort after an Ethiopian Airlines plane crashed into the Mediterranean Sea earlier today.

USS Ramage, a 505-foot-long Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, has been dispatched to the area, Marine Corps Col. David Lapan, a Pentagon spokesman, told reporters.

Ramage and its crew of more than 200 sailors left Norfolk, Va., Jan. 5 for a regularly scheduled six-month deployment conducting maritime security operations in the Mediterranean. The ship made a port call last week in Naples, Italy, Navy Lt. Patrick Foughty of the U.S. 6th Fleet reported.

A P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft based in Italy also has joined the search-and-rescue effort, Foughty said. The aircraft is assigned to Task Force 67 in Sigonella, Sicily, and was conducting operations in the area when the crash occurred, he said.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET409 crashed shortly after takeoff from Beirut. The Boeing 737-800 was headed to Addis Ababa, and reportedly had 90 people aboard.

Lebanese officials reportedly are discounting terrorism as the cause, attributing the crash to a severe

How bout them Colts!

Glenn Smith: Who'a dollar box? I have HULL cover
franked with 2 cents Ohio River stamp (SC #681)
cancel with type 9v (parcel post) cancel 26 JUN
AM (no year) Its has stamped addressee Henrik Wilson, Oak Park IL
I suspect my cover from USS HULL (DD 350), rather than DD 330! Probably done in 1938

The museum even had a speaker presentation and provided coffee and cake! A good time was had by all!

Terror Threats Prompt Navy to Be More Tight-Lipped on Ship Movements

Normally the Navy gives a heads-up before an aircraft carrier comes or goes so locals can view the spectacle. It’s not much time. Maybe a day. The short notice is meant to safeguard the ship’s movements.
But when the USS Abraham Lincoln departed Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Jan. 13 after a nine-month overhaul, ship officials asked to keep it quiet until they were under way.
“We’re being really careful and not announcing our exact departure or arrival times,” spokesman Lt. Cmdr. William Marks said.
The extra caution stems from recent online terrorist threats directed at the Navy. The group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, which has been linked to the Christmas Day airliner bomb plot, posted one of them on Dec. 29. It called on Muslims to gather information about Navy ships at sea, how they’re serviced during deployment, whether there are nuclear weapons on board, and about their crews and families.
“Now with the help of God, every American naval vessel in the seas and oceans — aircraft carriers, submarines, and all of its war machines within range of al-Qaida — will be destroyed,” the post stated.
Lt. Nate Christensen, from the Navy’s Office of Information, wouldn’t comment Thursday, but he said earlier statements attributed to him are accurate.
“The Navy has been aware of the al-Qaida threats since discovery on Dec. 31, 2009,” he was quoted saying in the Jan. 8 in the Washington Times. He said the Naval Criminal Investigative Service circulated information about the threat throughout the Navy.

Ocean Shipholdings, Inc.
16211 Park Ten Place
Houston, TX 77084

Remember from the Haiti research articles in the LOG, most of the USN fleet would anchor in the inner and outer harbors during annual Fleet Problems.

http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/event.php?id=42301

DRESS AND FULL-DRESS SHIP Flying the largest national ensign assigned to the ship from the flagstaff with a national ensign displayed at each masthead is known as dress ship. A personal flag or command pennant will not be substituted with a national ensign. The national ensigns displayed at the masthead are of uniform size. When a substantial difference in heights of the mastheads exists, using different sizes of national ensigns is appropriate. In addition to dressing of the mastheads, displaying a rainbow of signal flags reaching from the foot of the jackstaff to the mastheads and from those points to the foot of the flagstaff is known as full-dress ship. Dress ship and full-dress ship requirements are prescribed in the Navy Department publication Flags, Pennants, and Customs (NTP-13A).

Larry

lbb: During prohibition most coasties drank egg
creams, while most cops had tea with lemon

The Distinguished Sailors stamps are listed as "pressure sensitive adhesive" as compared to most other stamps are listed as "self adhesive". Does anyone know the difference? Thanks.

Yesterday's trivia: Ships ar fully dressed on
Wshington's Birthday (now Presidents Day) and
Independence Day.
It can be fully dressed on the Navy's Birthday (October 13th) when ordered.
Believe I saw several Coast Guard cutters in full dress on St. Patrick's Day in Charleston SC two or three years ago.

From Navy News Service

1821 - The schooner, Lynx, sails from St. Mary's, Ga. for the West Indes and disappears en route.
1954 - Launching of USS Nautilus (SSN 571), first nuclear submarine, at Groton, Conn.
1961 - USS George Washington completes first operational voyage of fleet ballistic missile submarine staying submerged 66 days.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

M/V Alakai (super ferry, sister ship of M/V Haukai)
USNS PFC Dewayne Williams T-AK 3009
USS Mesa Verde LPD 19
USS Ashland LSD 48
USS Nassau LHA 4

That gives me 3 in the files.

Thanks

bbl

No current zip

http://www.navy.mil/local/southcom/

Just finished the first draft of my final article about NJ built fast carriers A series that has been running since 2008. Need to scan some covers and suggest some photos of Kitty Hawk from 1974 to now.

Rich H - There are 3 crane ships on each coast. T-ACS 4 and 6 above are two of them.

In addition, four ships have been activated from the U.S. Maritime Administration's Ready Reserve Force to assist with the effort. When activated, these ships come under the operational control of MSC.

4:17 a.m. -- The Navy hospital ship USNS Comfort is due to arrive off Haiti at midmorning Wednesday, carrying nearly 550 doctors, nurses, and other medical personnel. The ship will have six operating rooms available and can house up to 1,000 patients.

1840 - Lt. Charles Wilkes, aboard the sloop Vincennes, is the first American to discover the Antarctic coast.
1929 - The 3rd Marine Corps Brigade is disbanded at Tientsin, China, and all units, except the 4th Marines and the Peking legation guard, are withdrawn from the country.
1972 - A Navy F-4 Phantom from USS Constellation (CVA 64) downs a Vietnamese MiG-21. This is the first aerial victory since March 1970.

From Navy News Service January 20th

1783 - Hostilities cease between Great Britain and the United States.
1903 - Theodore Roosevelt issues Executive Order placing Midway Islands under jurisdiction of the Navy Department.
1914 - School for naval air training opens in Pensacola, Fla.
1948 - Establishment of U.S. Persian Gulf Area Command.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood announced Monday he had ordered the U.S. Maritime Administration to sortie the crane ships Gopher State and Cornhusker State; the sea barge clipper Cape May; the offshore petroleum discharge ship Petersburg; and the high speed ferry Huakai, formerly one of the Hawaiian SuperFerries.

http://coastguard.dodlive.mil/index.php/2010/01/guardians-report-in-hs1-larry-berman/

About eating squirrel, did any one see tha movie in the 60's tittled, 'King Rat'?

By Judith Snyderman
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 19, 2010 - Humanitarian assistance efforts in Haiti are improving every day despite enormous challenges, the commander of Joint Task Force Haiti said.

"Today, we had 180 flights go through the airport with zero delays," Army Lt. Gen. P.K. "Ken" Keen said yesterday during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable. "That's the first day since we started that we did not have a delay."

For perspective, Keen noted that the single runway at the Port-au-Prince airport handled just 13 flights per day before the earthquake. U.S. airmen opened the airport less than 24 hours after the earthquake in response to a request for help from Haitian authorities. It then took several days to streamline the system for handling the crush of planes carrying supplies. Landing time slots now are now assigned based on priorities set by Haitian officials, he explained.

As of yesterday, U.S. troops had distributed 400,000 bottles of water, 300,000 rations and 12,000 pounds of medical supplies, Keen said, adding that those figures count only U.S. contributions. Numerous nations and international aid groups also are delivering assistance, he said.

But while the amount of aid is substantial, Keen said, it's just a drop in the bucket compared to the needs of some 3.5 million people who are suffering, so the size of U.S. military force in Haiti -- in an operation now dubbed "Unified Response" -- will continue to grow.

"We have about 1,400 military on the ground right now," he said. "We have another approximately 5,000 that are afloat on various ships supporting us. We will grow that force over the coming weeks to where we will have about 4,000 to 5,000 on Haiti and another 5,000 offshore supporting us."

Among the assets moving toward Haiti are the hospital ship USNS Comfort, which can supply up to 1,000 hospital beds. The USS Bataan also has arrivedA arrived, and a Marine landing battalion from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit is expected to go ashore today to one of the hardest-hit regions outside Port-au-Prince that has been beyond the reach of help until now.

Keen clarified the boundaries of the role that U.S. troops will play. He stressed that their priority is to distribute aid in partnership with other agencies, including the U.S. Agency for International Development.

"My mission is to provide humanitarian assistance, disaster relief and security in order to execute delivery of that [assistance and relief supplies]," he said. He added that the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti remains primarily in charge of security and that U.N. troops who had been successful in significantly reducing gang activity prior to the earthquake now are at work to contain pockets of violence that have cropped up in the disaster's chaotic aftermath.

Keen said he has not witnessed what some media reports characterize as a rising tide of violence.

"All the places that U.S. forces have gone thus far have been very calm," he said. "In fact, they've been overtly welcoming. People have been very orderly, and they've been very appreciative of all the aid that they've been given."

Looking ahead, Keen said, he counts water purification units in the next group of priorities. Sixteen units had arrived yesterday, with five more due today. Opening the ports also is a critical need, he said.

"We've got to have other means to get cargo in here and take pressure off the airport, " he explained.

Assessment teams have determined that both the main port and a fuel pier are inoperable. Keen said he expects to have one of the ports operating with limited capacity by the end of the week, possibly using landing craft.

Keen also told bloggers about another sign of progress in organizing the massive international relief effort: a new humanitarian coordination center that has been established using U.N. facilities. The idea, he said, is to have one place to funnel the immense outpouring of donation sto determine whether any given donation is needed and where should it be stacked if it is.

Keen, who was in Haiti when the earthquake struck, said the response so far has been tremendous.

"I am proud of what our nation and the international community has done," he said.

Rich's idea for info is crucual. Get your covers out sooner than later.

•1953- A Coast Guard PBM seaplane crashed during takeoff after having rescued 11 survivors from a ditched U .S. Navy aircraft shot down off the coast of mainland China. A total of nine servicemen lost their lives in this crash, including five Coast Guardsmen.
•1974- Coast Guard units rescued 61 crewmembers from the 551-foot tanker Keytrader and the 657-foot Norwegian freighter Baune after the two vessels collided on the night of 18 January 1974 in dense fog. 16 other crewmembers did not survive. The Keytrader was carrying 18,000 tons of fuel oil. A 53-foot Coast Guard vessel assisted in fighting the ensuing fire.
•2003- On 18 January the CGC Walnut departed from her homeport in Honolulu, Hawaii and began her 10,000 mile transit to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This 45 day transit was completed as quickly as possible with brief stops for fuel and food along the way in Guam, Singapore, Kuwait. The cutter deployed with an oil spill recovery system in the event the regime of Saddam Hussein committed any acts of environmental terrorism. When those threats did not materialize, the cutter then conducted maritime interception operations enforcing U.N. Security Council resolutions, participated in the search for two downed United Kingdom helicopters, and patrolled and provided assistance to captured Iraqi offshore oil terminals being secured by Coast Guard port security personnel. The cutter’s crew completely replaced 30 buoys and repaired an additional five along the 41-mile Khawr Abd Allah Waterway. This ATON mission vastly improved the navigational safety of the waterway for humanitarian aid, commercial, and military vessels sailing to the port and was a critical step to economic recovery for the people of Iraq.

1911 - First aircraft landing aboard a ship, USS Pennsylvania (ACR 4) by Eugene Ely.
1962 - After a flash fire in the Persian Gulf burned a crewman on the Danish tanker Prima Maersk, USS Duxbury Bay (AVP 38) transfers a Navy doctor to help the crewman. USS Soley (DD 707) took him to the nearest hospital at Bahrain Island.
1968 - Operation Coronado X begins in the Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
1977 - The Trident (C-4) missile development flight test program commenced when C4X-1 was launched from a flight pad at Cape Canaveral, Fla.
1991 - USS Nicholas (FFG 47) attacks and captures Iraqi oil platforms.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

Greg C: Presidents Day (ex-Washington's Birthday)
in now celebrated on third Monday. Go Colts!

There are a fair number of DLGs/CGs on ebay for sale at moderate prices today and most days. Sorry if this is a repeat. Can't remember if I posted lately. Had trouble with my crackberry and not everything I tried to post made it.

Dan. Sorry about the snow. We have mud. It takes 3 minutes to clean the dog's paws

A major gas explosion and fire a few miles away in Edison. Destroyed a building with office and apartment. No injuries but the leak seems to have been in the road and bubbled up the roadway and water.

1832- USS Peacock makes contact with Vietnamese court officials
1900 - US (CDR Taussig in USS Bennington) takes formal possession of Wake Island
1955 - USS Nautilus (SSN-571), the first nuclear-powered submarine, casts off lines at 1100 and sends message "underway on nuclear power"

January 18

1911 - First aircraft landing on board a ship, USS Pennsylvania by Eugene Ely.
1962 - After a flash fire in the Persian Gulf on Danish tanker, Prima Maersk, burned a crewman, USS Duxbury Bay transfers a Navy doctor to help the Danish crewman and USS Soley took him to the nearest hospital at Bahrain Island.
1968 - Operation Coronado X begins in Mekong Delta, Vietnam
1977 - The Trident (C-4) missile development flight test program commenced when C4X-1 was launched from a flight pad at Cape Canaveral, FL
1991 - USS Nicholas attacks and captures Iraqi oil platforms

The US Navy said last year that the Los Angeles-class submarine, which was commissioned in 1977, was “tentatively scheduled for inactivation” this summer and would be decommissioned at a later date.

The USS Philadelphia docked at the Z berth on Gibraltar’s South Mole yesterday morning and no details were given as to the length of its stay.

Main job of the DDs and DEs at that time was Anti-Submarine Warfare ASW.

Destroyer Squadron THIRTY-SIX was first established 1 July 1956. The squadron was primarily organized for antisubmarine warfare, being composed of six escort destroyers (Gearing class DDEs).

I am in the midst of a mailing to those mebmers who have been aboard for twenty-five years. The "certificate" included encourages you to recruit a new member, and enables you to give them a 1 year membership/subscription in the USCS. If you have twenty-five years or more, you probably know someone who collects naval covers and is not a member. Perhaps the person was a former member. Well, it's time to rope them in! We all need to do whatever we can to strengthen our membership numbers and this is a perfect way for your personal involvement. Watch your mailbox, it might get to you before the current Log!

Other ships on the way to assist in the operation are the dock landing ship USS Gunston Hall (LSD 41), the cruiser USS Normandy (CG 60), the frigate USS Underwood (FFG 36), the rescue and salvage ship USNS Grasp (ARS 51) and the oceanographic survey ship USNS Henson (T-AGS 63). Additionally, several auxiliary ships from the Military Sealift Command (MSC) are en route and will provide fuel and supplies to sustain the Navy force at sea throughout the operation.

Chinese emergency rescue team arrives at the airport in Haitian capital Port-au-Prince on Jan. 14, 2010. The rescue team arrived here early Thursday local time, to help the rescue operation after an earthquake in which up to 100,000 people are feared dead and eight Chinese are still missing. (Xinhua/Yuan Man)

Zhang Daning, commissar of China's 7th riot police squad to Haiti on a peacekeeping mission for the United Nations, holds a ceremony to welcome China's 8th riot police squad to Haiti in Port-au-Prince, June 13, 2009. (Xinhua/Yin Nan)

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

BALTIMORE, Jan. 15, 2010 - Early last spring, Navy Capt. James Ware was preparing his crew aboard the hospital ship USNS Comfort for a humanitarian assistance mission in Haiti, the first stop during a four-month swing through the region.

Click photo for screen-resolution image
USNS Comfort sits at its pier in Baltimore on Jan. 15, 2010, being readied to move out to provide medical support for earthquake-ravaged Haiti. DoD photo by Donna Miles
(Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available.
Today, Ware is overseeing final preparations to return to Haiti for a more pressing mission: providing life-saving medical care to victims of a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands and left untold thousands more injured.

Comfort will leave its home port here early tomorrow and is expected to arrive in Haiti by Jan. 21, delivering a full spectrum of medical and surgical services aboard one of the country's largest trauma facilities.

"This is a moment when we feel we can have a huge impact," along with other military medical providers already on the ground, as well as those from nongovernmental organizations and the international community, Ware said. "Our hope is to work with those individuals, side by side, to truly help the people of Haiti."

USNS Comfort will deliver immense capability to the mission. The hulking hospital ship -- three football fields long and one wide – has 250 hospital beds and a 550-person medical team that includes trauma surgeons, orthopedic surgeons, head and neck surgeons, eye surgeons and obstetricians and gynecologists.

The team also will include medical professionals from the Navy, Army, Air Force and U.S. Public Health Service, as well as nongovernmental organizations.

Ware said he expects his staff to initially see about 500 patients a day when it arrives in Haiti, working up to 750 or more, and to conduct 20 to 25 surgical procedures a day.

But his big focus today was on getting the ship manned, equipped and provisioned for the mission ahead. A massive logistical effort was under way to load the food, water and medical supplies the crew -- most from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., but also from its sister hospitals in Portsmouth, Va., and San Diego, Calif. -- will need.

Two cranes worked simultaneously, hoisting palletized loads of bottled water, packaged meals and other supplies to Comfort's upper decks. Meanwhile, a long line of tractor trailers that began arriving last night idled nearby, waiting to offload their supplies. Engine roars mingled with the ever-present "beep-beep-beep" of forklifts scurrying in almost every direction alongside the vessel.

Navy Petty Officer 1st Lamar McDavis, based at the National Naval Medical Center, kept his checklist handy to keep track of the loading process. "It's going to be a long day here," he said, noting that he expects to load as many as 800 pallets by the day's end, compressing into just one day what typically would take about three.

"We're doing this fast, but it can't be fast enough," McDavis said. "People are suffering, and the quicker we get help to them, the better off they will be."

USNS Comfort initially will carry enough food and water to sustain its crew – 550 medical specialists and 250 mariners and staff to provide security, communications and other shipboard support – and the patients who will fill its 250 hospital beds for up to 60 days, Ware said.

In addition, the ship has enough medical supplies aboard to support a 60-day combat casualty care mission, he said.

Ware said he's confident he'll have everything he needs on board to proceed directly to Haiti without having to stop anywhere else en route to pick up additional crew or supplies.

"We have pushed forward on this end to make sure we have the right personnel," he said. "We have looked all the way down to the very lowest seaman on board to determine whether they have the exact skills sets we need – from an operating technician to a surgeon to a blood-bank specialist.

"And we have identified 99 percent of those individuals," he continued. "So [the] plan is to leave tomorrow, and we will be moving as quickly as possible to get to Port-au-Prince Harbor."

As much as 70 percent of the crew already has experience aboard Comfort, or its sister ship USNS Mercy in San Diego, Ware said. In addition to onboard training sessions conducted every 12 weeks, many participated in Continuing Promise 2009, Comfort's most recent humanitarian assistance mission through Latin America and the Caribbean.

During that mission, USNS Comfort treated almost 100,000 patients, including tens of thousands in Haiti alone.

The visit provided important lessons to the Comfort crew it will apply during its disaster response mission, he said, but also fostered relationships that will help in its upcoming mission.

"They are waiting for us to come," Ware said, citing numerous phone calls and e-mails he has received from people he's already worked with in Haiti. "And I think those [relationships] will really pay off – not for us, but for the people of Haiti."

Navy Lt. Cmdr. Thomas Olivero, department head for Comfort's operating room, is preparing for a mission he expects to be heavy in head injuries, crushing injuries, amputations and other trauma cases. His crew will exercise various trauma scenarios once it's all onboard and under way, to be sure it's ready to hit the ground running when it arrives.

Olivero remembers the gratification of Continuing Promise 2009, when "a busy day for us was a good day, because we were helping many people."

He expects to be even busier during this mission, too, but acknowledged the circumstances will be a lot tougher to deal with. "It is going to be good to help people, but the reason you are busy is not what you want it to be," he said.

Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Lesley Prasad, one of just 50 permanently assigned crewmembers aboard Comfort, said it feels great seeing the hospital ship provide such a desperately needed service to relieve suffering in Haiti. It's kept him and his fellow crewmembers buzzing nonstop for the past four days "on full steam" to prepare so they're ready to hit the ground running.

"I feel really good about this," he said, pausing as he ordered last-minute medical supplies for the mission. "We are the best qualified crew medically, [and we're] ready to help these people in Haiti," he said. "To be able to have such a vital role in the effort, it's awesome."

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 16, 2010 - Officials at U.S. Southern Command headquarters here provided a recap last night of the previous 48 hours of developments in the Haiti relief effort.

Southcom is managing the U.S. military aspects of the earthquake-relief mission.

Officials noted that Joint Task Force Haiti had been established to oversee U.S. military relief efforts in Haiti, with Army Lt. Gen. P.K. "Ken" Keen in command.

As of last night, 4,200 U.S. military personnel were currently supporting task force operations, within Haiti and from Navy and Coast Guard vessels offshore. An additional 6,300 military personnel are scheduled to arrive through the weekend.

Current U.S. military efforts are focused on working with the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti, international relief organizations and local responders to provide search and rescue, distribute aid and assess damage to key infrastructure, officials said.

With approval from the Haitian government, U.S. Air Force air traffic control and airfield management personnel are managing air operations into the international airport at the national capital of Port-au-Prince. The airfield is open for 24-hour operations and has a 90-aircraft-per-day capability.

The aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson and the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Higgins are operating off the Haitian coast in support of the task force. USS Carl Vinson has 19 embarked helicopters flying airlift missions in support of relief efforts. The carrier also is delivering more than 30 pallets of relief supplies for distribution to affected areas.

Overall, 24 helicopters were providing relief to the people of Haiti as of last night, officials said.

The 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit, embarked aboard the amphibious ship USS Bataan and composed of more than 2,200 Marines is scheduled to arrive in Haiti on Jan. 18 with heavy-lift and earth-moving equipment and additional medical-support capabilities. The amphibious ships USS Carter Hall, USS Fort McHenry, USS Underwood and USS Normandy also are en route to Haiti.

The hospital ship USNS Comfort left Baltimore this morning en route to Haiti, with about 600 medical personnel. It's projected to arrive in Haitian waters on Jan. 21. Comfort's capabilities include fully equipped operating rooms, a 500-bed hospital facility, digital radiological services, a medical laboratory, a pharmacy, an optometry lab, a CT-scan capability and two oxygen-producing plants. Each ship is equipped with a helicopter deck capable of landing large military helicopters.

An initial company of more than 100 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division arrived in Haiti on Jan. 14, and 600 additional paratroopers are scheduled to arrive over the next few days to augment U.N. security and assist with search-and-rescue missions.

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

BALTIMORE, Jan. 16, 2010 - The chief of Navy medicine told the crew of the USNS Comfort here yesterday to prepare for a long deployment to Haiti.

Navy Vice Adm. (Dr.) Adam M. Robinson Jr. visited the crew of the Comfort as they prepared to leave Baltimore harbor this morning to sail to Haiti. He said the need is great in Haiti following the magnitude 7 earthquake that leveled the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12.

"This is not a training mission," Robinson said. "I suspect that we will have medical and naval assets in Haiti [for] six months minimum, and I think longer than that."

The medical staff aboard the Comfort mostly is from the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., and Portsmouth Naval Hospital in Virginia. Other specialists from many other Navy hospitals and clinics in the United States are aboard the hospital ship.

Red Cross officials estimate that 40,000 to 50,000 people were killed in the earthquake. Countless thousands more are injured, and the Comfort is one platform that can deliver world-class medical care for those people, Robinson said.

"You are going to get first-hand experience in a very intense and a very critical situation in Haiti," the admiral said.

Robinson, who led a medical hospital detachment in Haiti in 1999, said the deployment to Haiti will be "a life-defining assignment" for the Comfort crew. On the best days, he said, Haiti is a poor country. It is, in fact, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, and it suffers from poverty, deforestation and political uncertainty. Of the 5 million to 6 million people who live in Haiti, roughly 2 million live in and around Port-au-Prince. Before the earthquake struck, Haiti had recently been hit by hurricanes and floods.

The quake destroyed whatever infrastructure existed, Robinson said, and the country's need is greater today by an order of magnitude.

Still, Robinson said, the medics need to pace themselves, and he asked the crew and medical staff to watch out for one another. "Make sure you have each others' backs," he said. Make sure you are there for one another when you need each other." This, he said, will be very important when they have been deployed for months.

The scenes in Haiti will be terrible, Robinson warned the crew.

"You will see devastation and injuries and death and destruction that you've never seen before," he said. "If you feel overwhelmed and feel the need to talk, ... please – my medical children – don't hesitate to do that. There is no shame in raising your hand and taking a timeout. There is no shame in asking for help."

The admiral said he is incredibly proud of the professionals who came together on short notice to make the deployment happen. Medicine, he added, is a common language that all people understand, and it is a way to bridge differences.

"Be safe, be smart and take care of one another," Robinson said. "If you do that, this is going to be a very successful mission."

Reports are that up to 200,000 killed. Navy has a historic role in earthquake response -- Sicily in 1909 and Japan in 1923.

The United States Navy is steeped in customs, courtesies and rituals. One of the least known among these is the guardianship of World War II submarine Hero and Medal of Honor recipient Rear Admiral Richard H. “Dick” O’Kane’s cribbage board, traditionally held by the oldest submarine in the Pacific Fleet.

USS Kamehameha (SSN 642) was the longest commissioned of the oldest submarines to safeguard the board. When Kamehameha was decommissioned in 2002 after nearly 37 years of service, the board was cleaned and restored and passed on to USS Parche (SSN 683). Parche was the namesake of one of the most highly decorated subs to serve in the Pacific Fleet during WWII. When Parche decommissioned in July 2005, the cribbage board was passed on to USS Los Angeles. With the decommissioning of Los Angeles, the board is being passed on to the oldest remaining submarine, USS Bremerton (SSN 698).

“It is with great pride that I hand over the “Dick O’Kane cribbage board” to Cmdr. Howard Warner, Commanding Officer of Bremerton,” said Harrison. “I hope the crew of Bremerton enjoys re-living history playing this great game as much as we have.”

Okay Roger...now I got it...sorry. Sometimes it takes me a while to get up to speed.

The ANG are quiet today. It was a very busy night.
There is no tower for thier traffic except for the TF Green Airport9(Int & Nat.) that oversees and controls traffic at Quonset 12 miles away.
It shipped out mostly troops is my guess to Haiti

By Geoff Cunningham Jr.
gcunningham@fosters.com
Thursday, January 14, 2010

KITTERY, Maine — Officials say a Kittery-based Coast Guard cutter is already sailing in the vicinity of Haiti and is awaiting word on how it might assist in relief efforts following the massive earthquake that rocked the Caribbean island nation.

The Coast Guard Cutter Tahoma, based out of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, happened to be on patrol near Haiti when the quake struck, according to Petty Officer Jennifer Johnson of Coast Guard Public Affairs in Miami.

Johnson said the 270-foot cutter hasn't docked as of yet, but was patrolling waters in the region when it was redirected to provide support to those providing relief in Haiti.

MAYPORT, Fla. (NNS) -- USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70) has been ordered to deploy to Haiti to conduct Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Response (HA/DR) missions Jan. 13. Currently, Vinson is underway in the Atlantic Ocean, and will briefly loiter off the coast of Mayport to receive equipment and supplies.

Along with Vinson, USS Bataan (LHD 5) embarked with Marines from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU 22), USS Fort McHenry (LSD 43), and USS Carter Hall (LSD 50) were ordered to get underway as soon as possible. Additionally, USS Normandy (CG 60), USS Underwood (FFG 36) and USS John L. Hall (FFG 32) will deploy from their homeports and stand ready to assist, while USNS Comfort (T-AH-20), homeported in Baltimore, Md., is preparing to get underway, if required.

A Navy P-3 Orion aircraft from the Patrol Squadron (VP) 26 detachment operating from Cooperative Security Location (CSL) Comalapa, El Salvador, took off early this morning to conduct aerial surveys of the area affected by the earthquake.

USS Higgins (DDG 76) based out of Naval Station San Diego will arrive on station off the coast of Haiti tomorrow to provide afloat logistical services for the Coast Guard helicopters.

Additionally, various units are prepared to provide assistance with sea-based helicopters, to include H-53 Sea Stallions and H-60 Seahawks.

As the Navy component command of U.S. Southern Command, NAVSO's mission is to direct U.S. Naval forces operating in the Caribbean, Central and South American regions and interact with partner nation navies within the maritime environment. Routine operations include counter-illicit trafficking, theater security cooperation, military-to-military interaction and bilateral and multinational training.

For more news from Commander, U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet visit www.navy.mil/local/cusns.

Question: Did USS MacDonough (DD 351) have FDR
aboard for South American Cruise in June 1936
Have cacheted cover, posted 12 JUN 1936 with the
wording PRESIDENTE AT/ CALLAo PERU in killers
Its therm printed with ship's name above the
artistic cachet i.e. Seahorse & Dolphin on either
side of two destroyers, the sun & King Neptune holding with mermaid across compass. NO ID as to
whom sponsored, but suspect its a Richell drawing

1865 - Amphibious attack on Fort Fisher, NC
1964 - USS Manley evacuates 54 American and 36 allied nationals after Zanzibar government is overthrown

Greetings from Germany!

Doug ebert is a USCS member who lives in Washington ME. I lost his e-mail address. If you would share it with me it would be appreciated.

1813 - U.S. frigate Chesapeake captures the British warship Volunteer.
1848 - Sloop Lexington attacked in San Blas, Mexico.
1953 - Aircraft landings are tested aboard USS Antietam (CVS 36), the first angled-deck carrier.

SYDNEY – Shipwreck hunters have captured the first underwater footage of an Australian World War II hospital ship that sank in 1943 and left 268 people dead.

A search team led by U.S. shipwreck hunter David Mearns sent a submarine robot more than 6,500 feet (2,000 meters) below the surface to snap the images of the Centaur on Sunday. The footage showed the ship's bright red cross and a corroded number 47, its identification number.

The Centaur sank off the Queensland state coast. Just 64 of the 332 people on board survived.

Australia said the ship sank after being torpedoed by the Japanese, but Japan says the circumstances surrounding the sinking are unclear.

Mearns found sonar footage of the Centaur on Dec. 20, 30 miles (50 kilometers) east of the southern tip of Moreton Island at a depth of 6,755 feet (2,059 meters). Sunday's images helped confirm the wreck was that of the Centaur, he said.

On Monday, Mearns and his crew sent the submarine robot into the depths again to take a second round of pictures, which included an image of the ship's bell and an escape hatch that one survivor climbed through just before the Centaur sank.

"We found the bell with the name on it. You can't get any better than that," Mearns said.

On Sunday, Queensland Acting Premier Paul Lucas called on Japan to apologize for the sinking.

"Whilst the Japanese have certainly apologized for their actions during the Second World War, it would be appropriate for those involved to express an apology," Lucas said. "In this barbaric act, people lost their lives. Sailors, soldiers, nurses, doctors, orderlies. It was totally senseless and a wanton act."

Monday was a national holiday in Japan, and phone calls to the Foreign Ministry in Tokyo went unanswered, as did calls to Japan's embassy in Canberra.

Queensland Premier Anna Blight said the Centaur will be marked as a military gravesite and protected.

If you're going for SSI disability, get an attorney to assist.

1863 - CSS Alabama sinks USS Hatteras off Galveston.
1900 - The gunboat Princeton takes possession of the Batan Islands in the northern Philippines.
1944 - Aircraft from USS Block Island (CVE 21) lead the first aircraft rocket attack on a German submarine.

I should burn my Patriots jacket but it is still in pretty good shape. I would like to see the Ravens go all the way to the Super Bowl. They played very good yesterday. On the other hand, the Patriots acted like they were playing in the Toilet Bowl.

Think there are many Belknap covers as John Young noted. Beck did launches and fdc for most. Belknap was out of commission from 75 to 81 because of repairs due to collision with JFK. She was alongside at Pier 12 NoB when Nimitz was there. It was warm weather. Then he was permanently deployed to the med as 6th fleet flagship. Just today I saw a cover sent to me by a shipmate who became CNO from Beknap when he was a Captain on Sixth Fleet Staff. There's the famous cancel when she hosted the meeting between the President and soviet leader in Malta(??). I like surface ship covers too. Larry

As a timely aside, I point out that the US and Royal Navies maintain the traditional daily naval toasts.

The traditional Naval Toasts of the Day are:

Sunday - 'To Absent Friends'
Monday - 'To Our Ships at Sea'
Tuesday - 'To Our men'
Wednesday - 'To Ourselves'
Thursday - 'For A Bloody War on a Sickly Season'
Friday - 'For a Willing Foe and Sea Room'
Saturday - 'To Wives and Sweethearts' (May they never meet)

The Canadian Navy (no longer the Royal Canadian Navy) of Canada's Forces (no longer Armed Forces which might sound bellicose) has revised its toasts.

The new politically correct Naval Toasts of the Day observed by the Canadian Navy are:

Sunday - 'Absent friends/Amis absents'
Monday - 'Our ships/Nos navires'
Tuesday - 'Our sailors/Nos marins'
Wednesday - 'Ourselves/Nous-memes'
Thursday - 'Our navy/Notre Marine'
Friday - 'Our nation/Notre nation'
Saturday - 'Our families/Nos familles'

Good day to bring more wood in for the fireplace and finish February's Log for the printer.

Currently I am waiting for my Lisa to show up and she is late.

Captain Belknap- U.S. Navy
USS Delaware
Care Postmaster
New York, NY
The names of both ships are underlined!

Captain Belknap- U.S. Navy
USS Delaware
Care Postmaster
New York, NY
The names of both ships are underlined!

Maybe they are busy packing and don't have time for collectors mail?

Friday, January 8, 2010
KITTERY, Maine (AP) — Police say two Pennsylvania truckers are facing charges they tried to bring concealed weapons into the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Kittery.

The Maine State Police says the handguns were discovered during a routine inspection of the truck at about 6:30 Thursday morning.

The vehicle was carrying welding supplies into the Navy base.

Police identified the driver as 44-year-old Jesus Acosta-Pileta. The other person in the truck was 44-year-old Juan Guevera-Pompa.

Maine State Police Lt. Thomas Kelly says the two had permits to carry concealed weapons in Pennsylvania, but not Maine.

He says the two worked for a small trucking company from Lancaster, Pa.

The two are due in court in Biddeford on Friday afternoon.

(Both were released on $1000 bail each)

By Judith Snyderman
Special to American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Jan. 8, 2010 - Scientists who have been studying wreckage from Japanese mini-submarines that were part of an advance strike force on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, say a new television show is informative, but could leave viewers with misunderstandings.

For one thing, they say, the show -- part of PBS's "NOVA" series -- reveals no new discoveries.

"It's basically a synopsis of the work that we performed up through 2000," Navy Capt. John A. Rodgaard said during a "DoDLive" bloggers roundtable Jan. 6. Rodgaard was joined by Peter Hsu, a scientist who analyzes forensic shock effects of underwater explosions, and Robert Neyland of the Naval History and Heritage Command, which studies shipwrecks and sunken aircraft.

These experts say there's no dispute that hours before the main air attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese navy launched five mini-subs armed with torpedoes from larger submarines. U.S. Navy ships sank the mini-subs, and the first pieces of wreckage were identified by the Hawaiian underwater research lab called HURL in 1992.

Another key piece of evidence is an aerial photograph of one of the mini-subs that was taken by a Japanese aircraft.
In 1994, Rodgaard used that evidence to correct earlier beliefs that only one of the five submarines that had been launched made it into the harbor, and that it failed in its attack.

"What we demonstrated initially was that a second one had actually entered and also was successful in its attack," he said.

The mini-sub pictured in the aerial photograph is the one featured in the television documentary, Rodgaard explained. But the show implies the wreckage is a new find, he added, when it actually was well known for years, though it wasn't identified as one of the five Pearl Harbor attack mini-subs until recently.

Neyland said the timeline presented by the program incorrectly suggests the sub was the last of the five launched. "We consider that the No. 1 submarine, based on the Japanese records of the release times," he said.

One other problem, Rodgaard said, is the documentary's assertion that a mini-sub torpedo struck the USS Arizona and did not detonate.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think an object such as a torpedo that winds up being a dud, striking an object at [42] knots, is going to remain intact," he said. Hsu theorized that, based on weight analyses, the unexploded torpedo depicted on the show may have been dropped from an aircraft.

Despite these concerns, the experts agreed that the story of the Pearl Harbor mini-subs is a fascinating piece of history that deserves ongoing research. One mystery is the location of the wreckage in a 1,000-foot-deep debris field outside Pearl Harbor. Neyland said it's clear the mini-sub must have been salvaged after the war ended, but that leaves unanswered questions, such as why it is where it is, why it is disassembled, and why no record exists of it having been found and salvaged out of Pearl Harbor.

Rodgaard added that a 15-foot section of the mini-sub is missing, and he hopes it will be found. Each piece of evidence is a time capsule of history, he said.

Scientific techniques such as bio-corrosion studies on bolts and studies of the origins of microorganisms attached to parts may solve some of these mysteries. "I would say our journey continues," he said. "There are quite a few things that we could still do."

(Judith Snyderman works in the Defense Media Activity's emerging media directorate.)

1847 - The Battle of San Gabriel takes place in California. The Navy, Marines and Army defeat the Mexicans in the battle.
1916 - A permanent Marine base (later named Camp Pendleton) is established in San Diego.
1945 - Task Group 77.2 delivers intensive shore bombardment of landing beaches on Lingayen Gulf. The destroyer/minesweeper, Palmer (DMS) is sunk by conventional Japanese air attack.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

Drop, roll and cover!

If anyone thinks the Web can't be a serious repository of books: Check out 650,000+ pages at the University of Michigan's Making of America site. The actual pages, too. And after a rocky start, Cornell University finally has their Making of America site online. This time 907,750 more pages including most of the 124 volumes of the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Armies and Navies in the War of the Rebellion and vast amounts of other 19th century materials are here, and unlike microfilm, its all keyword searchable and no scratches!

1916 - The first enlisted flight training class is held at Pensacola, Fla.
1942 - Japanese troops capture 11 Navy nurses in Manila, Philippines.
1967 - Operation Deckhouse V begins in Mekong Delta, Vietnam.
1996 - USS Hopper (DDG 70), named for Rear Adm. Grace Hopper, is commissioned.

For more news from the Naval Historical Center, visit their Navy Newsstand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.

Now I am going too cook up some eggplant to lower my blood pressure. Heat up the Routisserie Chicken I bought, and open up left over Taboulle,and glass of Gwertenwiemer

By the Way: The Jersey Chapter placed you on
Double Probation last night. No circuits!

Elgin: Go ahead, make your plans and include a
day of chasing covers! We looking at 47 in April

No title on the book and I do not know the dirst thing about marketing it. I just like to spin story lines.

I love your book idea! It could be made into a great movie. Have you tried to market it yet??

The book could be named "Bombers Demise", "Terrorists Final Act" or even "Return of the Mayans."

The final terrorist act could take place in the year 2012 and the Mayans could rise again in a safe haven like Mexico.

What do you think??

This will affect how circuits are set up. It would be unfair to hit people with hugh postal costs by having a circuit bounce around the country. I will be looking into Parcl post (NOT UPS) as an alternative.

The best stamp for postmarks is the water activated (lick & stick) .44 flag. The .44 state flag stamps are also goof because they have large white areas.

My Latest: The Government of Dubai opens a 2700+ foot ttall tower. An angry and frustrated US military clique takes a mothballed civilian airliner from the storage yard in either the Mojave or the Sonoran Desert and transform the passenger plane into a drone aircraft. After re-painting the aircraft in the paint scheme of a foreign airliner they load the plane with the detainees from Gitmo, Richard Reid aka the shoe bomber, the guy who planned the WTC attack, and the underwear bomber. The plane then flies into the Dubai tower on a business day. I have quite figured out how to end the book or even what to name it. Any thoughts?

I'm in contact with John Gill's son Richard. If anyone is seeking info on Gill, drop me an email.

Bruce

1855 - USS Plymouth crew skirmish with Chinese troops
1875 - CDR Edward Lull begins expedition to locate best ship canal route across Panama. Route followed 30 years later.
1943 - USS Helena (CL-50) fired first proximity fused projectile in combat and shot down Japanese divebomber in southwest Pacific.
1968 - First Male Nurse Corps officer in Regular Navy, LT Clarence W. Cote.

The keel for LCS 4, the future USS Coronado, was authenticated by workers at the Austal USA shipyard in Mobile, Ala., during a short ceremony on Dec 17. Keel authentication is the symbolic recognition of the start of ship construction.

“Starting construction on the fourth ship of the class is a significant step in the life of the program,” said Rear Adm. Jim Murdoch, LCS program manager within the Navy’s Program Executive Office (PEO) Ships. “We’ve learned a number of key lessons from the construction of LCS 1 and 2 which will improve production of these vital fleet assets. We’re committed to controlling shipbuilding costs and delivering these ships on time and within budget.”

Post Office is having difficulty trying to determine whether it is a business or a service.

If it is a service, I do not expect it to make money. Only US Customs makes money every year. What would happen if the armed forces were asked to run on a service budget?

Yes the sun is shining in Rhode Island. Meltdown!

Ed D: You win the Sardine Sandwich! Ward Bond was
the CPO that walked off into hills with the rest
of Wayne's crew. Look chiefs that carry tommyguns!

Thanks NC Pirate

Yes come to think of it I did hear some of his critics remarks. Although I enjoyed selected volumes I did feel the sense he left out events that should have been mentioned. I remember reading somethibg to the effect that he wrote the works without consultation, or whatever. I have to base my approval on what I read he recorded because I hear mostly acclaim. I enjoyed very much the book "Tang" about the submarine that was sunk in the Formosa Strieghts by it's own topedoe.

Chief Mess: Midrats tonight are Chicken Eggdrop Soup, Portugese Sardines & sliced onion on rye
Drink of the Day: Irish Coffee

Tonight's Movie: They Were Expendable starring
Robert Montgomery as Lt John Brickley, John Wayne as Lt Rusty Ryan and Donna Reed, a Army
Nurse & love interest. Who played the Chief Petty Officer?

I was in a consignment store recently, and saw a post card in a large collection of post cards that the seller would not break up, that included a post card of sailors attended what looked like a barbague at a park, only sailors. Has anyone seen such a card? I did not want to buy the entire collection of cards because they were not naval, or philatetlic in nature but now sorry I passed it.

I had New Years Day dinner of Catfish at the Cracker Barrel.

Elgin: The first therm envelopes were produced by
the Philatelic Press (formerly Conrath Printery)
Ripley, NY (1933) These printed envelopes have
three airpalnes (top) & four different ship cuts
(bottom) with stars at each corner.
To date, I have acquired at least 15 different
variations of Conrath type envelopes.

The first therm naval cachet appears to be a "Seasons Greeting" posted aboard USS RELIEF on
25 DEC 1934. It depicts a person up to his eye
brows in sea of covers and two Christmas candles
with wording From A NAVAL COVER COLLECTOR/ USCS
251 Signed C. Wright Richell

1969 - Operation Barrier Reef began in Mekong Delta, Vietnam

January 3

1904 - Marines from USS Dixie arrive in Panama
1944 - Top Marine ace MAJ Boyington captured after shooting down 28 aircraft
1945 - Third Fleet carriers begin a 2 day attack against Formosa destroying 100 aircraft with loss of only 22 aircraft.

60th anniversary of the start of the korean war, 65th anniversary of the end of world war ii. Lots to celebrate. And the year of 4 usn postage stamps. No reason to relax. Lots to do. Larry

60th anniversary of the start of the korean war, 65th anniversary of the end of world war ii. Lots to celebrate. And the year of 4 usn postage stamps. No reason to relax. Lots to do. Larry