Happy New Year to all!

It is 27 degrees in North Carolina tonight so I guess my Caribbean cruise weather is gone...

Way to go bigdewy...go Beavers.

Happy New Year to all.

Happy New Year to all.

kayneuthor@onlinehome.de

Thanks.

Click on USCS Log link at left column.

was just going through some stamp packets that were purchased from Jordan-Marsh in Boston, never knew they had a stamp collecting dept.

Found them in an old box lot that I've had put away for a few years.
Stamps are from all over the world, they are all World Refugee issues and a fair number of covers as well. Think I may have the album they go in somewhere around here.

By Navy News Service

1941 - Admiral Ernest J. King assumes duty as Commander in Chief, United States Fleet.

1959 - Commissioning of first fleet ballistic missile submarine, USS George Washington (SSB(N)-598), at Groton, CT.

I'd be interested in your dups list.

tjossem@centurytel.net

Thanks,

Don

First Christmas without a tie, shirt, pants, skivvies or other clothing.
Did get a Honda-powered pressure washer! I know what Santa is thinking...

Kings Bay, Ga. (NNS) -- Commander, Submarine Squadron 16/20, Capt. Daniel Mack, relieved Cmdr. Charles Hill, commanding officer of USS West Virginia (SSBN 736) (Gold), Dec. 29, due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command.

Capt. Stephen Gillespie has temporarily assumed command of West Virginia (Gold). Gillespie, a former commanding officer of USS Rhode Island, was most recently assigned as deputy for training at Submarine Squadron 16/20.

Hill will be temporarily assigned to Commander, Submarine Squadron 20.

Each SSBN has two crews, blue and gold crews, which alternate taking the submarines out on patrol. West Virginia (Gold) is currently in an off-crew status conducting training at its homeport in Kings Bay, Ga.

A commentator on the radio predicts that the NY Yankee fabn who used to do 5 games a year can now afford only one. He said that the Yanks had to spend the $ so that people will come to the stadium. This is the same logic that said we had to burn the village to save it.

By Navy News Service

1798 - First annual report by Secretary of the Navy, sent by Benjamin Stoddert.

1812 - USS Constitution (Captain William Bainbridge) captures HMS Java off Brazil after a three hour battle.

1943 - USS Silversides (SS-236) sinks three Japanese ships and damages a fourth off Palau.

I have your "GUAM" article set for February.

I know I have 2 in the works, just need to find the misplaced covers that started the story.

I hate it when my wife wants me to "straighten up the place for company"--can't find my stuff for weeks.

Getting tooooo old for all this physical stuff. Although I will be glad to do one more move when she gets a job and a location. Maybe they will have an IKEA nearby!

BMCM, hope all is well for the New Year.

Larry

Is a Fighting Bob cachet an appropriate one for the return leg?

Rear Admiral Evans commanded the Asiatic Fleet in 1902-1904 and, beginning in March 1905, the Atlantic Fleet. In late 1907 and early 1908 he led a large force of battleships around South America to California on the first leg of the "Great White Fleet"'s historic cruise around the World, but ill health forced him to relinquish his post in May 1908. Though retired upon reaching the age of 62 years in August 1908, he had a few years of further service in association with the Navy's General Board. Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans died in Washington, D.C., on 3 January 1912.

Has anyone got addresses for the port visits after Ceylon yet?

PCU George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) FPO AE 09513-2803

I am working our way through 4 days of towels and sheets and "double-checking the Xmas wrap for forgotten toys and parts" The joys of the season!

Steve S. Kaneohe is enjoying Christmas. He's barking in the yard and will have muddy paws when he knocks on the door to get our attention. I'm sure he will have a bit of the beef along with his food. Pets are a great industry. The kennel is an expensive part of any trip.

Hope santa has lots of covers for everyone

Thanks to all our regular authors for your articles in 2008. I am working on February issue now.

New authors/researchers welcome.

We had 22 for Christmas Eve dinner. Today we just get to play with the gifts and eat leftovers when we feel like moving.

The wife started shopping so early and hid presents that she forgot she had bought. She just remembered another gift she had for our daughter....the joys of old age!

Merry Christmas to all. Don't forget to leave a
naval cover for Santa.

Stewart: We tabled a member's motion at last night's meeting concerning the absentence of any
circuits. Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas, happy holidays.

From the Navy News Service

1941 - Adm. Chester W. Nimitz arrives at Pearl Harbor to assume command of the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Even you Greg!

From the Navy News Service

1814 - The Treaty of Ghent ends the War of 1812.

1864 - Naval forces, under the command of Rear Adm. David Dixon Porter, begin an unsuccessful two-day attack against Fort Fisher, N.C.

1950 - Under the cover of Naval gunfire support, Task Force 90 completes a 14-day evacuation of 100,000 troops and equipment from Hungnam, North Korea. More than 91,000 refugees are also rescued.

May you All Have a HAPPY NEW YEAR and May it Bring You All the Best Life Has to Offer

Since pirates cannot operate without a land base is not seeking small ships at sea the wrong approach?

Another military coup in Africa. The more things change...

China beefs up force in anti-piracy mission
Created: 2008-12-24 1:50:56
Author:Lydia Chen

CHINA will add special forces and two helicopters to the three warships it is dispatching to fight pirates off the coast of Somalia, a senior military official said yesterday at a news conference in Beijing.

At the same conference, another military leader said China is considering plans to build its first aircraft carrier.

The country's first overseas naval force in nearly six decades is being sent to Somalia to protect China's commercial fleet and lend support to the international community's fight against piracy, Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian, deputy chief of staff of the People's Liberation Army's Navy, told reporters.

All the soldiers on the warships have received special training designed to help them battle pirates who have been operating in the Gulf of Aden off the Somali coast, he said.

"These special forces will also carry some light weapons that correspond with the specific features and needs of this operation," Xiao said, without giving details.

The warships - two multi-role guided missile destroyers and a support vessel - are scheduled to depart from Sanya in southern China's Hainan Province on Friday. Their first tour of duty is scheduled to last three months.

One of the destroyers is among the nation's most advanced warships. The Haikou, commissioned in 2005, is the Navy's first domestically developed modern destroyer. It is often called "China's Aegis" as it has a combat system similar to the Aegis system used by the US navy and is equipped with advanced computers and radar to track targets.

The other destroyer is the Wuhan, designed with Russian assistance.

Though the focus will be on combating piracy, China is also willing to enhance the exchange of intelligence information with other countries during the mission, Senior Colonel Huang Xueping, spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, told reporters.

The naval dispatch is an escort-only operation, and Chinese forces will not enter the territorial waters of other countries to attack pirates, officials said at the news conference.

One major issue for the Chinese Navy ships is how they will resupply so far from home.

Rear Admiral Xiao said the flotilla will mostly depend on the supply ship, but China was in negotiations with other countries in the area to allow the ships to dock and resupply.

The Chinese fleet will join ships from the US, Denmark, Italy, Russia and other countries in patrolling the Gulf of Aden, which leads to the Suez Canal and is the quickest route from Asia to Europe and the Americas.

Senior Colonel Huang said China was considering building aircraft carriers to protect its interests.

"China has a large sea territory. It is the sacred responsibility of our armed forces to protect our sea territory and to maintain our maritime sovereignty and rights and interests," Huang said.

"China, taking into account all relevant factors, will earnestly research and consider building aircraft carriers."

The Somalia mission was announced after a Chinese ship, with help from helicopters from other nations, fought off a pirate assault in the Gulf of Aden last Wednesday.

According to the Kenya Seafarer's Assistance Program, 300 ships were attacked by pirates last year in that area. Over 40 ships were hijacked in the first 11 months of this year.

During the same period, 1,265 Chinese ships have passed through the area. About 20 percent have come under pirate attack.

From Program Executive Office Submarines Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Navy signed a five-year, $14 billion Multi-Year Procurement (MYP) contract for eight Virginia-class submarines Dec. 22.

The contract, the third, or Block III, for the Virginia-class, calls for one ship per year in fiscal years (FY) 2009 and 2010 and two per year in FY 2011, 2012, and 2013. The contract also meets the Chief of Naval Operations' (CNO) and Virginia Class Program's mandate to reduce acquisition costs by approximately 20 percent for the FY 2012 ships.

"This contract is a prime example of what you can do when you provide motivated people with a task and a deadline," said Virginia-class Program Manager Capt. Michael Jabaley. As Jabaley explained, "in FY 2005, then-CNO Admiral Michael Mullen said that if we could cut $400 million from the $2.4 billion authorized for that year's Virginia by FY 2012, the Navy would buy two Virginias each year. This contract achieves both goals – the price target and the two per year build rate."

To reach its cost reduction goal, the Virginia-class Program established a three-element strategy. The first element, which accounts for one-half of the required savings, involved increasing production to two ships per year in an MYP contract in order to spread the shipyards' overhead costs over more ships. To achieve the remaining cost savings, the Navy invested $600 million to redesign portions of the ship for more efficient production and to improve construction processes reducing the construction span from 84 to 60 months. This upfront investment reduced the Virginia-class's total program cost by $4 billion – a 6:1 return on investment.

The cost reduction effort resulted in more than 100 discrete design changes that either reduced costs or shortened the construction span. The most extensive modification involves the replacement of the traditional sonar sphere with a Large Aperture Bow (LAB) Array and the 12 vertical launch tubes with two large diameter Virginia payload tubes (VPT). The LAB and VPTs, along with more than two-dozen associated modifications, save $40 million per submarine beginning with the FY 12 ships.

"While we focused on cost reduction as our primary goal, we paid attention to warfighting capability and lifecycle costs in making these changes," said Rear Adm. William Hilarides, program executive officer for submarines.

In fact, the LAB Array uses life of the hull hydrophones that will provide improved passive listening capability over the traditional, transducer-populated sphere.

Further, replacing 12 vertical launch tubes with two 92-inch VPTs not only reduces construction and lifecycle costs, but also significantly expands their ability to accept future payloads.

"The payload tube interface is identical to the SSGN's tubes so what we put in one, we can put in the other, and with two hatches instead of twelve we've cut out a lot of maintenance," Hilarides concluded.

Virginia-class submarines are built under a unique teaming arrangement that includes General Dynamics Electric Boat as the prime contractor and Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding as its partner. Each shipyard builds certain portions of each ship and the two yards alternate delivering the submarines.

"This multiyear contract is a result of the Navy submarine team's careful and highly professional execution," said Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition Sean Stackley. "They successfully met a challenging cost reduction plan, added capability, and did it all ahead of schedule. The Navy will benefit substantially from their success," said Stackley.

The Block III contract award is the last of many significant milestones reached by the Virginia Class Program in 2008. For the first time in 12 years, the Navy commissioned two submarines of the same class in the same year, USS North Carolina (SSN 777) May 3 and USS New Hampshire (SSN 778) Oct. 25.

The program further celebrated New Mexico's (SSN 779) christening on Dec. 13 at Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding's Newport News, Va. shipyard. The Virginia class also completed a number of technical and operational tests including the launching of three Tomahawk cruise missiles, 62 exercise torpedoes, 12 lock-in/lock-out evolutions, and eight Dry Deck Shelter flood and drain evolutions. Additionally, Virginia-class submarines spent a total of 469 days at sea in the first 11 months of the year and had four of the five ships of the class at sea at the same time in August.

The Virginia class is designed to dominate both the littoral and deep waters while conducting anti-submarine; anti-surface ship; strike; special operation forces; intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance; irregular warfare; and mine warfare missions. In doing so, the Virginia-class directly enables five of the six Maritime Strategy Core Capabilities – sea control, power projection, forward presence, maritime security, and deterrence.

From the Navy News Service

1775 - Congress commissions the first Naval officers: Esek Hopkins, commander in chief of the fleet, Capts. Dudley Saltonstall, Abraham Whipple, Nicolas Biddle and John Hopkins. Lieutenants appointed included John Paul Jones.

1841 - USS Mississippi, the first U.S. ocean-going side-wheel steam warship, is commissioned in Philadelphia.

1942 - Pharmacist's Mate 1st Class Thomas A. Moore performs an appendectomy on Fireman 2nd Class George M. Platter aboard USS Silversides (SS 236).

1942 - Sue Dauser takes the oath of office as Superintendant of the Navy Nurse Corps, becoming the first woman with the relative rank of captain in U.S. Navy. She was promoted to the rank of captain on Feb. 26, 1944.

1944 - The first two African-American Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service officers, Harriet Ida Pickens and Frances F. Wills, are commissioned.

1960 - USS Valley Forge (CV 45) helicopters rescue 27 men from oiler SS Pine Ridge. Pine Ridge was breaking up in heavy seas off of Cape Hatteras.

Remembering Mainers on board the USS Maine
by Harry Gratwick

On February 15, 1898 the battleship USS Maine was sunk in Havana harbor. The ship had been sent to Cuba to protect American interests during a period of intense local unrest against the Spanish government on the island.

Most of the 266 men who died were crew members, sleeping or resting in the forward part of the ship at the time of the explosion which occurred at 9:40 p.m. Ironically, taps had been played at 9:10 p.m. Officers were quartered aft and most, including the captain, were ashore. Only two officers died in the explosion.

Of the eight young men from the state of Maine on board, six died in the mysterous explosion that sank the ship 110 years ago.

One casualty was a 20-year-old apprentice seaman from Bath, another was a fireman first-class from Portland.

More than a century later, the cause of the explosion continues to generate controversy. Was it internal combustion from the coalbunker located next to the powder magazine, or was a mine detonated outside the ship's hull? Whatever the cause, the explosion of five tons of powder in the magazine virtually obliterated the forward third of the ship.

Not surprisingly, the event was widely publicized by the American press, which inflamed public opinion, contributing to the outbreak of the Spanish American War.

What the history books don't give us is much information about the crew. Where were they from? USS Maine's company of 350 men were from 23 states and 15 countries. Twenty-two sailors were African Americans.

Who were the casualties from Maine? The Bath Daily Times informs us there were two "Boys from Bath" on the doomed ship, John Sweeney and Frank Talbot. Sweeney worked in the boiler shop at the Bath Iron works for ten years and left in 1897 to join the ship. For some reason he was not listed on the ship's roster and thus was not initially reported as dead. A third casualty, Clarence Lowell, was born in Bath, but moved to Augusta.

Twenty-year-old Frank Talbot's story is particularly poignant. The Bath Times tells us, "he completed his studies at the Lower Grammar School before working in Shaw & Sons mill. He was a bright boy and much liked by his friends." Talbot came from a seafaring family. His grandfather was in the navy for 20 years and his father spent three years at sea during the Civil War.

Talbot joined USS Maine on December 26, 1897 as an apprentice seaman having trained for a month on Wabash in Charlestown, Mass. His last letter home was written the night before Maine left Key West for Havana and indicated he was enjoying his work very much. "I would like to come home this spring, but I can't tell when I will get north again. We leave tomorrow for Havana. Good-bye. Your loving son." On February 22, The Bath Times reported that Talbot's parents "have not received any news and that Mrs. Talbot is nearly crazy with grief."

Another casualty, Millard Harris from Boothbay, was listed on the ship's roll as a quartermaster, third class. Harris 48, had a wife, Agnes, and is listed as a "ship master" before the war. No other information on him is available.

Three men, Bernard Lynch, William H. Tinsman and John H. Bloomer were from the Portland area. The first two died in the explosion. All we know about Lynch is that he was a fireman first-class on the battleship. Tinsman, who enlisted in 1897, also came from a seafaring family, his father, William H.H.Tinsman, having served on USS Merrimac during the Civil War. Tinsman was born in Pennsylvania, but grew up in East Deeering. He was also an apprentice seaman on the battleship.

Who survived? John Bloomer and Martin Webber survived the explosion, although both men were injured. Bloomer was a member of the ship's baseball team and, with the exception of the goat shown in the team picture, was the only member of the squad to come out alive.

In the late 19th century every ship in the navy had a baseball team and USS Maine was no exception. The photo of the team is believed to have been taken in Key West, Florida just before the ship left for Cuba. This proud, but ultimately tragic, assemblage of players, coaches and goat mascot, had recently beaten a team from the cruiser USS Marblehead by a score of 18-3 to win the Navy championship. Maine's star player was a left-handed, African American pitcher named William Lambert (upper right in the picture). Lambert was an engine stoker from Virginia who was described by a teammate as "a master of speed, curves and control."

Bloomer returned to Portland after the war where he worked as a stevedore in the summer and a trucker in the winter. He died in 1907 at the age of 35 from "a complication of diseases attributed to his experience in the disaster", according to his obituary. Bloomer was survived by a wife and three children and is buried in South Portland.

The eighth sailor from Maine, and the only other survivor besides Bloomer, was Martin Webber from Bar Harbor. Webber was also an apprentice seaman and, as noted, was injured in the explosion. Webber died in 1952 at the age of 75. His death certificate lists him as a retired truck driver. Other than this, and the fact that his wife's name was Rose, we know nothing more about the last 54 years of his life. Webber is buried in the Holy Redeemer cemetery in Bar Harbor.

Speaking of games in the snow it is snowing like crazy in Seattle where snow is rare.

From Program Executive Office Ships Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding laid the keel for the future USS Arlington (LPD 24) during a Dec. 18 ceremony at its Ingalls shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss. The keel was authenticated by Ron Carlee, the county manager of Arlington, Va., who confirmed that the keel was layed "straight and true."

LPD 24, the eighth ship of the San Antonio class, was given the name Arlington to honor the 184 victims in the air and on the ground who lost their lives when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001. The ship also honors the military and civilian employees, emergency, fire and rescue personnel of Arlington County and surrounding communities who provided the critical assistance after the attack. LPD 21 (New York) and LPD 25 (Somerset) are also named in remembrance of the victims of the 9/11 attacks. USS Arlington is scheduled to deliver to the Navy in 2012.

LPDs or amphibious transport dock ships, are used to transport and land Marines, their equipment and supplies by embarked air cushion or conventional landing craft or amphibious assault vehicles, augmented by helicopters or vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft. These ships support amphibious assault, special operations or expeditionary warfare missions and can serve as secondary aviation platforms for expeditionary strike groups.

San Antonio class ships are approximately 684 feet in length, have a mixed gender crew of 360 Sailors, are able to support an embarked landing force of 699, and can support a surge force of up to 800 Marines.

The Navy's Program Executive Office (PEO), Ships is responsible for the development and acquisition of U.S. Navy surface ships, and is currently managing the design and construction of 11 major ship classes and a wide range of small boats and craft. These platforms range from major warships such as frontline surface combatants and amphibious assault ships to air-cushioned landing craft, oceanographic research ships and special warfare craft. Since its creation in November 2002, PEO Ships has delivered 27 major warships and hundreds of small boats and craft from more than 20 shipyards and boat builders across the United States.

Nothing but sunshine, though a bit cool, here in the desert.

John. We are showing our ages. White powder has a different meaning. They youngsters are on their way to the cross bar hotel. Coke is the. Of choice for the rich kids. Larry

From the Navy News Service

1870 - After a month at sea in a 22-foot boat, Coxswain William Halford, the lone survivor out of a crew of five, reaches Hawaii to seek help for the crew of USS Saginaw, wrecked near Midway Island. Rescuers reach the 88 Saginaw survivors on Jan. 4, 1871.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

(12-18) 14:19 PST Newport News, Va. (AP) --

The Navy will hold a commissioning ceremony next month for the nuclear-power aircraft carrier George H.W. Bush before they have had a chance to make sure everything on it works.

The carrier will be commissioned Jan. 10 before sea trials and formal delivery to the Navy, Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding said Thursday.

The $6.2 billion carrier named after the 41st president is scheduled for commissioning just days before the elder Bush's son, President George W. Bush, leaves office. Both Bushes are expected to attend the commissioning at Naval Station Norfolk.

Typically, before the Navy accepts a vessel into active service, it undergoes sea trials — the nautical equivalent of test driving a car.

In a statement, Northrop Grumman said it has been working with the Navy to determine "the right time to take this ship to sea and the ensuing time to deliver the ship."

The planning "has put us in the position where we have just 'run out of days' on the calendar to accomplish this before the commissioning ceremony," Northrop Grumman spokeswoman Margaret Mitchell-Jones said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

The Navy said it will stick with the Jan. 10 commissioning because of the long planning leading to that date. The secretary of the Navy will waive the usual timeline involving a commissioning, Navy spokesman Lt. Clayton Doss said.

www.bostonmetroapwu.com

From the Navy News Service

1902 - Admiral of the Navy George Dewey receives orders to send his battleship to Trinidad and then to Venezuela to make sure Great Britain and Germany's dispute with Venezuela was settled by peaceful arbitration not force.

1944 - Adm. William Halsey's 3rd Fleet encounters a typhoon northeast of Samar. Destroyers USS Hull (DD 350), USS Monaghan (DD 354) and USS Spence (DD 512) sink, while 21 other ships are damaged.

1965 - The River Patrol Force is established in Vietnam.

1965 - Helicopters from Helicopter Squadron 11 on USS Wasp (CVS 18) pick up crew and capsule of Gemini 7 after picking up the crew and capsule of Gemini 6 two days earlier.

1967 - Operation Preakness II begins in Mekong Delta.

1972 - Mining and bombing of North Vietnam resumes with Linebacker II Operation.

Hope the next bout of weather is a bit kinder than the last one.

From the Navy News Service

1846 - Ships under Commodore Matthew Perry capture Laguna de Terminos during the Mexican War.

1941 - Adm. Chester W. Nimitz is named commander in chief, U.S. Pacific Fleet, relieving Adm. Husband Kimmel. Adm. William Pye becomes acting commander until Nimitz's arrival.

http://thomascranelibrary.org

Keep us posted.

Here is a link to a great website for reserach on shipyards and construction.

Larry

When the Bridge pipes 'Man the Rail,' there is a lot of rail to man on this monster: shoulder to shoulder, around 4.5 acres. Her displacement is about 100,000 tons with full complement.

Capability

Top speed exceeds 30 knots, powered by two nuclear reactors that can operate for more than 20 years without refueling

1. Expected to operate in the fleet for about 50 years

2. Carries over 80 combat t aircraft

3. Three arresting cables can stop a 28-ton aircraft going 150 miles per hour in less than 400 feet

Size

1. Towers 20 stories above the waterline

2. 1092 feet long; nearly as long as the Empire State Building is tall

3. Flight deck covers 4.5 acres

4. 4 bronze propellers, each 21 feet across, weighing 66,200 pounds

5. 2 rudders, each 29 by 22 feet and weighing 50 tons

6. 4 high speed aircraft elevators, each over 4,000 square feet

Capacity

1. Home to about 6,000 Navy personnel

2. Carries enough food and supplies to operate for 90 days

3. 18,150 meals served daily
4. Distillation plants provide 400,000 gallons of fresh water from sea water daily, enough for 2,000 homes

5. Nearly 30,000 light fixtures and 1,325 miles of cable and wiring 1,400 telephones

6. 14,000 pillowcases and 28,000 sheets

7. Costs the Navy approximately $250,000 per day for pier side operation

8. Costs the Navy approximately $25 million per day for underway operations (Sailors' salaries included).

Best wishes Dan and a speedy recovery of power in your neck of the woods.

FPO AE 09513-2803

Don't know other than it is a challenge by the Russians. Been going on a while. The 50th anniversary of Castro is next month so they need to say hello. Beats the northern waters this time of year. Larry

A group of Russian warships is to visit Cuba for the first time since the Soviet era, the Russian navy has said.
The visit, scheduled for 19-22 December, will be led by the destroyer Admiral Chabanenko.
Recently the ship took part in joint manoeuvres with Venezuela and became the first Russian vessel to navigate the Panama Canal since World War II.
The naval activities are being seen as an attempt by Moscow to strengthen its influence in the region.
Cuba's revolutionary leadership was closely allied to the Soviet Union (USSR) during the Cold War, but relations have weakened since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
There have recently been attempts to revive ties.
Russia was the first country to send humanitarian aid to Cuba after two major hurricanes this year, and the two countries signed major trade deals in November.

If you are a seller on eBay or elsewhere, it is a good way to be network with non members. Several of our sellers send applications with the auction winnings. I can send applications to anyone that is interested in doing this.

Also, they returned both my original envelope and the cancelled SASE along with the covers in a Priority Mail envelope, so I have all of the stamps I used. Few post offices provide this extra touch which is much appreciated.

Also received USS TARAWA deact pictorials from San Diego that were struck quite well.

Naval Historical Center Renamed, Elevated to Command Status
Story Number: NNS081205-14
Release Date: 12/5/2008 3:24:00 PM

From Naval History and Heritage Command Public Affairs

WASHINGTON (NNS) -- The Naval Historical Center was renamed the Naval History and Heritage Command Dec. 1 to reflect the importance of naval heritage to the Navy's mission.

Retired Rear Adm. Jay A. DeLoach was named the director of the Naval Historical Center in June of 2008. He assumes responsibility for the new command.

"We believe that historical analysis is essential for naval professionals and policymakers," said DeLoach. "It is our mission to preserve and interpret the Navy's hard earned experience and to protect and publicize the history of those of the sea services who sacrificed to defend our nation."

"Knowledge of the Navy's heritage enhances the morale and motivation of our dedicated enlisted personnel, our officers and our devoted civilians. The [Naval] History and Heritage Command subscribes to the statement of naval strategist, historian and flag officer Alfred Thayer Mahan when he said, '…the study of history lies at the foundation of all sound military conclusions and practice.'"

The renaming was precipitated by the consolidation of 12 major U.S. Navy museums under the Naval Historical Center, which doubled the center's personnel resources and greatly increased its fiscal responsibility.

The Naval History and Heritage Command traces its lineage to 1800 when then-President John Adams asked Benjamin Stoddert, the first secretary of the Navy, to prepare a catalog of professional books for use by secretaries of the Navy.

Today, the command's management center located in the historic Washington Navy Yard in Washington, is the principal repository of the United States Navy's institutional memory for the operational fleet. At the command is the Department of Navy Library, a research institution, a reference service, publishers of Navy historic books, and the curators of Navy artifacts and historic documents.

The maintenance and repair of USS Constitution at the Boston Navy Yard is a Naval History and Heritage Command responsibility. Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. It boasts 450,000 visitors per year.

The command also has an underwater archaeology program involved in research including the science and technology used to locate and study shipwrecks. The team has dived on and recovered many historic artifacts now on display at the Navy museums.

Most archival and photographic collections are open to researchers. Official duties permitting, staff historians and archivists advise researchers on naval history at the command.

INAUGURATION DAY STATION
POSTMASTER
SPECIAL CANCELLATIONS
PO BOX 92282
WASHINGTON DC 20090-2282

In the October 1958 issue of Navy Time listed 1060 names that became the first group of Chiefs to be promoted to the new "Super Chiefs" grade. 146 were promoted to Master Chiefs E9 and 914 promoted to Senior Chiefs E8, effective 16 November 1958

From the Navy News Service

1941 - A contract establishes the Naval Salvage Service.

1941 - The Wake Island Garrison, under the command of Cmdr. Winfield Cunningham, turns away a Japanese invasion force.

1954 - The first supercarrier, USS Forrestal (CVA-59), launched at Newport News, Va., weighing more than 59,630 tons.

A few regulars are Mia in addition to Greg. Must be the Christmas rush.

Great thoughts re the thank you program. Should that be coordinate with the PC association meeting. Did we ever hook up with them?

Larry

Glad you think that the Holiday cachet and thank you letter is worth the effort.

Get some sleep.

Larry

I'm about ready to hit the sack.

Mid rats would be great. Fresh bread and rolls with butter are sinfully good. Never complained about a slider in the dirty shirt wardroom with coffee. 30 years later I doubt if I could sleep through the gastric distress.

Larry

BMCM, Another reason why we really miss Taze.

Larry

The ship is designed to operate close to shore and will conduct sea trials while in Norfolk. The Freedom will be based in San Diego.

I'm not sure if mermaids are a good thing with female PCs. For that matter after tailhook I know a couple of red blooded naval aviators who might decline.

From the Navy News Service

1941 - Guam surrenders to Japanese forces.

1941 - Aircraft from USS Enterprise (CV 6) attack and sink Japanese Submarine I-70 north of the Hawaiian Islands. A participant in the Pearl Harbor Attack, I-70 is the first Japanese combatant ship sunk during World War II.

1941 - A patrol bomber from Patrol Squadron 101 shoots down a Japanese zero fighter in first Navy air-to-air kill during World War II.

1950 - Evacuation operations at Wonson, North Korea, are completed.

1979 - The first Poseidon-class submarine configured with Trident missiles, USS Francis Scott Key (SSBN 657), completes its initial deterrent patrol.

1982 - USS Ohio (SSBN 726), the first Trident-Class submarine, returns from first deterrent patrol.

When we get back covers that are not cancelled to our satisfaction why don't we send to the ship's mailroom a complimentary copy of the LOG for a couple of months. It seems to me this would go a lot further than calling them "young punks."

Certainly someone in the mailroom would be curious about our publication!

Who knows, it may even help educate them to our hobby and become a recruiting device for experienced mail clerks.

I apologize to any of you whose sensibilities I may have ruffled with my comment. But, as many of you know, I send very detailed instructions with my requests for cancellations that includes illustrations, and I still get back covers that are not even close to what I requested and with terrible cancels applied, and even OSCs applied right on top of my artwork. This does not happen all that often, but when it does it leads me to believe that I have encountered one of those guys referred to above. All the "education" as to nature of our hobby will not stop the few who just do not care. I met many young men in a variety of ratings during my tour in the Navy who simply did not care about anything Navy related. All they cared about was getting out and going to college on Uncle Sam's ticket. Most of these types were sent side cleaning or mess cooking as often as possible to keep them away from the rest of us who did care.

This is the rank of Chief Postal Clerk (E-7), displaying the “canceled crow” of one who has served over 12 years honorably (thus gold stripes rather than red)

 

While no PC has been awarded the Medal of Honor, too many have died in the line of duty.  A PC was among the 34 men who died when the USS Liberty was attacked by Israel in 1967.  “We have had several postal clerks get purple hearts and many of us wear the combat action ribbon,” said Master Chief Postal Clerk (ret.) Abel Quinones.

 

Duty for PCs can be remote, for instance McMurdo, Antarctica

 

For the most part the job of a Navy Postal Clerk is the same as any civilian Postal Clerk.  Of course Navy PCs have some more unusual duties as well, that might include hooking a mail bag hanging from a hovering helicopter 20 feet above their head while trying to stand upright on a Fast Frigate being pushed around by 30 foot swells; or earning their blue nose by wintering over at McMurdo Bay, Antarctica.  Wherever PCs are though, they are always a boost to morale.  Mail from home has always been cherished by sailors.

 

You never know where mail will be sent from when you’re a Navy PC

 

As you can imagine, there is a great deal of mail coming and going from large ships such as Aircraft Carriers.  When a ship is deployed, daily mail is not typical.  The outgoing mail soon piles up and PCs are often forced to work in tight quarters even though they are on a large ship.  A post office on a typical Carrier might have ten PCs assigned.  Most ships with a crew of over a hundred sailors would have at least one Postal Clerk aboard. 

 

PCs posing in front of a load of mail in the hanger bay of the USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75)

 

The Fleet Post Office (FPO) mail centers on each coast are the backbone of the Fleet’s postal system.  The PCs assigned on shore get the mail in from and out to the fleet from these centers.  FPOs move many tons of mail every year to all corners of the world.  “CVN 70 West-Pac 2002 moved approximately 4100 lbs per day for a total of 873,763 lbs. from Jan02 -Sep02,” said Lt. Sean Urban, NAVSCSCOL in Athens, GA, where all PCs are currently trained.

 

PCs are often on the front line of some of the Fleets newest technology.  Since March 2004 many ships have been making the transition to the Navy Cash Card system.  This smart card system will eliminate the need for cash and coins on board any Navy vessel.  Since PCs are one of the main places on ships that previously dealt in cash, they are on the forefront of this change and have been instrumental in its planning and implementation.

 

Sailors can become the victim of circumstance when either of these two centers are prevented from moving the mail.  At least once in the seventies, a trucking strike shut down the New York FPO center for six weeks. Many a sailor caught hell during this period, when at the end of the strike they received a bundle of madder and madder letters from home scolding them for not writing, and then getting the last letter apologizing when their wife had received six letters in one day.  I know this happened to at least one sailor, through personal experience.

 

 “As soon as we get into the … Area of Responsibility we’ll have free mail,” said Chief Postal Clerk Isadore Vandiver, postal officer for the USS Nimitz (CVN 68). “It’s a congressional program to say thanks to … Sailors for serving their country.”  The sailor just writes “Free” in place of a stamp and the mail is processed normally.  Free Franked mail, as some call it, has become a hot collecting interest in recent years.  There is a lot of this kind of mail being generated right now, as we typically have two carrier groups (about 14,000 sailors) in the Indian Ocean at any one moment.

 

All Navy Post Offices have their own FPO number, ashore or afloat.  These days a FPO number is a nine digit zip-code.  Just like shore mail, a ship’s PC will cancel all outgoing mail.  The cancel typically consists of a single line circle enclosing the ship’s name across the top, the FPO number across the bottom, with the date centered in the middle. 

 

In November 1960 the first 644 sailors were converted to Postal Clerks (PC) and allowed to wear the PC rating.  The need for efficient movement of the mail was a recognized necessity in the days before the internet and satellite communications.  The thinking was that a specialized rate would streamline the process and make it more reliable, which it did.

 

Since then the Navy has been served by a dedicated team getting mail to the Fleet.  Often these sailors serve as the only Postal Clerk in their command.  All Navy PCs are required to be a US citizen and obtain at least a Secret Clearance. 

 

The PCs’ days are numbered because the Navy has plans to eliminate them as a specific rate.  As the Navy continues to downsize, many of the less populated rates are being combined where similar duties and skill sets overlap.  The current 900 PC’s will eventually be merged in with the ship’s Serviceman and Storekeeper rates, ending up with about 13,000 sailors in the combined rate.  In April 2004, Vice Adm. Timothy LeFleur decided to remove all postal clerks from surface ships, leaving postal duties at sea to Storekeepers.  The rate consolidation actually reflects an old Navy tradition.  Prior to 1960, the sailor assigned to handle a ships mail duty was most likely a Storekeeper.  Although when the rate was created, at least one Torpedo Man was converted to PC.  

 

Atlantic Fleet Supply Officer Rear Adm. Steven Maas, who oversaw East Coast postal services for the Navy in 2002, once said, “There is absolutely no single more important job as far as morale is concerned than that of a [Navy] postal clerk.”  The designated rate of Postal Clerk may be phasing out, but the service they perform will be an important part of the Navy as long as there are sailors who are separated from their friends and families.

 

 

The author would like to thank the following people for their help in gathering background information and proof checking for this article;

Abel Quinones, PCCM USN (ret)

C D (Red) Lail PCCM USN (ret)

Sean Urban, Lt. USN

USS New York Commissioning date - 11/7/2009

At the Intrepid Museum’s Official Opening Day Ceremony on Veterans Day, Governor Paterson announced the USS New York’s Commissioning date as November 7th, 2009.

New York will parade up the Hudson River on November 2nd and tie up at Pier 88 South, just north of Intrepid. While New York is in town she will be open to the public. It is sure to be an incredidible event, it’s been 8 years and finally some of what we lost returns. She will never fill the hole, but she will fill our hearts.

http://blog.usni.org/

New York, NY, November 11, 2008 – The USS NEW YORK Commissioning Committee, Governor David Paterson and Mayor Michael Bloomberg today announced the commissioning date of USS NEW YORK as Saturday November 7, 2009 in New York Harbor. The Commissioning ceremony, which marks the official entrance of the ship into the U.S. Navy fleet, will take place at the INTREPID Pier.

Is the 9/12 date a change?

Ed, I've heard that the commissioning of NEW YORK is going to be in Nov. 09 in NYC. I'm working on the covers and cancels for the NY Council NLUS. In any event it needs to be added to the fall of 09. Larry

From the Navy News Service

1938 - Prototype shipboard radar, designed and built by the Naval Research Laboratory, is installed on USS New York (BB 34).

1941 - USS Swordfish (SS 193) makes the initial U.S. submarine attack on Japanese ship.

1952 - A strike from Task Force 77 aircraft destroys a munitions factory and several rail facilities near Rashin, North Korea.

I just came back from a boot camp graduation and just for the record there might have been some punks and wiseguys when they arrived but I was proud to see 983 US Navy sailors in the drill hall for that graduation.
My great nephew in the Air Force just graduated from EOD training in FL and he is an outstanding Airman but those 983 sailors made me proud.

You and I both spent more than 3 decades in uniform and I've seen many great Sailors and a few who never should have been in the Navy. As a lawyer I probably saw more than my share of troubled youth and trouble makers. I've collected naval covers for more than 40 years and never had any reason to blame individual postal clerks. Quite the contrary I've had lots of reasons to praise the men and women who help us and try to bite my lips when I see that my covers weren't done the way I would have wanted or that my return rate is too low by my standards. It's okay to grouse a bit privately but it is harmful to our hobby and society's image to let the complaints reach the ears of our friends on board ship. Roger, we all remember the pleasures of deployments, particularly this time of year.

Mike is right; he knows better than most what actually happens. We need to help explain and educate and we all have to be leaders in the process.
Larry

Frankly, I think an apology is in order.

Most recent notes I have read on GHWB is that her Commissioning will come before the ship is done! As far as I have been able to determine, she has not had sea trials or been delivered to the Navy yet. I wanted to sponsor covers for these two dates, but it looks like they will come after the commissioning. Interesting. Then again, there was the USS SAN ANTONIO, accepted by the Navy with all kinds of problems.

My invitation to the ceremony indicates commissioning will be at Pier 14, Naval Station Norfolk, January 10, 2009 at 11AM. Civilian dress: Informal attire.

Skip to next paragraph

U.S. Navy, 1975
George S. Morrison
He died after a fall in the hospital, his daughter, Anne Chewning, told The Associated Press.

Aboard the carrier Bon Homme Richard, Mr. Morrison commanded naval forces in the gulf when the destroyer Maddox engaged three North Vietnamese torpedo boats on Aug. 2, 1964. A skirmish and confused reports of a second engagement two days later led President Lyndon B. Johnson to order airstrikes against North Vietnam and to request from Congress what became known as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing him to carry out further military operations without declaring war.

Mr. Morrison’s relationship with his famous son was difficult. In “The Doors by the Doors” (Hyperion, 2006), he is quoted as saying: “I had the feeling that he felt we’d just as soon not be associated with his career. He knew I didn’t think rock music was the best goal for him.”

George Stephen Morrison, known as Steve, was born in Rome, Ga. His father was a railroad worker. He graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis in 1941 and, as an ensign, witnessed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

His wife, Clara Clarke, died in 2005. Besides his daughter, Anne, of Thousand Oaks, Calif., he is survived by his son Andrew, of Pahoa, Hawaii. Jim Morrison died in Paris in 1971.

In the last year of World War II, Mr. Morrison flew combat missions over Wake Island and Honshu, Japan. After the war, he was an instructor for secret nuclear-weapons projects in Albuquerque and earned a Bronze Star in the Korean War.

Mr. Morrison was promoted to rear admiral in 1967 and in 1972 became commander of naval forces in the Marianas, where he organized relief efforts for nearly 100,000 Vietnamese refugees sent to Guam in 1975. Mr. Morrison donated items of his son Jim to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, including school report cards and a Cub Scout uniform.

From the Navy News Service

1933 - The Secretary of the Navy establishes the Fleet Marine Force, integrating a ready-to-deploy Marine force with their own aircraft into fleet organization.

1941 - The United States declares war on Japan.

1941 - USS Wake (PR 3), a river gunboat moored at Shanghai, is only U.S. vessel to surrender during World War II.

1942 - Eight PT boats (PT 36, PT 37, PT 40, PT 43, PT 44, PT 48, PT 59 and PT 109) turn back eight Japanese destroyers attempting to reinforce Japanese forces on Guadalcanal.

www.thebostonchannel.com/video/18211941/index.html the last four letters are html

A Pearl Harbor survivor that I worked with on the Fire Dept - a civilian - is alive and well in Brookline, Mass. He was a GM striker on the Nevada and was on deck and burned by a bomb. He eventually went through WWII and retired as a CPO.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081208/ap_on_re_us/military_jet_crash

Seems that the a/c was a USMC F/A 18 at Miramar.

Just heard that there was an aircraft incident in San Diego.

Larry

Cc Jake. Windy night.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081207/ap_on_re_us/pearl_harbor_anniversary

The cover could be legit. The ship was launched that day in Philadelphia. We did an anniversary cover for the launching some years ago for New jersey chapter. Best. Larry Brennan

P.S.

Put no value on any evaluation when it is "sight unseen."

Don

From the Navy News Service

1830 - The Naval Observatory, the first U.S. national observatory, was established in Washington, D.C., under the command of Lt. Louis Malesherbes.

1901 - The first report on the Ship Model Basin at the Washington Navy Yard was issued by Naval constructor David W. Taylor, who designed the basin. It's the first facility of this type in U.S. to test hull shapes.

1917 - German submarine torpedoes sink USS Jacob Jones (DD 61) off England.

1968 - Operation Giant Slingshot began in Mekong Delta.

MCC(SW/AW) Jason Chudy
Media Department LCPO
USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63)
FPO AP 96634-2770

He acknowledged that some have covers with him already. You MUST send to get to him before JANUARY 16th! Their mail stops on that date! Since this is an FPO address, it may take a week or so to get to them. If I could underline it and make it in BOLD I would do so. If your covers arrive after that date, they will make a trip around the Navy for awhile then come back to you.

Also, he MUST ahve return stamped envelopes to return your covers. Otherwise they will go directly into the local postal system and be overcanceled, probably at Bremerton or their regional sectional center. He has no way to directly get the covers into the mail stream anymore.

Did anyone notice the Brentwood Station pictorial for the Great White Fleet is noted as being extended 365 days? If you did not get your cancels for 2-22-08, you still have time.

Address is Great White Fleet Station, Postmaster Special Events, 900 Brentwood RD NE, Washington DC 20066-9998

Want to get the issue to the printer before their Holiday down days and to the USPS before New Year's.

PANAMA CITY, Panama – Russia said Wednesday it is sending a warship through the Panama Canal for the first time since World War II, a short journey loaded with symbolic weight: the destroyer will dock at a former U.S. naval base, showcasing Russia's growing influence in the region.

Russia appears to be relishing the idea of stopping at what was long a symbol of U.S. global power; the Russian Navy announced it would visit "the Rodman naval base" — a name that the host nation, Panama has not used since taking over the base from the United States in 1999.

The destroyer Admiral Chabanenko is scheduled to enter the Panama Canal on Friday morning and arrive late in the day at what Panama calls the Balboa Naval Base.

"It is a sort of tit-for-tat for Russia's perception of U.S. meddling in Georgia, Ukraine and Eastern Europe," and has little military purpose, said Adam Isacson, an analyst for the Washington-based Center for International Policy.

Russia, like the United States, already has ports with access to both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

"Sending a destroyer through the Panama canal obviously has a lot of symbolic significance (and) this is primarily symbolism," said analyst Michael Shifter of the Inter-American Dialogue think tank in Washington

U.S. officials have expressed no concern over the visit — continuing a stance they took when the ship earlier participated in joint exercises with Venezuela's navy, which concluded Monday.

Dave hi. I may get to the national archives how are you doing with the flk 7-1-71 USPS fdcs?

From the Navy News Service

1775 - Lt. John Paul Jones raises the Grand Union flag on the Continental Navy ship Alfred. It is the first American flag raised over an American Naval vessel.

1940 - President Franklin D. Roosevelt embarks on USS Tuscaloosa (CA 37) to inspect bases acquired from Great Britain under the Destroyer-for-Bases agreement.

1983 - Two F-14s flying over Lebanon were fired upon by Syrian antiaircraft artillery.

Wreaths Across America schedule released

By Portland Press Herald Staff Report
December 03, 2008 09:15 AM

On Sunday, the transportation of thousands of wreaths made at Worcester Wreath Co. begins in Harrington with stops in many locations in Maine and other states along the route to Arlington National Cemetery.

Worcester Wreath Co. donated more than 17,000 wreaths for the remembrances, 10,000 of which will be placed on graves in Arlington National Cemetery Dec. 13.

The 10,000 wreaths designated for Arlington will be transported on a 750-mile journey from Harrington after a sendoff ceremony on Dec. 7.

Along the way, thousands of people line the anticipated route in a display of support. Six to seven hundred motorcyclists from the Patriot Guard Riders will provide an escort.

The rating merger to form the new logistics specialist (LS) rate has been approved, according to NAVADMIN 326/08, released Nov. 17.

"SKs and PCs already work together here on the ship," said Bataan's Stock Control Expediter, Storekeeper 2nd Class (SW/AW) Jorge Bañuelos-Gonzales of San Fernando Valley, Calif. "I think with this merger, we will find faster ways to expedite parts through the mail that are critical to the ship's mission."

Bataan's supply department has conducted the cross-training necessary to make a smooth transition.
PCs and SKs work alongside one another to ensure all personnel have the same working knowledge to support the mission.

PCs are becoming familiar with the new LS rating - tracking orders and shipping and receiving supplies - while working in a division previously run by storekeepeers.

"I've learned that some of the things we (PCs) do are very similar, but others have more responsibilities," said Postal Clerk 3rd Class Edwin Rumley, ship's post master.

Storekeepers are also working in the ship's post office to become familiar with their new duties and responsibilities.

The merger is intended to improve efficiency and support optimal manning. Some additional anticipated benefits include reduced infrastructure costs and improved customer service.

The merger will apply to all active-duty personnel, full time support and selected Reserve Sailors in the SK and PC ratings.

The second mishap came in October in Afghanistan when a squadron commander, Cmdr. Llewellyn Lewis, overshot a runway at Bagram Air Base. The P-3 Orion “Reef Point,” which includes long-range cameras and electro-optical sensors, went up in flames and was severely damaged. One crew member suffered a broken ankle.

Lewis was removed from command of Special Projects Patrol Squadron 1, which is based at Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine, and the crash remains under investigation.

BRUNSWICK (AP) -- The commander of a P-3 Orion squadron at Brunswick Naval Air Station is being relieved of his command.

A statement says the Navy has lost confidence in Cmdr. Llewellyn Lewis, commanding officer of Special Projects Squadron 1 at Brunswick Naval Air Station.

The Navy says additional corrective action is expected upon completion of an investigation into the crash of his Brunswick P-3 Orion in Afghanistan.

The Navy previously acknowledged the crash landing in October at Bagram Airfield, north of Kabul, but offered few details. The crew survived but one crew member suffered a broken ankle. The plane caught fire and suffered serious fire damage.

Navy officials on Thursday will retire the amphibious assault ship, which in June returned to its pier at San Diego Naval Base after wrapping up its final operational deployment to the Persian Gulf and Northern Arabian Sea.

One of Tarawa’s former skippers, Rear Adm. Garry Hall, will speak during the formal decommissioning ceremony that afternoon.

Secretary of the Navy Donald Winter announced today the names of four new Lewis and Clark-class dry cargo/ammunition ships (T-AKE) as Mathew Perry, Charles Drew, Washington Chambers and William McLean. All of the Lewis and Clark ships are named in honor of American explorers and pioneers and are being built by General Dynamics NASSCO shipyard in San Diego, Calif.

The selection of Matthew Perry, designated T-AKE 9, honors Navy Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), who led a squadron of ships to Japan in 1853 with the aim of opening that nation to trade. He served during the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American War, and was sent to suppress piracy and the slave trade in the West Indies.

The selection of Charles Drew, designated T-AKE 10, honors Dr. Charles R. Drew (1904-1950), a physician and medical researcher whose pioneering work in the late 1930s and early 1940s led to the discovery that blood could be separated into plasma. The model for blood and plasma storage developed by Drew has saved untold lives and is the same process used today by the Red Cross. In 1943, he became the first African-American surgeon to serve as an examiner on the American Board of Surgery. T-AKE 10 will be the first Navy ship named after Drew.

The selection of Washington Chambers, designated T-AKE 11, honors Navy Capt. Washington Irving Chambers (1856-1934), a pioneer in naval aviation. Responsible for the Navy's nascent aviation activities, Chambers arranged the world's first airplane flight from a warship. The Nov. 14, 1910, flight by aviator Eugene Ely on the light cruiser the USS Birmingham (CL-2) confirmed the potential of carrier-based naval aviation. T-AKE 11 will be the first Navy ship named after Chambers.

The selection of William McLean, designated T-AKE 12, honors William Burdette McLean (1914-1976), who conceived and developed the heat-seeking Sidewinder air-to-air missile while serving as a physicist for the Navy. During World War II, McLean worked on ordnance equipment and testing at the National Bureau of Standards in Washington, D.C. Following the war, he moved to the Naval Ordnance Test Station in China Lake, Calif., where he led the project team developing the Sidewinder missile. T-AKE 12 will be the first Navy ship named after McLean.

No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen.

A Senator must be at least 30 years of age, must have been a citizen of the United States for at least nine years prior to being elected, and must reside in the State he/she will represent at the time of winning election. The Supreme Court has interpreted the Qualifications Clause as an exclusive list of qualifications that cannot be supplemented by a House of Congress exercising its § 5 authority to "judge . . . the . . . qualifications of its own members,"[27] or by a state in its exercise of its § 4 authority to prescribe the "times, places and manner of holding elections for Senators and Representatives."[28]

I am waitin for the re-count in MN and the run-off in GA.

Greg c missed the sky tonight. Perhaps tomorrow but the line up is changing. Last night was peak
Larry

From the Navy News Service

1775 - Congress orders the first officers' commissions printed.

1908 - Rear Adm. William S. Cowles submits a report to Secretary of the Navy recommending the purchase of aircraft suitable for operating from Naval ships on scouting and observation missions.

1941 - The first Naval armed guard detachment (seven men under a coxswain) of World War II reports to liberty ship SS Dunboyne.

1944 - Two-day destroyer Battle of Ormoc Bay begins.

1965 - USS Enterprise (CVAN 65) and USS Bainbridge (DLGN 25) become the first nuclear-powered task unit used in combat operations with the launch of air strikes near Bien Hoa, Vietnam.

Glenn, I'm embarassed by my typing and grammar. Thee of us is here? How about three of us are here. Sorry. Larry

Four at 1045 est

602 Pacific AVE
Bremerton, WA 98337-9998