Old Sea Bag - Cap - Ribbons

Just returned from a trip to Charleston, SC to The USS YORKTOWN ( CV 10 ) http://navysite.de/cv/cv10.htm and www.patriotspoint.org- Will and I went with other scouts and families from Pack 459. We toured the Submarine USS CLAMAGORE ( SS 343 ) and the Destroyer USS LAFFEY ( DD-724 ). There was a Coast Guard Cutter there too the USS INGHAM. ( CG-35 ).
I went aboard Friday night with my old seabag, my old blue ball cap from the ANNA BOAT USS ANNAPOLIS ( AGMR-1) Even had my ribbons attached to the side of my cap. It raised a few eyebrows. The sea bag has all my ports-of-call stenciled on the sides. I was crushed that there was no OOD ( officer of the day ) to salute, but I did manage to get in a salute to the fantail when we came aboard. You are supposed to salute the fantail when coming onboard, because that's where the American Flag is flying. Will and I were near the front of the long line. People wondered ,"What he stopping for"? .... just old times sake, I guess - plus it was the right thing to do. Back in those old swaggering days I usually had come aboard from liberty call with a buddy or two in tow. Question remains, "Who was towing who?", but that's yet another story.
It was really great being aboard a ship again. The YORKTOWN has a great and proud history in WWII and after. The original USS YORKTOWN CV-5 was sunk by the Japanese in the battle of Midway 1942 in the Pacific. The keel was laid for USS YORKTOWN CV 10 on 1 DEC 1941 just 6 days prior to Peal Harbor Attack 1941. She was commissioined in 1943. She served in VietNam during the same time I was there. She was decommissioned in 1970.
The carriers I was working with then were the CORAL SEA , the HANCOCK , and the KITTY HAWK.
There was a true to scale Vietnam Support Base Camp at Patriots Point as well. Inside the Naval Support Base we saw 2 Hueys - Ammo Dump - River Patrol Boat - Tower - Com Shack - Mess Hall - Perimeter Posts - Jeep - Fox Holes - and Bunks. It reminded me of the support bases at DaNang and Cam Rahn Bay in South Vietnam, only smaller.
We made some GREAT memories. Pictures to follow later.


USS Yorktown CV-10