USS Los Angeles Decommissioned

Navy Bids Farewell To Trailblazing USS Los Angeles

The nuclear attack submarine, USS Los Angeles (SSN-688), lead ship of the largest nuclear submarine class ever, was decommissioned on February 4th in Bremerton, Washington.  Follow the link for the full story.

Admiral Keating

Admiral Keating was an excellent speaker. The funny thing is, I found his picture in the Kitty Hawk Cruisebook that I bought on E-Bay last year.



It turns out there were over 2000 people at the decommissioning ceremony! I found that out at the Kitty Hawk site.

Here is the Kitty Hawk site.

Exit Beautiful Miss Kitty...

On the mornig of January 31, 2009, I stood on the pier and looked at the beautiful Miss Kitty and bid her good bye.

She was set for decommissioning. Dolled up in colorful ribbons and bows. Her best jewelery shining.

She awaited a throng of people. All come to bid her fairwell. She never looked better.

We had never met before, though I had met one of her sisters. I must say, I was proud to make her aquaintance.

She gazed down upon me, but bid me welcome.

It was a fascinating day for me. She stood, apparently ready for battle, despite the absence of her air groups. Her sailors were serious. While they were not apparently unhappy, they were somber. Proud. I was impressed. With men and women such as these manning the line, we have nothing to fear. Should death and destruction ever be required, these men and women will be ready to deliver it to our enemies.

Her sailors stood at attention, awaiting honored visitors.

It began with a 17 gun salute. Two ceremonial guns graced a sponson, they fired whilst we were on the hangar deck. It was my first decommissioning. There were a few speakers. One of them was the mayor of Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. My favorite was Admiral Keating, although Captain Zecchin was entertaining as well. Here is Admiral Keating as he relates a story to the audience.

Before she was decommissioned, though, she was presented the Meritorious Unit Commendation. That flag was raised upon an representative yardarm on the flightdeck before she was placed out of commission.

After the ceremony, we were offered refreshments. I did not partake, but I did take photos of all the stuff they put on display.

One of the best was the ice sculpture of the Wright Flier.

Another was a huge cake...wish I had gotten a better picture, now...

Here you see a few items that were on display. that is an arrester cable on the bottom.

She flew the First Naval Jack. Here is my family in front of it. (many thanks to the sailor woman that took it, she was familiar with cameras and their operation, most impressive!)

See, I am happy to be there!

My wife and I, in front of the Island.

Her stern...

A 3/4 view

Four sisters... CV-61, CV-62, CV-63, CV-64. Remeniscent of the 1980s and the Essex class that resided there for so long...except, these ships are trully large!

dazzling.

These ships are AWE INSPIRING!!

Thank you Kitty for your years of service!

Bremerton Naval Museum News

So, right after the decommissioning ceremony we will certainly have to drop by the museum! I guess they have been doing some major changes! Please take a look at this article, it expains it much better than I could.

http://www.thenewstribune.com/soundlife/story/553354.html

I can't wait!!!

Decommissioning

She was commissioned on April 29, 1961. She is only the second Aircraft Carrier to carry the First Navy Jack. She is NOT a nuclear powered ship. She has been the oldest active ship in the Navy since 1998. She is none other than the USS Kittyhawk. She is presently in the Puget Sound area. She is scheduled to decommission on January 31, 2009.

I visited her website a couple months ago, and only just got an e-mail asking me for a mailing address for the invitation. I was so excited that my wife gave me the "Look." You know, the "what the hell was SO exciting that you had to sound like a little girl?" look. Oh, well, wives re like that. So, I am sending them my address and a request for four invitations. My parents have expressed an interest in attending...well, my father has. Anyway, while this in only a small way relates to aviation, well, that's not true, but it does also relate to Washington State.

I once visited the USS Constellation during a Seafair. I am afraid most of the photos from that trip were...well, I had a film snafu. I think they still inhabit a light-tight steel-tin somewhere in my boxes...

I have been aboard USS Turner Joy, USS Missouri(in 1984 and 1998), USS Pampanito, USS Hornet, USS Jeremiah O'Brien, and USS Tripoli. Yes, they are a motley assortment, and most are museums, but they are more than most landlubbers who live in a desert get to...who are not history fanatics. I have seen USS Henry B. Wilson, USS New Jersey, USS Iowa, USS Long Beach, USS Okinawa, USS Midway, and most of the Essex Class carriers that resided in Bremerton until they were either melted down or made into Museums. I wish I could say I have seen and been aboard more, but, it is hard to do in Central Washington.