This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Navy

  • Remember December 6th

    dec6three1

    I know the date of the attack was December 7th, but I want to take a different view. Because on December 6th 1941, the 7th was going to be a ordinary non-eventful day.

    Jack Miller and his shipmate, Clifford Olds(right) joined fellow sailor Frank Kosa (Center) for a night at the “Monkey Bar”. It was December 6, 1941 in Pearl City, Oahu, and Miller and Olds were on liberty from the USS West Virginia. A barmaid snapped their picture and offered it for sale. “What a scam” they thought-keep it.

    The next day Clifford Olds along fellow shipmates Ronald Endicott, and Louis “Buddy” Costin were trapped in the USS West Virginia after the order for Set Zed was given.

    Every sailor knew fate could place them in a doomed area to be drowned like rats. Old Timers would tell 17 and 18 year old “boots” that if that time came “just inhale water quickly and get it over”. This, the “grizzled Ones” claimed, was preferable to a slow death in a pitch-black void.

    Except that Clifford Olds, Ronald Endicott, and Louis “Buddy” Costin survived the attack and the compartment that they were in was intact. They lived off of C-rations near by, water from a operational water pump that was in the vicinity and any available batteries for a light source. The had a calendar that they used to keep themselves orientated to how many days had passed. They were recovered on Spring of 1942.

    Late spring 1942 found Navy salvage teams finally getting to work on the WV. An Inventive series of tremic cement patches were fitted to her port side, and enough water pumped out to partially float the once grand ship. BB48 was nudged across the Harbor into drydock and the grim task of finding bodies began. For Commander Paul Dice, compartment A-111 was expected to be like the rest: Put on gas masks, place some goo into a bodybag and let the Medical boys worry about identification. They had seen it all, but this compartment was different. Dice first noticed the interior was dry and flashlight batteries and empty ration cans littered the floor. A manhole cover to a fresh water supply was opened. Then he saw the calendar. It was 12″x14″ and marked with big red Xs that ended December 23. Hardened salvage workers wept uncontrollably as they realized the fate of these men. Word quickly spread among salvage crews: Three men had lived for 16 days to suffer the most agonizing deaths among the 2800 victims at Pearl Harbor.

    They oldest one was twenty one at the time of the attack. Perhaps I should have given advance warning that this story did not have a happy ending, but I think that it helps drive the point I am trying to make. Now lets go back to December 6th 1941 when the sailors were at the bar.

    We remember Veterans of the older generation in the contributions and deeds that they performed that allow us to enjoy the life that we live today. But I think that we often forget that they were young too at one point. That they would sometimes do the same crazy things that teens and twenty year olds are know to do. For example Frank Kosa, the Sailor in the middle seems to be enjoying his booze very much. How many times have we been offered a overpriced service by a attractive waitress. Go to a place like Hooters if you want to experience this first hand. I think Clifford Olds is giving a nice irritated look of why someone is interrupting a toast among friends. That they acted like “Boots”.

    But I wonder what were the biggest worries about December 7th 1941 were going to be on December 6th 1941? The dreading having to do PMCS. Wondering why I have CQ on the weekend again. Making sure the family gets to Church on time. The second question is does anyone remember these things after December 7th 1941? How much do these things amount to a hill of beans afterwards?

    To put this into perspective, does anyone remember what they were doing on 10th 2001 or what their biggest concern or worry was on that day?

    Which comes to my point of take advantage of today, do not let worries and concerns about tomorrow distract from taking for granted what each of us has today. Because we cannot know what tomorrow will bring.

    That is why I say to remember December 6th along with December 7th. It should not only be remembered for those who died, be remembered that they lived.

  • US Sub-hunters to Okinawa

    P-8 Poseidon

    The Washington Times reports that the Pentagon has sent the first of six sub-hunting P-8 Poseidon patrol craft to its airbase at Okinawa near the East China Sea, ostensibly to patrol over the waters that were brought into the China’s unilaterally declared area of influence;

    President Obama, in response to the declaration, flew in two B-52 bombers into the so-called off-limits air space — a strong message that the United States would not abide China’s terms of designation. But Mr. Obama also said that U.S. businesses would obey China’s air zone declaration, and refrain from flying private craft into the zone without Beijing’s permission.

    I’m not sure which came first the chicken or the egg, neither do know whether this administration caused this confrontation by announcing a few months ago that they were shifting their focus to the Pacific Rim or if they actually arrived at the conclusion that the area would become a problem in advance of their shifted focus.

    Boeing says of it’s P-8A;

    The P-8A Poseidon is a long-range anti-submarine warfare, anti-surface warfare, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft. It possesses an advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability in the future battle space. Capable of broad-area maritime, and littoral operations, the P-8A will influence how the U.S. Navy’s maritime patrol and reconnaissance forces train, operate and deploy.

    Nowhere to Run, Nowhere to Hide

    The P-8A Poseidon is a true multi-mission platform. On board P-8A, all sensors contribute to a single fused tactical situation display, which is then shared over both military standard and internet protocol data links, allowing for seamless delivery of information amongst U.S. and coalition forces. As an armed platform, P-8A independently closes the kill chain, while simultaneously providing data to everyone on the network.

  • Navy Yard Shooter Had Classifed Access Suspended Six Weeks Before Shootings

    I’m sure all TAH regular readers remember the Washington Navy Yard shooting a couple of months ago.  Well, as Alice in Wonderland might have said – the more we learn, the more this one gets “curioser and curioser”.

    The shooter was a man named Aaron Alexis.  He apparently had a long history of questionable behavior, including multiple indications that his “headspace and timing” (e.g., mental stability) was a bit . . . off.

    Well, now it seems as if the shooter’s company had reason to doubt his suitability for access to classified information – and his sanity.  The Army Times is reporting that the month prior to the shooting Alexis’ employer suspended his access to classified information because of concerns about his mental health and/or conduct.

    Alexis’ employer – a firm called “The Experts”, based in Fort Lauderdale, FL – apparently suspended his access for two days in August 2013 after receiving word of an altercation between Alexis and police in Rhode Island.  They reinstated his access to classified material two days later.  The firm apparently never notified the Navy of the incident.

    Less than six weeks later, Alexis went “off the rails” crazy and gunned down 12 people at the Washington Navy Yard.  The shooting spree was ended when he was killed by police.

    “Curioser and curioser” is right.  IMO someone has some serious ‘splainin’ to do here.

  • The sound of freedom bothers neighbors

    New Jersey News 12 reports that a few of the neighbors of Weapons Station Earle are complaining about the raising and lowering of the colors there;

    Those living near Weapons Station Earle’s waterfront in Middletown at 8 a.m. hear the “Call to Colors” followed by “The Star-Spangled Banner” when the base raises its flag. A similar ceremony takes place at sunset when the flag is lowered.

    Base spokesman Michael Brady tells the Asbury Park Press a new public address system was installed during the summer. Brady says officials are using sound meters to adjust the volume.

    Resident Bob Wille questions why someone not in the military should have to wake up to reveille.

    In the comments (which are mostly worth the read), less irritated neighbors write that reveille is sounded at 8 AM – a few hours later than I’m accustomed to. But if Mr Wille is being awakened at 8AM, why is he wasting so much daylight? He should get a job.

    Not all of the neighbors are complaining, obviously according to NJ.com;

    Andrew Lucina, a Korean War veteran who has lived near the base for 55 years, told the Asbury Park Press that he looks forward to hearing the music each day and doesn’t feel sorry for those who might be sleeping at that time.

    “Play it as loud as they want,” Lucina said.

    “I was willing to die for that flag,” he said, pointing to an American Flag he flies in front of his house. “I’m not going to complain about The Star-Spangled Banner.”

    I felt at home when I used to hear reveille while I lived across the street from the Old Soldiers’ home in DC. My neighbors looked at me strangely when I was caught outside at 5pm and I saluted in the direction of the bugle.

  • SEALs; treated poorly by Obama Administration

    We all know how the SEALs helped to get Obama reelected since it was the elite Navy organization that enabled him to use their accomplishments for half of his campaign slogan – the part about “bin Laden is dead”. However, some members of that group aren’t pleased about the way they’ve been treated by their political masters, according to Washington Times’ Rowan Scarborough;

    A book by Billy Vaughn, father of a SEAL killed in the Aug. 6, 2011, shootdown of a Chinook helicopter in Afghanistan, blames the administration for leaking too much information about his son’s unit.

    Another book by two former SEALs tells the “shameful ordeal” they endured based on allegations of prisoner abuse by one unreliable sailor and one determined terrorist. Instead of issuing gratitude for nabbing the “butcher of Fallujah” in Iraq in 2009, U.S. Central Command court-martialed the SEALs on felony charges.

    The two authors and a third SEAL were acquitted by military juries when the prosecution’s case fall apart.

    One of those former SEALs, Matthew McCabe, said in an interview that the ordeal encouraged him to leave the Navy last year rather than try out for Team 6 as he had planned.

    The article goes on to mention that another SEAL is under the gun for publishing a book without getting authorization from the Pentagon about the bin Laden raid, but that the administration shared classified details with the makers of a movie about the raid, leading some folks to believe that the Obama Administration values more their relationship with Hollywood than their relationship with their warriors.

    The article discusses the shoot down of the conventional helicopter and the court martial of three SEALs for the unfounded accusation of abuse of a detainee which we’ve discussed at length here. Scarborough goes on for three pages, so you should click over and read the whole thing rather than me C&Ping the whole thing. I’d add that the treatment of the “urination incident” Marines by the Pentagon should be thrown into the whole discussion.

    But the take away is that the current administration is unappreciative of the job the troops are doing for the politicos’ reputations.

  • Obama Treads on Tradition

    In yet another example of the spiteful pettiness of the woefully inept and totally inadequate commander-in-chief that low information voters have so unfortunately saddled upon our military, Navy SEALs and other naval warriors serving in combat are being ordered to remove the authorized Navy Jack from their battledress uniforms. That information comes from former SEAL and author, Carl Higbie, writing over at Daily Caller. According to Higbie, many of his colleagues have contacted him complaining of orders from their higher-ups to remove the traditional patch because it is controversial and associated with radical groups.

    That a symbol birthed in the same revolution that birthed this country,steeped in two hundred years of naval tradition and flown on the bows of American naval vessels worldwide, can be seen as controversial and radical is just another indication of how hypersensitive and intolerant the Democrat Left is of any expression of political thought not strictly in accordance with their very narrow views. You see, the radical groups that the Obama administration is so concerned about are the various manifestations of the Tea Party movement, many of which display the Gadsden Flag as a symbol of their determination to preserve the constitutional foundations of this nation.

    Gee, virtually all the Tea Party events I’ve witnessed usually display far greater numbers of this symbol than the Gadsden Flag. When do you suppose Obama’s no-balls, butt-bussingbrass in the Pentagon will get around to banning itswearing on the uniform and other forms of military display? Folks, we have to face the fact that an administration that will employ the IRS to enforce its political will certainly has no compunction about reshaping our nation’s military into an instrument to reflect and impose that same will.

    Crossposted at American Thinker

  • Generald Wilson on Fox

    If you missed Fox & Friends this morning, you missed this; Generald Wilson who sang God Bless America at game three of the World Series. He has a great story as well as a great voice. And you can tell that he’s actually a member of the military by his really great salute at the end;

    Here’s his whole performance at the game;

  • The global force for good

    Pinto Nag sends us a link from NBC that tells the tale of the USS San Antonio which rescued 128 men from their sinking raft.

    The USS San Antonio, an amphibious transport dock ship, was called to the scene in the central Mediterranean late on Tuesday as high winds and seas were rocking the boat, U.S. Navy authorities in Italy said in a statement.

    The men were offered food, water and medical assistance and are due to be transferred to Maltese vessels later in the day, authorities in Malta said.

    More than 550 people are feared drowned after two separate disasters this month when boats carrying migrants capsized and sank in the waters between Libya and the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.

    From Stars & Stripes;

    U.S. 6th Fleet confirmed on Thursday afternoon that all rescued persons were safely transferred to a Malta Offshore Patrol Vessel. “The US takes our obligation to render assistance to those in need very seriously,” said spokesman Lt. Shawn Eklund.

    He said the rescue was “routine in nature” because sailors regularly train for these kinds of scenarios, but also cited it was joint effort with Maltese authorities.

    Navy officials described the men as being in “pretty good health” and mostly dehydrated after spending five days at sea with no food or water.

    Earlier this month, nearly 400 people died when their overcrowded boats sank off the coast of the Italian island of Lampedusa, southwest of Malta.

    In an interview with the BBC, Maltese Prime Minister Joshep Muscat appealed to the European Union to address the issue of migrants who travel by boat from Africa hoping to find asylum and work in Europe.

    “As things stand, we are building a cemetery within our Mediterranean Sea,” Muscat told the BBC over the weekend.

    Just a few weeks ago, the San Antonio was a floating Guantanamo for that al-Libi terrorist dude and this week rescuing folks. I guess they’re pretty busy on that bo…er…ship writing history.