A two night stay afforded us the opportunity to not only have fun on Segways (a first for us) but also to tour the wonderful Victory Museum that portrays the multiple dimensions of the Revolutionary War from the perspective of the Colonists and the soldiers and sailors from the French Army and French fleet of 29 warships that blockaded the Yorktown River. The museum was a somber reminder of the misery of war and the beneficial long term consequences that sometimes come as a result of war.
On a more upbeat note we met an interesting woman who is single-handedly sailing her Freedom sailboat, Whimbrel. (If we had not last year in our travels happened upon a Whimbrel shore bird, I would not have known what that was.) At any rate, Marilyn is a very interesting woman who is a retired Budget Director for the city of Denver and who is on her way on her sailboat to the Bahamas. She grew up with sailing on the San Francisco Bay and has recent, extensive experience as crew on different sailboats. She shared that she and a girlfriend were on an ocean passage that involved a storm of noteworthy magnitude, enough to cripple the boat and necessitate an EPIRB activation and Coast Guard rescue 350 miles out to sea! I have read many books, most recently the "Deadliest Sea," portraying such situations and the amazing feats and bravery of the Coasties; I never want to have to call them or a "rescue," but if I do, I am confident that they will give their all for the rescue.
I'm taking my last look at the mighty, majestic Naval vessels that grace the shoreline of Norfolk as we depart for Coinjock, NC.
Norfolk and Portsmith provide for viewing of the regal US Navy fleet: ships of every conceivable shape and size from submarines to nuclear Supercarriers including the USS Enterprise (93,284 long tons) the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier and the longest naval vessel in the world. Massive aircraft carriers dwarft the battleships and troop transports as both receive re-fits, some on dry dock, some nudged tight against piers; tugs resplendent in ruby coats and patrol boats keep a vigilant eye on ships; substantial floating barriers keep curious boaters at bay.
At dock was the 684' USS New York, LPD-21 an Amphibious Transport Dock Ship, christened March 1, 2008; her 7.5 metric ton bow stem was formed using steel donated from the World Trade Center in honor of the attacks on 9-11.
There have been at least 6 Navy ships named New York. Coincidentally, while touring the Nauticus Museum in Norfolk, I happened upon the Bow Ornament from the USS New York (Armored Cruiser #2, CA-2) built on Philadelphia and commissioned in August 1893. She served as flagship in the NorthAtlantic Squadron when the Spanish American War began, and was flagship during the Caribbean campaign that led to the Battle of Santiago on July 3, 1898. Renamed Saratoga in 1911, she served during WW1, renamed again in 1917 becoming the USS Rochester and continued to serve until she was decommissioned in the Philippines in April 1933 and scuttled in 1941 to avoid her capture by the Japanese.
Jerry and soon to be daughter-in-law drove to Norfolk for a visit; we enjoyed great German food at the Beir Garden in Portsmith and a tour of the USS Wisconsin, an 880' BB-64, the last of the Iowa class fast Battleships to be built. She has been lovingly preserved and welcomes visitors at the Nauticus museum. This massive ship that has been home to thousands of servicemen, has seen action in Operation Desert storm, Korea, and WW11. A retired Navy serviceman (of 26 years) who was an official "greeter" on the Wisconsin reminisced about that period of time form Dec.1944 with the ships arrival at Ulithi and assignment to the third Fleet under Admiral William Halsey, to their sailing into Tokyo Bay as part of the occupying fleet on Sept 5, 1945. He spoke about the horrors of the kamikaze pilots and of the kamikaze that cartwheeled across the flight deck of the USS Carrier Hancock (CV19) crashing into a group of aircraft onboard and its bomb hitting the port catapult, resulting in a large fire that killed many. I was reminded of the book, "Combat Loaded" about the USS Tate, a 459' attack cargo ship, an AKA 70, that my uncle Art served on during the same period of time, in the same bloodied Pacific arena. Uncle Art also speaks of the kamikaze attacks and when the USS Hancock was hit by a Kamikaze who was headed for his ship and at the last minute veered to the larger, Air Craft Carrier USS Hancock. Art frequently spoke of the typhoon storm that the fleet endured when three destroyers were sunk by the ferocity of the storm. It's impossible to imagine the horrors of war......man and nature inflicted, or the frequency with which we engage in war!
We have officially started the "snowbird" journey south on the ICW, currently at mile marker 49.4, Coinjock NC!
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