Flag at half mast

[No Powder]

Tomorrow July 29 th the Flag at my house will be at half mast. It is the anniversary of the explosions and fire on the USS Forrestal in which I lost 134 shipmates. I know this has nothing to do with the topics of this forum, but it is a day that makes me remember all of the service man and women who are standing guard so we can have a forum like this. I don't know your stand on the war in Iraq and other places of danger where our troups are but remember thay probably don't want to be there, but there they are doing there duty. I salute and honour each and everyone of them and will do to the best of my ability not let them come home to the attitude that we came back from Viet Nam to face. God bless America.
No Powder (A Forrestal surviver)

 

[musketman]

One of the worst naval accidents ever, I seen the documentary of the USS Forestall on the Discovery Channel...

A nasty fire is one thing, but a nasty fire at sea leaves no where to run... The thick black smoke and bombs exploding from the aircraft on the flight deck is enough to make the hardest of veterans weep...

I never knew anyone from the ship, until now...

Where were you at during the event, top deck, below deck?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Our thoughts will be with you and our sympathies to the families who lost members.

A nasty fire is one thing, but a nasty fire at sea leaves no where to run...

My nephew was a Lt jg on the USS Bonefish in 1988 (one of very few diesel subs then still in service). The battery compartment flashed while below the surface and that killed the lighting & emergency lighting. Three men were lost from the fumes before they could surface. Many of the crew had melted soles on their shoes by the time they surfaced. Subs would creep me out enough; but a dark, burning, posion gas filled sub would be enough to break me, I'm sure.

We forget that even in the best of times our servicemen are working with VERY dangerous equipment. God Bless 'Em All.

There are no roses on a sailor's grave, No lilies on an ocean wave, The only tribute is the seagulls' sweeps, and the teardrops that a sweetheart weeps.

German song


Sailors, Rest Your Oars.

 

[No Powder]

Musketman I was below deck, we had lanched the first launch of the day for day check (I worked night check) shifts were 7a.m. to 7p.m. or 7p.m. to 7a.m. and when you first got up the flight deck is not the place to be untill you are fully awake. Day check would do the same for us if a lanuch or recovery was happening when we first got up. That out of the way, was finallly getting to bed when fire fire on the flight deck aft was sounded followed by general quarters. I got as far as hanger bay 1 when the first 1000 # went off and I was on my butt, got as far as hanger bay 2 when ordered forward by an officer, by then had been blown to my butt a couple times more. Was hours before I knew what happened just figgered we were under attack. Was envolved in passing foam and what ever was needed untill we got back to Subic bay about 4 days later. There is a lot more I could say but the post was to honour my fallen shipmates. This post is to say thank you to all those who took the time to remember all of our service folks where ever they are, and to give Musketman the short answer to his questions. Anyone interested in what happed there is a book out called "Sailors to The End" by Gregory A. Freeman. It is a tough read as it makes it very personal on how some of the men died.
Thanks for listening
No Powder