Sea Service Milestones

[BOSSHOG]

60 Years ago yesterday, PT 109 was cut in half by a Japanese Destroyer. The CO, LTJG J. F. Kennedy rescued crew members. He was awarded the Navy Medal for Heroism and the Purple Heart.

58 Years ago today, one third of the crew of the USS Indianapolis was rescued from shark infested waters in the Pacific halfway between Guam and the Phillipines. The Cruiser was sunk by a Japanese submarine almost a week before. The ship which had delivered the components of the bomb we dropped on Hiroshima, was traveling under top secret orders and the sinking was not reported. Many of the men were killed by sharks while they waited to be rescued.

213 Years ago tomorrow, the United States Coast Guard was founded. Happy Birthday to all Coasties.

And today in Iraq are kids are in Harm's Way because of the political greed of conservatives. God Bless our Troops.

[Submariner]

1. And 45 years ago today

On Aug. 3, 1958, the nuclear-powered submarine Nautilus became the first vessel to cross the North Pole underwater.

But have we learned our lessons about war. Appears not! Not when our country lets a Hitlerian dictator like dubya march us into a bogus war.

[oneighty]

2. On this day in 1804

Bombardment of Tripoli; Lt Stephen Decatur's boarding party captures Tripolitan gunboats.

According to my 'US Navy Memorial Foundation, Calendar. Yes, it tells the Kennedy story for yesterday!

Do you belong to the Foundation?

180

Edit! The calendar does not show the sinking if the Indy! Wrong! They show the sinking of the Indy on 30 July.

180

[lazarus]

3. our treatment of the USS Indianapolis

was so utterly shameful. Ordinarily I'm a big Navy fan (I even married a retired Chief), but that was one incident that we should never be proud of.