A few years ago, I wrote about how songs
can inspire you and bring back memories that you stored away in your mind for
when you need a smile. It's amazing, isn't it, that a song can bring you back
to a time and a place?
This morning, as I drove to work, I popped in the TOP GUN Soundtrack and the first song that came over the speakers was Harold Faltermyers TOP GUN THEME. Suddenly, two memories flooded my mind: the floor routine I had for gymnastics to that song, and the Dependant's Day Cruise on my brother's ship.
Most people, even if you aren't in the Navy, might know that the U.S.S. Enterprise was the carrier used in TOP GUN. It is something that, 4 1/2 years after the movie's release, her crew was still extrememly proud of, even though few, if any, of the Sailors used as extras in the movie were still on board.
As the song grew in intensity, I remember walking up the gangway to the hangar and feeling instantly like I was at home. I don't know what it is about the ships in the Navy's fleet, but everytime I have seen one, or even boarded one, I have felt very much at home.
There was also a smell that is hard to define, but it wasn't necessarily a bad smell; just different. I think my brother told me that it was the JP-5 or something like that. At this point, I wasn't really listening to him. Honestly, I was looking around, trying to drink it all in so that I would NEVER forget (plus, let's not forget the gorgeous Sailors walking around!)
I was a little taken off guard, at first, as to why they had set the barbacue and eating area in the hangar, as those are usually reserved for the Steel Beach. I would find out why later. But, the mix of the barbacuing and the smell of whatever it was, made it a very unusual smell and I can, if I try hard enough, still smell it!
As we toured the ship, I began to feel more and more like I had been on the ship before and was right at home. I LOVE the 'Prise. She's such a beautiful ship and, even with the addition of the Reagan, remains the biggest carrier in the fleet.
These are her stats:
Power Plant - Eight nuclear reactors, four shafts
Length - overall: 1,101 feet 2 inches (335.64 meters)
Flight Deck Width - 252 feet (75.6 meters)
Beam - 133 feet (39.9 meters)
Displacement - 89,600 tons (80,640 metric tons) full load
Speed - 30+ knots (34.5 miles per hour)
Aircraft - 85
Crew - Ship's Company: 3,350 - Air Wing 2,480
Makes for an impression, doesn't it?
She is like a little city in herself. It was funny to watch the Sailors because, at times, they reminded me of ants scurrying here and there working, playing, giving tours. But, I loved it.
My brother gave us a fantastic tour, most of which, honestly, I don't remember. What I do remember is he took us the way that he had to get to his office if a plane or a helo was landing. My brother is an InterCommunications Man in the Navy. In other words, he works with televisions. You may have seen his work on TV. He helped with a national ad for Navy recruitment.
It wasn't an easy way to enter an office. I stand a mere five foot and the portal was at least two feet off the deck. While this was okay for my nearly six foot tall brother and my five four mother, it proved to be a hiliarious obstacle for me. I never knew I was that flexible!
We got to see his work station and, as if I didn't admire and stand in awe of my brother already, I was even more in awe as I saw what he had to work with. It's not complicated to those who work with it on a daily basis, but to someone who doesn't, it was pretty impressively complicated.
I don't know, to this day, why he had the ear covers that the flight deck hands use and goggles, but there's this absolutely funny picture running around our house of me in these things. I felt very Navy, but looked like an absolute idiot.
Fortunately, he took us out the easy way; the way they take if there are not planes or helos landing. Led right to the flight deck. I was pretty shocked, though I shouldn't have been, really, to see a destroyer and battle ship beside us and helo's flying overhead. This is the strike group. My brother explained that, because carriers are big, they are easy targets for the enemy, so therefore a carrier doesn't head out without a strike group, which consists of destroyers, submarines, helicopters, battleships and the tenders for the ships and subs. I guess that the fighter planes were also flying, but I don't remember seeing them until after lunch.
However, hearing years later that the USS Ronald Reagan, my brother's last ship, travelled from where she was built to her homeport unescorted, rather worried me. But, the Reagan, from my understanding is, when fully manned and machined, the deadliest carrier in the fleet.
I felt no movement of the ship below deck, so I was rather amazed to not see the Virginia shoreline. It was then it sunk in: I was on a cruise and I was loving every moment of it.
A tap on my shoulder brought me back from whatever world I was in. My brother was telling me we were grabbing some chow and down to the hangar, to that strange pleasant smell, for food. Have you ever had food on a carrier? Great chow. Guess it is the secret ingredient: JP-5. I know. Sounds odd, but with that many planes and helos and whatever else it's used for, it gets in the food. Best damn hot dogs I ever had and Mom swears it was the best cup of coffee she ever had.
Lunch was too quick, but the best was yet to come. We all gathered (when I say "WE" I mean all who were on board and could fit) gathered on the flight deck for a demonstration of take offs and landings. AHA! THIS is why the barbacue wasn't on the Steel Beach!
I don't remember a time when I was more in awe of our Navy. To see the coordination so that the jets could take off and land without crashing or killing, was awe-inspiring. Things like that just thrill me to the core. I LOVE planes and ships and the military in general.
The planes, quite obviously, were extremely loud, hence the head sets that do a pretty excellent job of shutting out ALL noise. When I say ALL noise, I mean ALL noise! However, you still wore earplugs with them. The earplugs by themselves were okay...which is what most of us wore. Kept the sound to a low noise (but you could still tell they were jets!)
The most amazing part of the showcase was to see a 14 do a fly over. (At least I think that's what it's called. Navy pilots?) This is where the pilot doesn't either feel comfortable with how the plane is acting for a landing or he somehow misses the tailhook. To see that...All of a sudden, in my mind, I can hear GOOSE and MAVERICK laughing and the CO's coffee spilling all over his uniform.
The tour continued and we were going towards the Marines' area and there was this...well, odd...smell. Like the first smell that greeted me, it wasn't awful, just an odd mix of mint, flowers, and God only knows what else. I guess it was the game the Marines and Sailors had trying to rid the jarheads area free of squid germs. Though, I must admit, I was a little disappointed to not see any Marines.
But, as I approached my turn for the train, I found myself laughing in memory and how I'll never forget that day. And I haven't.
This morning, as I drove to work, I popped in the TOP GUN Soundtrack and the first song that came over the speakers was Harold Faltermyers TOP GUN THEME. Suddenly, two memories flooded my mind: the floor routine I had for gymnastics to that song, and the Dependant's Day Cruise on my brother's ship.
Most people, even if you aren't in the Navy, might know that the U.S.S. Enterprise was the carrier used in TOP GUN. It is something that, 4 1/2 years after the movie's release, her crew was still extrememly proud of, even though few, if any, of the Sailors used as extras in the movie were still on board.
As the song grew in intensity, I remember walking up the gangway to the hangar and feeling instantly like I was at home. I don't know what it is about the ships in the Navy's fleet, but everytime I have seen one, or even boarded one, I have felt very much at home.
There was also a smell that is hard to define, but it wasn't necessarily a bad smell; just different. I think my brother told me that it was the JP-5 or something like that. At this point, I wasn't really listening to him. Honestly, I was looking around, trying to drink it all in so that I would NEVER forget (plus, let's not forget the gorgeous Sailors walking around!)
I was a little taken off guard, at first, as to why they had set the barbacue and eating area in the hangar, as those are usually reserved for the Steel Beach. I would find out why later. But, the mix of the barbacuing and the smell of whatever it was, made it a very unusual smell and I can, if I try hard enough, still smell it!
As we toured the ship, I began to feel more and more like I had been on the ship before and was right at home. I LOVE the 'Prise. She's such a beautiful ship and, even with the addition of the Reagan, remains the biggest carrier in the fleet.
These are her stats:
Power Plant - Eight nuclear reactors, four shafts
Length - overall: 1,101 feet 2 inches (335.64 meters)
Flight Deck Width - 252 feet (75.6 meters)
Beam - 133 feet (39.9 meters)
Displacement - 89,600 tons (80,640 metric tons) full load
Speed - 30+ knots (34.5 miles per hour)
Aircraft - 85
Crew - Ship's Company: 3,350 - Air Wing 2,480
Makes for an impression, doesn't it?
She is like a little city in herself. It was funny to watch the Sailors because, at times, they reminded me of ants scurrying here and there working, playing, giving tours. But, I loved it.
My brother gave us a fantastic tour, most of which, honestly, I don't remember. What I do remember is he took us the way that he had to get to his office if a plane or a helo was landing. My brother is an InterCommunications Man in the Navy. In other words, he works with televisions. You may have seen his work on TV. He helped with a national ad for Navy recruitment.
It wasn't an easy way to enter an office. I stand a mere five foot and the portal was at least two feet off the deck. While this was okay for my nearly six foot tall brother and my five four mother, it proved to be a hiliarious obstacle for me. I never knew I was that flexible!
We got to see his work station and, as if I didn't admire and stand in awe of my brother already, I was even more in awe as I saw what he had to work with. It's not complicated to those who work with it on a daily basis, but to someone who doesn't, it was pretty impressively complicated.
I don't know, to this day, why he had the ear covers that the flight deck hands use and goggles, but there's this absolutely funny picture running around our house of me in these things. I felt very Navy, but looked like an absolute idiot.
Fortunately, he took us out the easy way; the way they take if there are not planes or helos landing. Led right to the flight deck. I was pretty shocked, though I shouldn't have been, really, to see a destroyer and battle ship beside us and helo's flying overhead. This is the strike group. My brother explained that, because carriers are big, they are easy targets for the enemy, so therefore a carrier doesn't head out without a strike group, which consists of destroyers, submarines, helicopters, battleships and the tenders for the ships and subs. I guess that the fighter planes were also flying, but I don't remember seeing them until after lunch.
However, hearing years later that the USS Ronald Reagan, my brother's last ship, travelled from where she was built to her homeport unescorted, rather worried me. But, the Reagan, from my understanding is, when fully manned and machined, the deadliest carrier in the fleet.
I felt no movement of the ship below deck, so I was rather amazed to not see the Virginia shoreline. It was then it sunk in: I was on a cruise and I was loving every moment of it.
A tap on my shoulder brought me back from whatever world I was in. My brother was telling me we were grabbing some chow and down to the hangar, to that strange pleasant smell, for food. Have you ever had food on a carrier? Great chow. Guess it is the secret ingredient: JP-5. I know. Sounds odd, but with that many planes and helos and whatever else it's used for, it gets in the food. Best damn hot dogs I ever had and Mom swears it was the best cup of coffee she ever had.
Lunch was too quick, but the best was yet to come. We all gathered (when I say "WE" I mean all who were on board and could fit) gathered on the flight deck for a demonstration of take offs and landings. AHA! THIS is why the barbacue wasn't on the Steel Beach!
I don't remember a time when I was more in awe of our Navy. To see the coordination so that the jets could take off and land without crashing or killing, was awe-inspiring. Things like that just thrill me to the core. I LOVE planes and ships and the military in general.
The planes, quite obviously, were extremely loud, hence the head sets that do a pretty excellent job of shutting out ALL noise. When I say ALL noise, I mean ALL noise! However, you still wore earplugs with them. The earplugs by themselves were okay...which is what most of us wore. Kept the sound to a low noise (but you could still tell they were jets!)
The most amazing part of the showcase was to see a 14 do a fly over. (At least I think that's what it's called. Navy pilots?) This is where the pilot doesn't either feel comfortable with how the plane is acting for a landing or he somehow misses the tailhook. To see that...All of a sudden, in my mind, I can hear GOOSE and MAVERICK laughing and the CO's coffee spilling all over his uniform.
The tour continued and we were going towards the Marines' area and there was this...well, odd...smell. Like the first smell that greeted me, it wasn't awful, just an odd mix of mint, flowers, and God only knows what else. I guess it was the game the Marines and Sailors had trying to rid the jarheads area free of squid germs. Though, I must admit, I was a little disappointed to not see any Marines.
But, as I approached my turn for the train, I found myself laughing in memory and how I'll never forget that day. And I haven't.
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