The Eisenhower back from tour
This is the Cole that was attacked killing 11 sailors
BB WisconsinBow damage ship suffered in fog. They took the bow from a ship of the same class during construction and put it on the Wisconsin
One of many ships in a floating dry dock for repairs
This is the Eisenhower that has just returned from 7-1/2 month tour supporting troupes in Iraq.
5/24 Thursday Our day was planned around go to the aquarium and IMAX. However, Mom did not get rolling early, so being retired and flexible, we were of to Norfolk to see the Battleship Wisconsin and vessels that were in port. The carrier Eisenhower (Ike) is one of those best known ships in port, so we wanted to see her while we were in the area. Of course she had another four ships with her, but everyone is talking about the Ike being home.
The Wisconsin is basically on loan from the Navy to Norfolk. This ship was commissioned I late 1944 and saw service until 1991 when it was used to support the troupes fighting in Desert Storm. They also thought there was a possibility that she could be put back into service recently. She is kept in a condition where she must be ready to go back into full fighting service within 6-months of being activated. As you toured the decks, the main and two desks above, men who have been on ships during their Navy careers greet you. One man was especially knowledgeable and ready to give you the details from his 13 years of experience. There were others around the ship also ready to give you information. We did find one man who had been volunteering only for 3-weeks. He said they had a huge manual to digest so they could be better guides and it was really a lot of work considering this was his “second job”. He was well past retirement age, but he was involved in post-secondary instruction and having a great time teaching.
Heading from the Wisconsin over to the naval base cruise ship, we took a 2-hour run up past the Naval ships. We saw a few ships that could take on water in their ballast tanks causing the ship to sink low in the water, and then they would float small vessels inside. When they emptied these ballast tanks bringing the ship back up, they were ready to transport the smaller ships anywhere in the world. Private companies who contract to the Navy own these ships. They are also painted gray like the Naval vessels they travel with, but they have colored horizontal stripes on the stack that denotes the company. This is true of one ship our captain likened to a floating 7-11, another that was a refueling tanker, and several that were supply vessels. The tanker holds about 7 million gallons of jet fuel. It you were to assume the government pays $3.00 per gallon for this jet fuel (likely it is a lot more) then the cargo value would be about $22.5 million dollars.
One ship we passed was the USS Cole that was bombed several years ago. She is back in full service and they say she shows no signs of the attack. The attack was on the port side and my picture is of the starboard side. A little beyond was the Eisenhower with the red-white-blue bunting on the bow. She is big and sleek in her design. The decks appeared to be clear of aircraft and sailors. We understood from two female sailors that were on our harbor cruise that family members were able to board the Ike the previous two days, but now it was very quiet around the ship.
To avoid some of the circumstances surrounding the attack on the Cole, there are white buoys now placed about 400’ around the ships. Anyone crossing these buoys becomes immediate live target practice. There are also boats that are patrolling who could radio if anything looks suspicious.
Although this Norfolk area was known for ship building in the WW-II, it is only a repair facility today. They have many floating dry-docks they submerge, then float the ship into before pumping the water out until it is again dry. They have a floating ‘hotel’ that the necessary crew will live in while their ship is in dry-dock next door. It has all the facilities they need to live in full-time, but it lacks room service.
One of many ships in a floating dry dock for repairs
This is the Eisenhower that has just returned from 7-1/2 month tour supporting troupes in Iraq.
5/24 Thursday Our day was planned around go to the aquarium and IMAX. However, Mom did not get rolling early, so being retired and flexible, we were of to Norfolk to see the Battleship Wisconsin and vessels that were in port. The carrier Eisenhower (Ike) is one of those best known ships in port, so we wanted to see her while we were in the area. Of course she had another four ships with her, but everyone is talking about the Ike being home.
The Wisconsin is basically on loan from the Navy to Norfolk. This ship was commissioned I late 1944 and saw service until 1991 when it was used to support the troupes fighting in Desert Storm. They also thought there was a possibility that she could be put back into service recently. She is kept in a condition where she must be ready to go back into full fighting service within 6-months of being activated. As you toured the decks, the main and two desks above, men who have been on ships during their Navy careers greet you. One man was especially knowledgeable and ready to give you the details from his 13 years of experience. There were others around the ship also ready to give you information. We did find one man who had been volunteering only for 3-weeks. He said they had a huge manual to digest so they could be better guides and it was really a lot of work considering this was his “second job”. He was well past retirement age, but he was involved in post-secondary instruction and having a great time teaching.
Heading from the Wisconsin over to the naval base cruise ship, we took a 2-hour run up past the Naval ships. We saw a few ships that could take on water in their ballast tanks causing the ship to sink low in the water, and then they would float small vessels inside. When they emptied these ballast tanks bringing the ship back up, they were ready to transport the smaller ships anywhere in the world. Private companies who contract to the Navy own these ships. They are also painted gray like the Naval vessels they travel with, but they have colored horizontal stripes on the stack that denotes the company. This is true of one ship our captain likened to a floating 7-11, another that was a refueling tanker, and several that were supply vessels. The tanker holds about 7 million gallons of jet fuel. It you were to assume the government pays $3.00 per gallon for this jet fuel (likely it is a lot more) then the cargo value would be about $22.5 million dollars.
One ship we passed was the USS Cole that was bombed several years ago. She is back in full service and they say she shows no signs of the attack. The attack was on the port side and my picture is of the starboard side. A little beyond was the Eisenhower with the red-white-blue bunting on the bow. She is big and sleek in her design. The decks appeared to be clear of aircraft and sailors. We understood from two female sailors that were on our harbor cruise that family members were able to board the Ike the previous two days, but now it was very quiet around the ship.
To avoid some of the circumstances surrounding the attack on the Cole, there are white buoys now placed about 400’ around the ships. Anyone crossing these buoys becomes immediate live target practice. There are also boats that are patrolling who could radio if anything looks suspicious.
Although this Norfolk area was known for ship building in the WW-II, it is only a repair facility today. They have many floating dry-docks they submerge, then float the ship into before pumping the water out until it is again dry. They have a floating ‘hotel’ that the necessary crew will live in while their ship is in dry-dock next door. It has all the facilities they need to live in full-time, but it lacks room service.
