Category Archives: Uncategorized

A Poem Worth Reading

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There are lots of Veteran’s Day tributes out there. All well deserved, but I felt I had nothing to add. Then a friend sent this along, and I felt the need to share.

He was getting old and paunchy
And his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion,
Telling stories of the past.
–
Of a war that he once fought in
And the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies;
They were heroes, every one.
–
And ‘tho sometimes to his neighbors
His tales became a joke,
All his buddies listened quietly
For they knew where of he spoke.
–
But we’ll hear his tales no longer,
For ol’ Joe has passed away,
And the world’s a little poorer
For a Veteran died today.
–
He won’t be mourned by many,
Just his children and his wife.
For he lived an ordinary,
Very quiet sort of life.
–
He held a job and raised a family,
Going quietly on his way;
And the world won’t note his passing,
‘Tho a Veteran died today.
–
When politicians leave this earth,
Their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing,
And proclaim that they were great.
–
Papers tell of their life stories
From the time that they were young,
But the passing of a Veteran
Goes unnoticed, and unsung.
–
Is the greatest contribution
To the welfare of our land,
Some jerk who breaks his promise
And cons his fellow man?
–
Or the ordinary fellow
Who in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his country
And offers up his life?
–
The politician’s stipend
And the style in which he lives,
Are often disproportionate,
To the service that he gives.
–
While the ordinary Veteran,
Who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal
And perhaps a pension, small.
–
It is not the politicians
With their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom
That our country now enjoys.
–
Should you find yourself in danger,
With your enemies at hand,
Would you really want some cop-out,
With his ever-waffling stand?
–
Or would you want a Veteran
His home, his country, his kin,
Just a common Veteran,
Who would fight until the end.
–
He was just a common Veteran,
And his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us
We may need his likes again.
–
For when countries are in conflict,
We find the Veteran’s part,
Is to clean up all the troubles
That the politicians start.
–
If we cannot do him honor
While he’s here to hear the praise,
Then at least let’s give him homage
At the ending of his days.
–
Perhaps just a simple headline
In the paper that might say:
“OUR COUNTRY IS IN MOURNING,
A VETERAN DIED TODAY.”
–
[This poem’s author was a Canadian writer, A. Lawrence Vaincourt, who died April 20, 2009. This was his most famous piece.]

Helping to Save the Ingham

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File:Ingham.jpg

As a former 327 sailor I’d like to thank the crew of Decisive for their work on the Ingham (WHEC-35/WPG-35). Coast Guard Compass has the story.

The keepers of the Ingham, MIAMI-DADE HISTORICAL MARITIME MUSEUM INC, are trying to raise money to keep the old girl in shape. If you can help, this is the place to go. Donations are tax deductible and must be made by credit card.

This is their short history of the ship,

U.S. COAST GUARD CUTTER INGHAM (WHEC-35)
Maritime Museum & National Historic Landmark National Memorial to Guardians Killed in Action In World War II and Vietnam

The only Coast Guard Cutter afloat today to receive two
Presidential Unit Citations for extraordinary heroism
in action against an armed enemy

With over 50 years of service around the world, USCGC INGHAM is a quintessential portrait of Coast Guard history from 1936 to 1988.

This is an important memorial dedicated to the lives lost throughout the INGHAM’S service, and we are determined to preserve this memorial, but your help is necessary for our success.  A ship of this size requires an astronomical amount of maintenance.  It is and always will be a battle to keep this Museum afloat.

More Facts about the USCGC INGHAM

The USCGC INGHAM was built in 1935 and served until 1988. This 327 foot cutter is the most decorated cutter in history earning 27 medals and 13 battle stars for service from WWII through Viet-Nam. Highlights of her career are:

31 Convoys across the Atlantic in WWII and sinking of UBOAT 626, the only American War vessel afloat today to have sunk a German Sub.

Participated in 13 landing in the Pacific and flagship for 5, most notably the Flagship for General MacArthur’s return to Corregidor.

Flagship after WWII for the South China Naval Force under the Command of RADM Elliot Buckmaster, the former Captain of the USS YORKTOWN at the battle of Midway, the turning point of the battle in the Pacific.

Awarded two Presidential Unit Citation by President by President NIXON for Service in Viet-Nam.

Participated in the Mariel Boat lift in Key West to Cuba in 1980 saving many lives and vessels.

In 1985 was the most decorated and oldest serving Naval Vessel in U. S. Service receiving a letter from President Reagan attesting to her service.

Retired in 1988 after serving honorably for 52 years which at that time was 25% of our Nations’ History.

USCGC INGHAM was designated a NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK in 1992.

New World’s Largest Icebreaker–also Nuc Powered

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Just a note from the German Navy’s Marine Forum without attribution from their “Upcoming/Planned Events” section. Measurements reported in metric translate to 568.4 ft long, 111.5 ft or beam, 34.4 ft draft.

“RUSSIA (05 Nov)
Baltic Shipyard (St. Petersburg) on 05 Nov will formally start construction of “next.generation” nuclear powered Project 22220 ice breaker LK-60 … to become world’s largest ice breaker (173.3 x 34 x 10.5m; two-reactor power plants)”

Crew Rotation Discussed

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Sunday, 13 Oct at 1700/5pm (Eastern U.S.) the podcast “Midrats” will air  Episode 197: Sea Swap & Small Unit Leadership

If you catch the live podcast, you can join in the online discussion, but if you miss it live you can still hear the archived version. It will last approximately an hour.

The topic is the Navy’s version of crew rotation. The guest speaker will be LT Hipple, a surface warfare officer and graduate of Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service. He is author of a July 2013 US Naval Institute Proceedings article, “Sea Swap – Its a Trap” and Director of the Center for Maritime Security’s  (CIMSEC) NEXTWAR blog and hosts the Sea Control podcast.

The Navy does have even stronger motivation for crew swaps than the Coast Guard since it is desirable to avoid the long transit from homeports in the US to distant operating areas.

We’ve discussed crew swaps here before:

Basically I favor other forms of augmented crewing that will retain some sense of ownership, provide more days away from homeport for the ship, but retain the current approximate 185 days away for the individual crewmembers by a combination of leave, temporary assignment to support facilities ashore for crewmembers, and temporary relief for critical crew members by personnel with recent experience in the type, from a personnel pool, perhaps in the form of a squadron staff.