Attack!

Back on dry land. Thanks to this!

I gotta get out of this place

I am on the LCU. I am on a boat inside a boat. Crazy!
We are down at the bottom of the boat and they are going to flood the
back and we will slip out.

Normandy, Nazis and Nick

So we are not making landfall in the L-CAT the hover craft. But if you
look closely at the blurry pictures you can see how we are going to
storm the beach.
The same way we did it is WWII.
We are going to hit the ground running at Camp Pendelton and make a
run for North Island to beat the birds of the boat.

Normandy, Nazis, California?

So...we are not exiting the boats

Land Ho!

So I have been out of touch for a bit. The is not cell service in the
middle of the Pacific.
This is the first land u have seen since we left Hawaii.
I have lots of cool pictures that I will put up when I can.

Goodbye Land

Here's hope'n I have sea legs!

East Bound and Down

We are loaded up and trucking.
No place to go but California.
I will try to update while I can.
Until then I will be maintaing radio silince.

A look down

This is high atop the ship
Vualtures Row.
Can you name the planes and the ship in the back ground?

No turning back

That is the ramp used to get on the ship. As you can see it is no
longer ataxhed.
We are out of here in a few hours.
Looks like we are going to 20 knots insted of 14.
Roll Tide.

Underway?

Looks like we may be getting underway sooner than later.
Rumor is the the Skiper wants to take off soon as we can.
But we will not no for sure until for another hour and a half.
Here's hopein.

All over Oahu

This is Kaena Point State Park, the end of the road.
This is as far north as you can go on the West side of the island.
The Waiane Mountians stop you from turning right and being on the
North Shore.
We have been on all sides of the island.
It is a bit hazey out today but it has been freaking great.
It has been great to make up for the rain the otherday.
When we get on the ship tonight we are in it to win it.
Steaming back to the main land.

Sandy Beach

So we are not pulling out until 14:00 on Wed. About 51 hours behind
schedual.
To fix the pin hole leak in the boiler they had to by hand chisle out
a hole in cement to get to the problem, fix it and poor more concert.
So while we are waiting on wet concert to dry we went back windward.
The surf is up at the beach and it was huge at this cove.
Take my advice don't go snorkiling with navy rescue smimers.
They sure made it look easy when I was getting my but kicked by waves.

My new bed

Well, this is where I now sleep an night. The is just enough room for
me and a book.
It is like being in a coffin kinda.
I awoke on and off during the night. I made but is is going to be
rough while in port.

Hawaiian Luau

So the boiler is still down, the Captin and the Comadore let us know
we are still in for up to 48 hours. We may make up time on the sea.
There is a pin hole leak that they have to get to.
They may have to cut a hole in the hual to get to the leak.
But the Tiger Op is underway. This is the lunch they fed us.
That's a pig baby.
There is a band and hula dancers.
Life in the Navy, stuck at port.

24 or 48

This is the view from the deck.
This may be the only view I get for a while. The one of the two
boilers is out in the ship and we may not pull out for another 2 days.
We the "tiger's" are now part of the crew and can not get off the ship
until Liberty at 16:00.
Aloha. Keep you posted.

On the flight deck

This is me on the deck in front of a Marine Cobra helicopter.
This place is huge. And I may be here for a while.

My bed

This is my home the next 6 days. My rack.

Wouldn't you know

We are on the way to the ship and sitting in traffic.
This is the best day weather wise since I have been here.
I guess I will just have to come back, with people this time.

In search of waves

We stopped on the North Shore looking for so surf. Not to ride but to
watch. And not to much doing. It is a crapy day by Hawaii standerds,
but it is still great to be here. I will just have to come back when
the weather and waves are better

Miss Casa

So the in the back is the "Iron Nickle"
My home starting Monday morning. Bob and I got all checked in.
I am now thinking "wow. What have I got myself into!?"
I know it's going to be great.
We are off now to spend put last day on Oahu.

Rain

This is my brother in-law Rob and his pop Bob.
We ate some breakfest this morning and then the rain came.
Rainy season is here; that did not stop us from a good time.
We walked around Waikki. Got to see where Bob lived in 1971. Then we
hit the beach.
Today we check into the ship and I will be granted leave. Then we
report back and shove off at 13:00
13:00-I don't even own a watch. And my cell us not going in the middle
of the pacific.

Roll Tide

So Bama beat Tenn, like a dog. The fun was watching it with
Tuscaloosins.
I may be on a rock on the other side of the world, but I got to watch
the beat down with Bama Fans.

Rob and his dad are now in Waikki. We check into the ship Sunday and
set sail Monday.
I still have no idea what I am going to do for a week on a ship.
I guess I will find out soon.

A few pictures from the first few days

So this was from yesterday.
I was at the USS Arizona. That is the USS Missouri in the back ground.
The Japanese surrender to place on the deck of "Big Mo". But it may be better know as the setting for Cher's "If I Could Turn Back Time" video.












This is my in the Pacific. Just Hanging out.
That is Diamond Head behind me.












And this is me with my scooter. I am up on Diamond Head. I road my "hog" up there.
I finally relaxed while I was out on the open road.

Out and about

I know. I have not updated all day.
I went to the beach early this morning looking to do some surfing,
with out my phone (I did not think I could do it but I did).
The were lots if surfers but not a lot of surfing. So rather then blow
money on a board when there we not a lot of waves; I played I. The
oceean.
After that stopes being fun a laid on the beach to relax.
Turns out that I am no good at relaxing.
So I rented a hog and hit the road.
This is my rental hog and the view from Dimond Head Road.

USS Arizona

I'm standing at this memorial right now. This is just amazing. The
ship burned for 3 days. The anchor feet 225 feet when it was hit.

Pre-pearl harbor

This is the line into Peral Harbor, it is moving pretty quick. It has
been intresting tour so far. 90 year old racist, that comitment to
what you belive.

Aloha

It 6:15am here. Not to bad b/c I was passed out by 9 last night.
This morning I am going on a city tour and pearl harbor tour.
I am drinking so amazing local coffe and wish I would have had some
food with it. But I know soon as I get up the bus will be here.
Via la ascott and roll tide

Wish you were here

I got lied

So 16 hours later and I am here. Feels great. Can't belive I finaly
made it here. State number 49. I have not been to a new state since
1997.
On bus to hotel now. I am going to check into the hotel, check in for
thursdays tour, eat and the sleep.

I can see for miles and miles

Well you wont read this until I land, but I am 34000ft above the
Pacific.
Chuging along. Got a lucky break on this flight, I got a window and
there is a lady beside me in the alsie but no one in the middle.
Only problem is that she is a bit chatty. Mid fifties looking, retired
she just visited her new born grandbaby in Salt Lake City. She is
orginal from Kentucky. She and her husband have a house there still
but she lives on the big island. It is paradise and she has welcomed
me to it.
Oh yeah, she liked SLC b/c they had fall and changeing colors on the
trees.
I'm glad I have 2 iPods.

Sleepless in Portland

I'm so beat. When this plane takes off in a few min I will only have 6
more hours to go.
I hope I make it that long.

38002 ft.

Hello from high a top Rapid City, SD. I can not see Mt. Rushmore
but the weather just cleared and I have a great view of the Black Hills.
From this view I can see why the French hated this place.
The flight so far has been very bumpy. I got about 2 hours of
sleep last night but I wake up during some of the bad turbulance and
hear the usual junk:

Nervous lady: it's like Disneyland (I've heard her say it 4 times)

Kinda drunk male: Is this what you call bad?

Well 2 more hours to go, at least we are going 520mph.

Sent from my iPhone

Sleepy in the Dirty South

Got on the next plane. From here I fly to Portland. Let's hope the
wagon wheel does not break on this Oregon Trail. Better yet yellow
fever or malaria better not break out on this wagon/plane.

Atlanta

Plane to Atlanta was full, but I got a sweet score of an exit row, on
the 3 seat side all to myself.
45 min of 14 hours in airports and planeing is done.

I'm on a plane...

Got to airport. Bought a big bottle of water, a Spin Magazine(wich for
some reason I only ever buy at airports) and some Rolaids.

Phase 1

4:33am -I am underway. Airport here I come. Thanks to Mr. and Mrs.
Robert G. Briscoe for the place to stay last night and the ride to the
airport. I could not be a navyman with out you.

We want you, we want you for a new recruit

At 5:45am on October 22, I leave to join the Navy for one week.
I get to Honolulu about 3:30 local time, 6 hours in the future from home.
Thankfully my Navy duty will start with some time off at the beach, surfing, watching the Tenn/Bama game and hanging out in Hawaii.
On the 26th I will board the USS Peleliu for a week long Tiger Cruise.
The Tiger Cruise is a week long trip from Peal Harbor to Camp Pendleton (where I will be taken off the ship via military hovercraft). From Pendleton I will be bussed down to San Diego where I will meet up with my sister who will be waiting for her husband (who she has not seen in 6 months and I just spent a week with) to fly off the ship in his helicopter.
While I am on the ship not only will I get to hang out with my brother in-law, a combat rescue swimmer, I will get: "...meals, a PELELIU ball cap, a tiger t-shirt, patch, and picture. Additionally, the Tigers will be given the opportunity to complete a Tiger PQS and earn a Tiger Surface Warfare Specialist qualification pin. Tours of various spaces on the ship, an air power demonstration, amphibious warfare demo, DC Olympics, a Steel Beach Picnic, and various other MWR-style events...".
I don't know what half that is, but I look forward to telling you all about it as I find out.