Monday June 20
I thought I was finished with posts to this blog but it turns out that our niece Laura wanted to see the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier that is now a museum/convention center in Alameda, California. She thought I would be a good person to accompany her as I was stationed on that carrier from 1962-64. Laura drove us to Alameda saving Linda and I from fighting the California traffic. I have been to the ship twice since it was moved to Alameda but this would be my first trip since it was open as a museum.
They now have docents that take you on tours of various parts of the ship. Our first tour was of the superstructure including the bridge, navigation and the admiral's area. The docent was a retired pilot who had many interesting stories to tell. So did I but I kept my mouth shut.
I even got to sit in the Captain's chair. That pleasure was not available to me in the 60s!
Then Linda, Laura and I went to the deck below the hangar bay. Here we found sick bay, the ship's chapel, Chief Petty Officers mess and berthing, some junior grade officer berthing as well as enlisted men's berthing. We actually located the compartment where I had bunked but it was now converted to a display area.
Then it was back to the hangar bay, the fantail and forward and up to the focs'le area where we could see the anchor chain and pulleys for raising and lowering the anchors.
We had missed the engine room tour but a young, pretty college student majoring in museum management was working as a docent and took the 3 of us on our own private tour of the engine room. I had been there many times while I was stationed on the ship. Most of it was familiar but I had forgotten a lot especially since I had never seen it so clean and shiny.
She also took us to the entrance to Number 2 Fireroom (boiler room) where I was stationed. It was all restored but EPA had not yet certified it to be opened to the public. All of the steam pipe insulation in those days was asbestos which as we all know now is a hazardous material. I will come back when it is finally opened so that I can relive some more memories. Actually I was taken there on a private tour about 1993 when the ship was first moved to this location. There was no electricity and two of us went down there with flashlights. Not safe as there is NO ambient light 4 or 5 levels below the hangar bay. Maybe when I get home I will add a picture of me at this same hatchway from 1964.
After that tour we departed back to Livermore for a lunch and then back to my dad's house. It was a very enjoyable day and we took lots of pictures to remember it better.
I thought I was finished with posts to this blog but it turns out that our niece Laura wanted to see the USS Hornet, an aircraft carrier that is now a museum/convention center in Alameda, California. She thought I would be a good person to accompany her as I was stationed on that carrier from 1962-64. Laura drove us to Alameda saving Linda and I from fighting the California traffic. I have been to the ship twice since it was moved to Alameda but this would be my first trip since it was open as a museum.
They now have docents that take you on tours of various parts of the ship. Our first tour was of the superstructure including the bridge, navigation and the admiral's area. The docent was a retired pilot who had many interesting stories to tell. So did I but I kept my mouth shut.
I even got to sit in the Captain's chair. That pleasure was not available to me in the 60s!
Then Linda, Laura and I went to the deck below the hangar bay. Here we found sick bay, the ship's chapel, Chief Petty Officers mess and berthing, some junior grade officer berthing as well as enlisted men's berthing. We actually located the compartment where I had bunked but it was now converted to a display area.
Then it was back to the hangar bay, the fantail and forward and up to the focs'le area where we could see the anchor chain and pulleys for raising and lowering the anchors.
We had missed the engine room tour but a young, pretty college student majoring in museum management was working as a docent and took the 3 of us on our own private tour of the engine room. I had been there many times while I was stationed on the ship. Most of it was familiar but I had forgotten a lot especially since I had never seen it so clean and shiny.
She also took us to the entrance to Number 2 Fireroom (boiler room) where I was stationed. It was all restored but EPA had not yet certified it to be opened to the public. All of the steam pipe insulation in those days was asbestos which as we all know now is a hazardous material. I will come back when it is finally opened so that I can relive some more memories. Actually I was taken there on a private tour about 1993 when the ship was first moved to this location. There was no electricity and two of us went down there with flashlights. Not safe as there is NO ambient light 4 or 5 levels below the hangar bay. Maybe when I get home I will add a picture of me at this same hatchway from 1964.
After that tour we departed back to Livermore for a lunch and then back to my dad's house. It was a very enjoyable day and we took lots of pictures to remember it better.
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