Explanation of My Thoughts...

USS Arizona

The Battleship Arizona, which still rests at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, Hawai'i with 1,177 Navymen still aboard Her. She serves as a memorial to those Navymen, the Arizona Herself and to the beginning of WWII. One of my uncles, Donald Inselman, was a survivor of that attack and is on the Arizona survivor's list. The story that was passed down since I was a young child was that another uncle of mine Carson (Hutch) Inselman was also on the Arizona on the 7th of December, 1941 but I do not find him listed as a crew member. I would prefer to think in my own mind that both these Navymen were attached to the Arizona on that day. I have been to Pearl Harbor a number of times on Navy ships and each time my ship would pass by the Arizona Memorial we would render honors to the Arizona and to Her crew. It is a very unique experience filled with pride, honor and remorse for what happened that day to the Arizona crew and the many other Navymen, Civilians and Armymen in the Pearl Harbor area.

USS Iowa...

The Battleship Iowa, BB 61, was an excellent Navy ship but misfortune struck Her and Her crew on 19 April, 1989. A total of 47 sailors died instantaneously aboard Her and serious damage was received by the ship when one of her 16 inch gun turrets, turret Number 2, exploded internally during a peacetime firing exercise. There proved to be nothing wrong with the integrity of the ship or the 16 inch gun turret that the explosion occurred in. This type of casualty was very rare on a navy ship, but it is extremely dangerous on a Navy ship when any type of ammunition is handled, let alone large powder bags, which are used with large caliber guns on a Battleship or Cruiser. Sabotage was suspected but could never be proven. This incident was never really resolved but there was never any doubt about the design and construction of the Battleship Iowa, or the procedures followed on the ship for firing her 16 inch guns. Some smart lawyers tried to make it appear that the Navy was at fault, and that questionable procedures by Officer Personnel of the Weapons Department was the root of the problem. These smart lawyers thought they were grandstanding to a jury, but they were not, a General Court's Martial found the Iowa Officers not guilty. The Iowa was a proud Battleship and performed up to the expectations of all Navymen that had served onboard her.

USS The Sullivans

The Sullivans, DD 537, is a destroyer named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers that were all killed on the USS Juneau, CL 52, during the battle of Guadalcanal in WW II. From that time on the Navy frowned on brothers serving together on the same ship during wartime, but the Navy made provisions to have brothers serve with each other during peacetime. There is still a Navy ship named "The Sullivans", She is a guided missile destroyer and I feel certain that Her present crew still has great pride in the history and in the Navymen this Navy destroyer honors.

USS Nautilus

The Nautilus was the first Navy Submarine to be powered by a nuclear reactor. She established all the records for the time because She could remain submerged for extended periods, due to Her power source. The Nautilus was the first Navy submarine to pass under the ice at the North Pole sometime in 1958. A Navyman that was friend of mine was a member of Her crew during that event. The Nautilus will be forever remembered in the eyes of the world for Her achievements and the technology that allowed the nuclear powered vessel to become the predominant vessel of the seas.

USS Constitution...

The Constitution is a wooden hulled ship and She is the oldest commissioned ship in the U. S. Navy. She dates back to the Revolutionary War period and is still seaworthy. She was given the name "Old Ironsides" because cannon shot would bounce off Her, as if Her hull was constructed of iron. In reality, the ship was constructed of live oak, one of the strongest and most durable of woods. The live oak grows in abundance throughout the southern states and even though it is not an easily worked wood, it has strength that is unmatched by almost any other timber. I have a number of live oak trees in my yard on Johns Island and the strength these trees exhibit even during hurricane force winds is very amazing. I am not surprised that the Constitution remains seaworthy after more than 200 years afloat.

USS Cole DDG67…

The USS Cole, DDG 67, was severely damaged by terrorists in Yemen, in the port of Aden on 12 October, 2000. 17 members of her crew were killed and 39 were injured when a boat loaded with explosives was detonated while along side Her. The Cole was taking on fuel in this foreign port and the country was known to be unfriendly, if not hostile to the United States. How this situation ever was allowed to happen is beyond me. When ships that I was on refueled in that area of the world we always refueled from our own United States fuel tankers while underway. It is a sad thing and I trust that the mistakes that allowed it to occur have been corrected. It will not bring back our lost Shipmates but it may prevent us from losing more of our Sailors due to this type of mistake.