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My Time Aboard an Awesome Machine...
By: DukeNet Administrator
4-11-2009
This page is dedicated to the men and women whom have dedicated their
lives to
this Great Nation Under God. Along with those selfless men
and women
whom have given up their lives for the cause of freedom. The
United States of America is the shining light in a dark world, where
greed, corruption, and evil are continually plotting to deny us our God
given
rights of freedom and liberty. Even with
the present political and financial crisis, America is still the most awesome country
on the face of this planet. Regardless
of what is happening in the world; America will prevail. We have always been and will continue to be
the land of the free and the home of the brave.
God Bless America!!!
I have had a life-long interest in the tools that American Engineering has
created to maintain our freedom. My good friend, whose name I will leave
out of this story for security reasons, allowed me to take a close look at one
of the awesome pieces of the US Navy's hardware; an Arleigh Burke Class (Aegis)
Guided Missile Destroyer...the USS Ross DDG 71. From this point forward,
I will refer to him as “K”. I have had
two opportunities to spend time on the USS Ross. My first trip was a
Friends and Family Day Cruise, the second was a Tiger Cruise which lasted three
days and two nights. I am presently an Computer Information Systems student (in college for the second time) whom has been working in a
highly technological field since 1996.
Throughout my life, I have spent countless hours reading about weapons
and technology. United States Military’s
hardware has always captured my imagination.
Many nations have attempted to mimic our equipment. Although other nations have achieved similar
technologies, we are always a step ahead.
For those of you who feel that we should disarm, I suggest you migrate
to another nation. America is free
because of our ability to keep evil subdued.
The minute that we are defenseless, will be our final moment. My experience aboard the USS Ross transformed
the majority of my childhood dreams to reality (I still would like to take a
ride in a US fighter plane…). I am
forever in debt to K for giving me the chance to see a DDG in action.
You may be wondering at this point why I am not in
the military. It is quite simple
really. My father was drafted during the
Viet-Nam War. For as long as I can
remember, my dad has always wanted me to go to college, get a good job, raise a
family, and stay out of the military. If
I had lost the HUGE number of friends that he did during the Viet-Nam War, I
would surely steer my children as he did me.
I have visited the Viet-Nam War Memorial in Washington D.C. with my
father. While we were there, I helped
him make rubbings of the closest friends that he lost during the war. Needless to say, I went to college…
When I first met K, it didn’t take him long to
figure out what I was all about. There
are probably times the he doesn’t fully understand my fascination with what he does
for a living. Perhaps after reading
this, he will see things from my vantage point. When I was invited to join K aboard the USS
Ross, I had no idea what I was about to experience. It is hard to put into words the firepower
that a DDG has within its arsenal, not to mention the tactical data that it is
able to send and receive. On top of
superior weaponry and sensory capability, a DDG does a nice job putting its
100,000 HP to work. At 505 feet and
approximately 8.8 tons, the USS Ross has an amazing ability to get where it
needs to be in a highly efficient manner.
Let’s just say it is well engineered…
When I received the second invite to spend time
aboard the USS Ross, I thought I had a good idea of what to expect, but like
the first trip, I underestimated what I was going to experience. K and his fellow shipmates did a great job at
allowing a few civilians to see what life at sea aboard a warship is all
about. I slept in the birthing area
where the majority of the sailors sleep (my feet were pointing fore and me head
was obviously facing aft… the port and starboard rocking put me to sleep…DEAD
sleep!). Several times during our trip K
pointed out that we were walking Athwartships.
Basically, this is walking at a right angle from port to starboard or
visa-versa. I have a great appreciation
for the manner in which K takes to his duties in the Navy. He is a student of naval combat focusing on
both the past and present. The Athwartships comment
is a prime example of his dedication to naval literacy. K dedicates a large amount of time away from
his family to ensure, that people like me continue to live free. If asked, he would probably down-play such a
label, but that is what makes Great Americans great…they are selfless and
humble. In the words of Sean Hannity, K
is a “Great American”. After seeing a
piece of the aforementioned American Engineering at work, I am forever
changed. I don’t have to wonder if what
I am reading is fact or fiction in regards to our Nations abilities. I know, without a doubt, that we will
continue to be a free Nation as long as people like K continue to dedicate their
lives to the pursuit of liberty.
Thanks for everything K!
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I would like to remind all
Americans that this country was founded upon Christian principles. I have absolute faith in Jesus Christ. He is my Lord and Saviour. If you don’t know him personally, I ask that
you open your heart and mind to His Truth. To those who prefer to not discuss these topics, I say to you that true Christianity and conservative politics must be expressed to help
transform those who are Opiniated into
Informed individuals. Without either, we
will eventually cease to be free…
Jesus always stood for what He knew was right. As His disciple, I have the same responsibility…
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