We're right smack in the middle of US Navy (and Marines) territory. I wake in the morning to the cadence-driven tromp of Marine recruits doing their morning PT. I had hoped I'd see some Navy ships while here, but I was quite surprised, (and filled with joy) to find out that the USS Midway (CV-41) was docked about 2 miles away, and had been converted to a museum. My brother, Kelly, had been stationed on the Midway when she was ported in Japan.
Kelly was a rescue swimmer in the helicopter squadron. He flew Search and Rescue missions, and plane guard missions (where the chopper is in the air during launches and recoveries to retrieve the aviators should their plane go down) This was the type of helicopter he flew in.
When I saw this bird, my heart quickened, and my chest filled with pride, because when I was in the Navy, this was the type of aircraft I worked on. It's an A-7 Corsair II. The "A" indicates that it's an attack aircraft, which translates to bomber. My first orders were to the A-7 squadron, VA-97, based out of Naval Air Station Lemoore, CA.
So you can imagine how I felt when I saw this decal on the port side of the bird.... YEAH BABY! That's MY Squadron insignia!
When VA-97 was deployed to my ship, the USS Carl Vinson (CVN-70), it had a "NL" on the tail, and of course "Carl Vinson" instead of "Constellation". It makes me wonder if I had worked on this bird.
As my friend Deb and I walked through the corridors of the ship, she mentioned that my brother's fingerprints were probably all over the ship. I went through the enlisted men's mess, and imagined him sitting there eating sliders and drinking bug juice. It's quite possible he walked through this very passageway. It was very strange, because he died in 2004, and I felt like he was there.
