From: Waspscpo@aol.com [mailto:Waspscpo@aol.com]
Sent: Tuesday, July 05, 2005 6:39 AM
To: undisclosed-recipients
Subject: LINCOLN opens its decks to crowd

http://www.heraldnet.com/stories/05/07/05/100loc_lincoln001.cfm

The Fourth of July event aboard the carrier was a treat for civilians and sailors.

By Bill Sheets
Herald Writer
Tuesday, July 5, 2005

EVERETT - An estimated 6,000 people took advantage of a sparkling afternoon and an offer from the Navy to board the USS Abraham Lincoln on Monday.


Kevin Nortz / The Herald
Jason Gray of Reardan walks among the flags streaming aboard the Lincoln on Monday.

"Fantastic. Absolutely wonderful," Steve Merrill of Lynnwood said of his family's trip aboard the Lincoln.

Lines to board buses to the aircraft carrier's dock area and security lines to board the ship were long but moved fairly quickly. The Merrills waited about 40 minutes in line to get on the ship, but said it was well worth it.

The two main decks of the gigantic ship, the hangar deck where aircraft are kept and the flight deck, were set up like an open house for people to walk around at leisure and ask questions of the sailors.

On the hangar deck, stations were set up showing samples of bombs and torpedoes, machine guns, fire suits, riot gear, a jet engine and fire equipment. Hats, shirts, patches, snacks and drinks were available.

People were allowed to try on the fire suits and the bulletproof vest, pick up the machine guns, and fire shots on a laser training simulator.

"Very interactive," Merrill said.

Edye Terpsma, 11, whose family is moving to Arlington from Tennessee, tried on a fire suit. A sailor also gave her a hose to hang onto.

"It was easy," she said, though she added that the weight of the suit made her knees hurt.

A steady stream of people filed by to hold two sample machine guns of the type mounted on the ship, and take pictures of each other while doing so. One of the guns, an M-240, fires up to 950 rounds per minute and weighs 26 pounds.

"It was cool," said Jason Kvame of Issaquah. "It's heavy, too."

An open-air elevator about two-thirds the size of a basketball court - the one used to move jets between the two decks - lifted visitors up and down.

Each time, with a warning from a sailor, the elevator started with a jolt and then moved quickly, the trip taking only a few seconds.

"Woo hoo!" someone yelled as the elevator zipped upward.

Merrill, an engineer, said the elevator was his favorite part of the visit.

"The elevator was my favorite, too," said his son Spencer, 8.

On the flight deck, about three football fields long and four-and-a-half acres in size, visitors wandered freely in the sun and light breeze. Sailors did demonstrations of a practice rescue of a pilot from a plane that had crash-landed or caught fire.

The sailors seemed to enjoy the interaction with the visitors as much as the visitors did with the sailors.

"I really embrace the camaraderie with the public, I really enjoy it," said sailor Thomas Brandt, a telecommunications specialist.

Sailors said they received many comments of support for the work they do.

"It's a treat to hear that," said sailor Joaquin Juatai, a spokesman for the ship.

The 17-year-old Lincoln is home to 3,100 regular crew members and up to 5,500 when planes are aboard. It's a city in itself, Juatai said. The Lincoln has 19 decks in all, many of them below the water line.

The public was able to see only a small part of the ship, relatively speaking.

"When you're dealing with this large a volume of people, you have to do it this way," Juatai said. Tours were given on the other ship open to the public Monday, the frigate USS Ingraham, a much smaller vessel. About 500 boarded the Ingraham, said public affairs officer Lt. Cmdr. John Filostrat.

Other than specially arranged tours, the event was the first time the general public has been able to board ships at the Everett port since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Security was airportlike.

The open house was part of the Navy's Family Freedom Fest, which also included food booths, live music, a softball tournament, a kids' play area and a beer garden.

Everett residents E.J. and Rhonda Smith brought their four kids to see the Lincoln. While they wanted to see the ship themselves, they also wanted their kids to develop a sense of respect for the job done by those who serve in the military.

"This connects us all - everyone," E.J. Smith said.

Reporter Bill Sheets: 425-339-3439 or sheets@heraldnet.com

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/72.htm

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Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN(ret)