Nimitz News - Dec. 8, 2013

DECEMBER 8, 2013

INSIDE: INFAMY OF DEC. 7 PG. 8

NBA POWER RANKINGS

Vol. 39 No. 43

A DYING SAILOR’S WISH

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NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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By Lt. Cmdr. Jeff Jenkins Commanding Officer Capt. Jeff Ruth Executive Officer Capt. J.J. Cummings Command Master Chief CMDCM Teri M. McIntyre Public Affairs Officer Lt. Cmdr. Karin Burzynski Media DIVO Ensign John Mike Media LCPO MCC Mike Jones Media Production Chief MCC Gregory Roberts Media LPO MC1 Michael Cole Editor MC3 George J Penney III Lead Designer MCSN Andrew Price Media Department MC2 Jacquelyn Childs MC2 Devin Wray MC2 Ryan Mayes MC2 Alexander Ventura II MC2 Jacob Milner MC2 Jess Lewis MC2 Phil Ladouceur MC2 Raul Moreno Jr. MC3 Shayne Johnson MC3 Christopher Bartlett MC3 Linda S. Swearingen MC3 Vanessa David MC3 W. J. Cousins MC3 Derek Volland MC3 Sam Souvannason MC3 Nathan McDonald MC3 Joshua Haiar MC3 Kole Carpenter MC3 Derek Harkins MC3 Kaitlyn Haskett MC3 Eric Butler MC3 Siobhana McEwen MCSN Aiyana Paschal MCSA Kelly Agee MCSA Victoria Ochoa

Nimitz News accepts submissions in writing. All submissions must be in by Friday, COB. Submissions are subject to review and screening.

“Nimitz News” is an authorized publication for the members of the military services and their families.

Its content does not necessarily reflect the official views of the U.S. Government, the Department of Defense, the Department of the Navy, or the Marine Corps and does not imply endorsement thereby.

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We made it. Tigers are embarked, people are smiling, deployment is over well almost. When we do pull into our homeport, whichever one that is for you, the work is not complete. If you visited the NEX in Pearl Harbor you were probably overwhelmed with the shopping choices. Many other situations at home can be equally overwhelming. You will be attending a return and reunion brief at some point during Tiger Cruise but here are some quick tips to get you started.

1. Manage your expectations! You’ve changed during deployment. So have your friends and family back home. Reunions should be joyful but that doesn’t mean they meet expectations. Be careful to not set expectations too high or too low.

Be flexible and enjoy that you are home again.

2. Practice Moderation. If a little is good, more is better, right? Deployment teaches us to see how much we can cram into a few days of liberty and make up for lost time. For some things on liberty that’s fine while others, alcohol for instance, it is not a great plan. Ease back into your routine at home. You may have 152 channels but there still probably isn’t much worth watching. Set a reasonable limit and stick to it. Ease back into driving. Don’t gain the weight you lost on deployment in the first month back – even with the added challenge of holiday goodies.

3. Get out of the barracks! Where ever you are stationed, travel opportunities abound, especially if you look at a 350 mile radius. I’ll use Lemoore, perhaps the base represented on the ship with the least in the local area. Within a 3 hour drive on the weekend you can choose between three national parks, including Yosemite, go to the beach at Pismo Beach or Malibu, visit Monterey, or Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. If you have kids, take them to the zoo or park instead of sitting at home.

Free or discounted entrances abound for military including free admission for military and dependants at National Parks.

4. Married? Get to know your spouse all over again. Reuniting is awkward.

Each of you has changed over the course of deployment. You have adjusted to typing your communication rather than talking face to face. The spouse at home has been carrying the load with chores, bills, and perhaps kids. You have been taking care of business on an arduous eight and a half month deployment. Do not play the “Who had it tougher game!” There are no winners in that game. Go out to dinner.

Celebrate your accomplishments. Don’t assume your spouse is a mind reader. Discuss your plans for after deployment. You may still have to carefully negotiate to find a compromise but that is better than the conflict that arises when you assumed the other person knew and agreed to your plan.

5. Children? Be flexible and be patient. Every child is unique and children will even handle different deployments in different ways. Attend the briefs by Fleet and Family Servie Center by age group to learn about common behaviors in babies, toddlers, school age kids, or high schoolers. Find a hobby your child enjoys and participate with them. Watch videos with them of things you missed due to deployment. Finally, celebrate their accomplishments as well as their sacrifices for your military service.

6. Manage your stress! Finally, be aware of your stress level. Identify key stressors. Develop a plan of action for those you can control. Learn to control your attitude when you can’t control your environment. Victor Frankl, a prisoner in Auschwitz, a German concentration camp in World War II reflected on his experiences and came to this conclusion: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”

How are you doing at changing your attitudes?

Rejoice because the end is near but spend a little time preparing and your joy will be multiplied.

DEPLOYMENT ISN’T OVER YET.NIMITZ OPSEC IS STILL PRIORITY. NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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As Sailors and Marines walk the passageways of Nimitz they may see him. The massive shoulders and bulging arm muscles threatening to rip his uniform at the seams may seem intimidating at first, but Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd Class Clifford McKinley, of San Antonio, Texas, assigned to the “Wolf Pack” of Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron (HSM) 75, is merely a gentle giant who happens to be a body builder.

“I’ve been doing bodybuilding for about three years,” said McKinley. “I started about one year after I came into the Navy.”

After being a baseball player for years and a fitness buff, McKinley said he became interested in training to become a bodybuilder after a trainer at the naval base gym in Coronado, Calif., told him he had the ideal body frame for bodybuilding.

“I’ve always wanted to be bigger and more muscular than I was, so I started researching bodybuilding after speaking to a guy at the gym, and I thought it was a good way to bulk up,” said McKinley.

The Navy only requires Sailors to do 3060 minutes of exercise, three times a week, but McKinley has to exercise seven days a week, for three hours a day, to maintain his physique.

“I have days where I work different parts of my body,” said McKinley. “Mondays I work the chest area, Tuesdays are my back days, Wednesdays I work on my legs, Thursdays I work my shoulders, Fridays are for my arms, Saturdays I do a lot of cardio and work my abs and Sundays are a full body workout that hits every part of the body. The cardio is to maintain my appetite.”

In addition to following a strict workout regiment, McKinley has to eat massive quantities of food and watch his diet to maintain his weight and muscle mass.

According to McKinley, he usually eats six meals a day, but while underway there are only three meals a day he can eat, so he supplements his diet with care packages from home filled with protein rich foods such as tuna and peanut butter.

“Trying to find quality protein is hard on the ship,” said McKinley. “I have to use supplements like protein shakes to keep me going so I’m not starving between meals.

When I’m at home I eat a lot of chick-

en and my wife will help me with a lot of food preparation. I can eat an entire chicken throughout the day.”

McKinley’s goal is to go from his usual weight of 245 pounds to between 270 – 280 pounds before the end of the year by building more muscle mass.

“In bodybuilding it’s not who’s the biggest, it’s who’s the most cut and to not have any fat on your body,” said McKinley.

There is a lot of work McKinley has to do in order to prepare himself physically for a bodybuilding competition including gaining more fat on his body during the offseason time so he can grow bigger muscles and bulk up.

“Prepping for a show you have to do a little conditioning like 30-45 minutes of cardio a day, the eating habits change from eating carbs in the evening to eating carbs in the mornings only and eating protein in between,” said McKinley. “I drink two gallons of water a day. The more water you drink the more water weight you flush out.

When prepping for a show your body starts to shrink around the muscle tissue like saran wrap which gives the illusion of being bigger than you actually are.”

Competing at a national level bodybuilding competition is McKinley’s ultimate goal and it’s one that he is getting closer to after competing in his first local competition last year.

“I did one competition right before RIMPAC [Rim of the Pacific exercise],” said McKinley. “I placed eighth in an amateur contest, but it gave me the motivation to become more defined and I hired a prep coach to help me prepare.”

McKinley said he plans to participate in a competition being held later this year in Culver City, Calif., in order to continue on to a national level.

“If I win I can go to the nationals [competition] and get a pro card that says I’m a member of the IFBB [International Federation of Bodybuilders],” said McKinley.

In addition to continuing to train at bodybuilding, McKinley said he wants to put his schooling for kinesiology, which is the study of the body, movements and the skeletal system, to use and open up his own gym within 10 years to help people achieve their ultimate fitness goals.

NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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STORY BY MCSA (SW) KELLY AGEE

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If any big event happens, we provide a piece of the puzzle to peacefully solve the problem.

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-Lt. Cmdr. CJ Simonsen

The F/A-18E Super Hornet roars to life as steam flows from the catapult. The air is filled with heat.

The vibration courses all the way from your head to your toes. This is a mighty machine and it has the ability to cause destruction at a moments notice.

Designed and produced by McDonnell Douglas, the Super Hornet first flew in 1995. With full production beginning in September 1997, the aircraft entered service with the Navy in 1999, replacing the Grumman F-14 Tomcat.

The Super Hornet’s main mission on board Nimitz is to support the ship, being alert to protect and an asset that can be sent anywhere.

The Navy took a balanced approach to survivability in the Super Hornet’s design. It does not rely on low-observable technology, such as stealth systems. Instead it incorporates a combination of stealth, advanced electronic-warfare capabilities, reduced ballistic vulnerability, the use of standoff weapons, and innovative tactics that enhance the safety of the aircraft and crew.

However, the life and soul behind this machine isn’t the advanced technology, it’s the people who train and work with this aircraft day-in and day-out.

“The Navy is based around the aircraft carrier and what the aircraft carrier can do,” said Lt. Cmdr. CJ Simonsen, assigned to the “Argonauts” of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 147. “If any big event happens, we provide a piece of the puzzle to peacefully solve the problem.”

Some pilots believe what makes the Super Hornet so unique from other aircraft is its versatile capability.

“It’s a multi-role fighter,” said Lt. Leslie A. Romig, also assigned to the “Argonauts.” “It’s challenging for the pilots because we learn such a wide variety of mission types. Anything from long range strikes to close-in dog-fighting type missions. It takes someone who is motivated to fly this aircraft.”

Possibly the most important role of the aircraft

is providing support to Marines and Soldiers on the ground. This resonates deeply with many of the pilots.

“One of my favorite memories was my first flight into Afghanistan,” said Romig. “It was the first time I talked to Marines and Soldiers on the ground. It was a collection of years of training for me. I was working hard for so many years and finally getting to a point where I felt like I was in a position that I could help our troops on the ground and save someone’s life when called upon.”

“Just supporting the Marines and Soldiers on the ground is something I will always hold dear and cherish,” said Simonsen. “The blanket of freedom and security we gave them knowing we were above them felt good.”

Deservedly, the pilots receive a lot of recognition for flying, but according to Simonsen, they are only one part of the team.

“We couldn’t do this without our enlisted men and women,” said Simonsen. “They have a very hard job. We wouldn’t get one jet airborne if they didn’t do their job as well as they do.”

So many people play a key role in the mission of the aircraft and every one of them appreciates the importance of their work.

“We make sure the aircraft launches and recoveries go safely,” said Aviation Structural Mechanic (Equipment) 3rd Class Raesheena Brown, assigned to the “Argonauts.” “We get the final look on the jets to say if it is ready to fly safely in the air. It’s fun when everyone is sitting in the shop relaxing and then all of a sudden over the 1MC we hear ‘launch the alert 16,’” said Brown. “Everyone runs up to the flight deck even if it’s pouring rain outside.”

Even though the jets on board have many technological advances, it’s the whole squadron that gives the aircraft the ability to launch and perform missions for our strike group. Every Sailor is a piece of that puzzle.

NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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On a sleepy Sunday in Hawaii, a fire was spreading all around the world, but it still seemed very far away. It was only a whisper, a worry taking place in Asia and in Europe, not yet on U.S. soil. A few people noticed planes flying especially low, heading toward Pearl Harbor. The day was Dec. 7, 1941.

NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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The realization of what was happening came in bits and pieces.

Most thought it was a drill at first. When the first bomb fell, some people thought it had been accidentally dropped.

But by the time Webley Edwards made his announcement over the radio shortly before 9 a.m., no one had any doubts about what was happening: “This is no maneuver. Japanese forces are attacking the island.

This is the real McCoy!” A simple chronology of the day’s events could never hope to convey what it was like to be there. As the attack was happening, there was no way to make sense of it.

“It was like being engulfed in a great flood, a tornado or earthquake,” said Chief Charles Russell. “The thing hit so quickly and so powerfully it left you stunned and amazed.”

The destruction left in the wake of the attack was overwhelming, literally shattering the world of those caught in it.

“There were steel fragments in the air, fire, oil,” said Seaman Martin Matthews, who was on the USS Arizona. “God knows what all, pieces of timber, pieces of the boat deck, canvas, and even pieces of bodies. I remember lots of steel and bodies coming down. I saw a thigh and leg; I saw fingers; I saw hands; I saw elbows and arms.”

Sometimes it seemed like those who died immediately were the lucky ones. Those caught in the fires and lived suffered horrifically.

“These men were zombies,” said Private James Cory, also on the Arizona. “They were burned completely white. Their skin was just as white as if you had taken a bucket of whitewash and painted it white. Their hair was burned off, their eyebrows were burned off… They were moving like robots. Their arms were out, held away from their bodies, and they were stumping along the decks.”

Photos of the attack and its aftermath cannot convey what it was like. Not even the vivid descriptions of eyewitnesses could ever hope to adequately explain it.

“If you didn’t go through it, there are no words that can adequately describe it; if you were there, then no words are necessary,” said Signalman John McGoran.

But as awful as the shock and pain of the attack was, some could see the way through to victory.

“We have taken a tremendous wallop, but I have no doubt as to the ultimate outcome,” said Adm. Chester Nimitz, addressing reporters. Over the years to come, the calm and steady presence he brought with him to Pearl Harbor would guide the Navy through its recovery and eventual victory.

Looking back, Adm. Nimitz could see that, for a variety of reasons, the Japanese attack, for all the devastation it caused, never achieved its objective of disabling the Navy’s ability to operate in the Pacific.

They left the repair facilities and fuel depot intact. Sinking the slow, hulking battleships turned the Navy into a fast and mobile force of carrier strike groups. But most importantly, it was the way the attack stirred the spirit of the country to respond.

“The attack on Pearl Harbor had the effect of uniting the American people in their determination to pursue the war which had been forced upon them,” said Nimitz.

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REMEM Remember. Never forget. Take some time to reflect on the sacrifices of those that died, and the bravery of those who responded to the attack.

NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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NBA POWER RANKINGS

By Rick Rickson

Maybe it’s not the most telling stat, but the Pacers – off to a fine start on their first big swing West after fattening up on East foes – are just the 13th team ever to start a season winning 16 of its first 17. Rather impressive, even if only five of the other 12 teams went on to win it all.

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One would argue that this six-game win streak, with half of those wins coming on the road and a shave of nearly eight points per game in team defense fueling the surge, is as unexpected as Portland’s 11-game win streak. The Nuggets next five are on the road, too, all against sub-.500 teams in the East.

Look out, world. Only seven points separate the twotime champs from a 17-0 start that would make the ’72 Dolphins envious. As it stands, Miami has won 10 in a row by an average margin of 12.5 points per game and, of great consequence, are making the Michael Beasley gamble work.

The Dubs want to believe they’re getting all of their injuries and a good chunk of their road games (11 down already) out of the way early. Wish I had a dime, in the meantime, for every time I’ve thought about a Dubs/OKC playoff series in the spring.

Too many wins on the road, plus too much Wes Matthews in addition to the stuff we’ve come to expect from Aldridge/Lillard/Batum to call this a mirage.

People complaining about a soft schedule better wake up quickly, and realize that Portland is a contender. (Hopefully, Matthews’ hip can hold up.)

Last week’s 15-point loss in Miami was the first (and only) double-digit defeat of the season for Jeff Hornacek’s scrappers. Suns fans will surely learn to live with Saturday’s home loss to the Jazz once someone reminds them that Portland is 0-2 in Phoenix thus far and 14-1 everywhere else.

If you see the outcomes of super-close games as random events, as some experts do, you won’t be too impressed to hear that OKC has already won four games by three points or fewer after only three such W’s last season. Me? I’m more apt to tip my cover in these types of situations.

No shame that K-Love hasn’t quite been able to maintain his 25-point, 15-rebound and five-assist pace. The only players to do that for an entire season are Wilt (twice), Elgin Baylor and Kareem.

The Wolves just wish the schedule would ease up some; San Antonio and Miami are next at home.

Is it time to start worrying about Tim Duncan’s pedestrian production? No. This is merely a product of Coach Pop managing Big Timmy’s playing time with even more caution than usual. These two have earned our trust and the benefit of the doubt.

The Mavs have scraped through a November that served up six back-to-backs in passable fashion, but the reality is they haven’t played well since that stirring fourth-quarter comeback at home against Houston, losing their grip on what would have been handy road wins in Denver and Atlanta.

The three-game break imposed on James Harden couldn’t have gone much better. Houston swept all three without him and then welcomed back a fresher more team-oriented Harden. Seeing his teammates succeed while he rested that persistently sore left foot clearly had an impact.

Nothing against what we’ve seen from Xavier Henry, Jordan Hill, Wes Johnson and, most recently, Robert Sacre’s yeoman efforts. Yet for all the 3s and that better-than-expected defense, the world is ready to see Kobe make his long-awaited return this week (or next).

You cannot understate how well J.J. Redick has been playing alongside CP3. Yet as long as Redick can recapture that form when he returns in two months, the Clippers should be able to cope in the short term with Jamal Crawford and Willie Green filling the void.

Frontcourt defense is still the bigger long-term worry.

Best point guard in the game? Not quite yet. But give John Wall and the resurgent Wizard this much: He’s one of only five player in history to average at least 16 points, eight assists and four rebounds through the first 200 games of his pro career… joining the Big O, Magic, Damon Stoudamire and CP3.

All-Star Weekend in New Orleans is sure to be good. But it’d be even better if the Pelicans have a rep in the big game, which is now a far longer shot after The Unibrow suffered a fracture in his left hand…just as things were looking up due to Ryan Anderson’s return.

Any Rudy Gay fans out there? I hope a lot of hands stayed down, especially since Gay is shooting .383 from the floor, second-worst among players with 200 FG attempts, behind only Kemba Walker.

All the scrutiny rookie coach Dave Joerger has been subjected to figures to fade (at least temporarily) now that Z-Bo has joined Marc Gasol on the injured list. The Grizzlies obviously are not the Grizzlies without those two and have lost four straight at home for the first time since the spring of 2010.

Safe to say MCW is about to be named the Sixer’s first Rookie of the Month since Allen Iverson back in April 1997. Equally safe to say that Sixers fans are watching what happens with New Orleans as closely as their own team, with the Pelicans owing them a first-rounder in June unless it falls in the top five.

Ninety-eight points against the Heat? Sticky defense from Michael Kidd-Gilchrist on LeBron despite a stubborn plantar fasciitis issue? A one-point loss against the two-time defending champs, suffered only because Chris Bosh uncharacteristically drained three late 3s? Lots of moral-victory material there.

One of the biggest questions in NBA circles: Can Boogie Cousins make the All-Star team? Instinct tells me West coaches aren’t ready to vote for him – especially with the Kings still losing so often – but do you know how many other centers rank among the NBA’s top 30 scorers? Try none.

It’s one thing to start the season without D-Rose, at the Bulls did in 2012-13, and know from the start he might miss the whole season. Losing him 11 games in when you though D-Rose was healed – in the middle of the dreaded Circus Trip, no less – looks a lot harder to play through.

Andrew Bynum recently uncorked the first 20-point, 10-board, five-block and three-assist game from any Cav since Shawn Kemp back in 2000. And Dion Waiters answered all of the trade talk with his two best games of the season. It will take more than that, though, to lift the gloom around Kyrie’s crew.

The Hawks had won 11 in a row against Orlando and 18 of 19 against Washington and wound up losing to both last week. If not for an utter fourth-quarter meltdown from Dallas, Atlanta would be sporting a five-game skid to leave the East with no less that 13 teams sporting sub-.500 records.

No one will remember any of this if the Celtics strike lottery gold…but this keeps happening in the sobering present: Milwaukee just joined Charlotte and Cleveland to become the third team in the 2013 calendar year to halt a skid of 10 or more consecutive defeats at the expense of Boston.

Hard as it is to overlook some of the early season tension in Motown, as well as his FT woes, Andre Drummond’s gaudy numbers on Sunday sure help: 31 points, 19 rebounds and six steals are levels no one has hit in the same regular-season game since Hakeem Olajuwon in 1990.

No Carmelo Anthony team, with Melo on the floor, had ever lost more than six straight games before this season. The craziest part of the drought that has reached nine straight losses – including a franchise-worst seven in a row at home – is how close the Knicks came to beating Indy on Nov. 20.

Winning in a rout last week in Atlanta delivered the Magic their first road win since March 4 after 17 straight defeats (yikes). Yet something tells me they won’t be terribly excited to play eight of the next nine games away, especially with Tobias Harris unable to shake that nagging ankle problem.

Utah recently enjoyed its first two-win week of the season…capped by a road triumph in Phoenix just days after the Suns had just halted Portland’s 11game win streak…with prized rookie point guard Trey Burke healed and leading the way. Add it all up and you have yourself a new No. 29!

Daunting as it is to hear KG has scored in single digits 13 times in 15 games while D-Wil continues to nurse that ankle problem, tell me who in the Atlantic can keep the Nets from roaring back to win it? Division-leading Toronto has six wins so far… against teams with a combined mark of 35-69.

2-0 against the Celtics, compared to 1-13 against everyone else, just isn’t enough to spare Milwaukee from plummeting all the way into this power rankings basement. Worse news: Only two games remain against Boston…for the entire season.

NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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Bud is piped ashore from USS Dewey (DDG 105). Photo submitted by Jennie Haskamp.

A SAILOR’S DYING WISH

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STORY BY JENNIE HASKAMP (STORY REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION)

After signing my Pop, EM2 Bud Cloud (circa Pearl Harbor) up for hospice care, the consolation prize I’d given him (for agreeing it was OK to die) was a trip to “visit the Navy in San Diego.”

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Bud finally admitted how tired he was after more than an hour on deck. While they were finishing up goodbyes and taking last minute photographs, GMC Eisman asked if it’d be OK to bring Sailors up to visit Bud in a few months after a Chief’s board. I hadn’t said it yet because I didn’t want it to dampen the spirit of the day, but I quietly explained to GMC Eisman the reason we’d asked for the visit was simple: Bud was dying.

I told him they were welcome to come up any time they wanted, but I suspected Bud had about a month left to live.

Almost without hesitation, he asked if the crew could provide the burial honors when the time came. I assured him that’d be an honor we’d welcome.

Leaving the ship was possibly more emotional than boarding.

They piped him ashore. CMDCM Grgetich leaned in and quietly told me how significant that honor was and who it’s usually reserved for as we headed towards the gangplank. Hearing “Electrician’s Mate Second Class William Bud Cloud, Pearl Harbor Survivor, departing” announced over the 1MC was surreal.

Later that night Bud sat in his recliner, hands full of ship’s coins and declared, “I don’t care what you do with my power tools; you better promise you’ll bury me with these.”

He died 13 days later. For 12 of those 13 days he talked about the Dewey, her Sailors and his visit to San Diego. Everyone who came to the house had to hear the story, see the photos, hold the coins, read the plaques.

True to his word, GMC Eisman arranged the details for a full honors burial. The ceremony was simple yet magnificent. And a perfect sendoff for an ornery old guy who never, ever stopped being proud to be a Sailor. After the funeral, the Sailors came back to the house for the reception and spent an hour with the family. This may seem like a small detail, but it’s another example of them going above and beyond the call of duty, and it meant more to the family than I can explain.

There are more photos, and I’m sure I missed a detail, or a name. What I didn’t miss and will never forget, is how unbelievable the men and women of the USS Dewey were.

They opened their ship and their hearts and quite literally made a dream come true for a dying Sailor.

They provided the backdrop for “This is the best day of my life, daughter. I never in my whole life dreamed I’d step foot on the Dewey again or shake the hand of a real life Sailor.”

Without question, it’s the best example of Semper Fidelis I’ve ever seen.

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I emailed my friend and former Marine sergeant, Mrs. Mandy McCammon, who’s currently serving as a Navy Public Affairs Officer, at midnight on 28 May. I asked Mandy if she had enough pull on any of the bases in San Diego to get me access for the day so I could give Bud, who served on USS Dewey (DD-349), a windshield tour.

The next day she sent me an email from the current USS Dewey (DDG 105)’s XO, CDR Mikael Rockstad, inviting us down to the ship two days later.

We linked up with Mandy outside Naval Base San Diego and carpooled to the pier where we were greeted by CMDCM Joe Grgetich and a squad-sized group of Sailors. Bud started to cry before the doors of the van opened. He’d been oohing and pointing at the cyclic rate as we approached the pier, but when we slowed down and Mandy said, “They’re all here for you, Bud,” he was overwhelmed.

After we were all out of the van directly in front of the Dewey, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, Petty Officer Simon introduced himself and said as the ship’s Sailor of the Year he had the honor of pushing Bud’s wheelchair for the day. Unbeknownst to us, they’d decided to host Bud aboard the Dewey, not at the Dewey. And so they carried him aboard. None of us expected him to go aboard the ship. I’d told him we were going down to the base and would have the chance to meet and greet a few of the Sailors from the new Dewey. He was ecstatic. The day before, he asked every few hours if we were “still going down to visit the boys from the Dewey,” and “do they know I was on the Dewey, too?”

Once aboard, we were greeted by the CO, CDR Jake Douglas, the XO and a reinforced platoon-sized group of Sailors. To say it was overwhelming is an understatement.

These men and women waited in line to introduce themselves to Bud. They shook his hand, asked for photos with him, and swapped stories. It was simply amazing.

They didn’t just talk to him, they listened.

Bud’s voice was little more than a weak whisper at this point and he’d tell a story and then GMC Eisman or GSCS Whynot would repeat it so all of the Sailors on deck could hear. In the midst of the conversations, Petty Officer Flores broke contact with the group. Bud was telling a story and CMDCM Grgetich was repeating the details when Flores walked back into view holding a huge photo of the original USS Dewey. That moment was priceless. Bud stopped mid-sentence and yelled, “There she is!” They patiently stood there holding the photo while he told them about her armament, described the way it listed after it was hit, and shared other details about the attacks on Pearl Harbor.

NIMITZ NEWS | DECEMBER 8, 2013

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Stingers

TOP 10 SONGS ON ITUNES

TOP 10 ALBUMS

1. Wrecking Ball- Miley Cyrus 2. The Monster- Eminem f. Rihanna 3. Royals- Lorde 4. Timber- Pitbull Ft. Ke$ha 5. Counting Stars- One Republic 6. Wake Me Up- Avicii 7. Demons- Imagine Dragons 8. Story of My Life- One Direction 9. Roar- Katy Perry 10. Say Something- Christina Aguilera

1. Midnight Memories- One Direction 2. The Marshall Mathers LP2- Eminem 3. Blame It All On My Roots- Garth Brooks 4. Duck The Halls- The Robertsons 5. Prism- Katy Perry 6. Wrapped in Red- Kelly Clarkson 7. ARTPOP- Lady Gaga 8. Crash My Party- Luke Bryan 9. Bangerz- Miley Cyrus 10. 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)-Justin Timberlake

ON THE COVER: FLTADM Chester W. Nimitz memorial is displayed in front of the USS Missouri (DD 63) in Pearl Harbor, HI. Photo illustration by MCSN (SW) Aiyana Paschal

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