Today
was my 200th Volunteer Day onboard the Battleship!
That means I've driven 64,000 miles over the past seven years,
unbelievable! The experiences have been well worth the effort
though, and I'm looking forward to celebrating another one-hundred days
in about three years or so. The Brass Team had a great turnout
today too to mark the return of one of the Team's Rebel Alumni who was
visiting the area from South Carolina. The first four photos below
were taken as we prepared to hoist colors. I brought a brand new
flag to mark my milestone day and it flew proudly over the ship all
day. At the end of the day it was lowered and I took it home as a souvenir
and memento of the day. As part of my celebration I also arranged
for a bunch of us to go up on O11, one of my favorite places on the
ship, and there are a few photos from there also. As far as work
goes we've really been concentrating on the new Tour Route for the last
several weeks, and also working on the stainless steel pedestals on the
Wardroom tables. Those have presented quite the challenge and I'll
be glad when we get them all finished! My next
volunteer day will be April 12th, hope to see you there.
As
a side note, April 6th will be mark the 40th anniversary of ships 3rd
recommissioning in 1968 when she was reactivated for service in
Vietnam. During a shakedown cruise just days before the ships
engineering plant was put to the test. On the morning of March
27th, off
the Virginia Capes, USS New Jersey began building steam for a full power
run, a brutal test of machinery that pushed the Battleship to the
limits. At 1039 hrs. the pit log read 30 knots. Speed was
reduced while the crew ate lunch, and in the afternoon another high
speed run was commenced - this one to full power. All engines
ahead flank. "Indicate 190 rpms", ordered the COD.
"190 turns, aye... 190 indicated and answered for", replied
the lee helm. More turns were added. 195.. .200.. .202. At
1547 hrs. the OOD ordered maximum turns, 207. "Pit log reads
35.2 knots", reported the lee helm. The ship maintained this
speed for six hours, and when the Captain was satisfied with the
performance of his engineering plant, it was time for the final test: to
place maximum strain on the plant by going from all ahead flank to all
back emergency. When the order was given, a smoke float was
dropped over the side to measure the ship's forward progress. It
took two miles for the ship to go dead in the water and start to make
sternway. After the tests a thorough inspection of the engineering
plant was conducted, it checked out perfectly. As the ship
approached Pier 4, Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, at 1400 hrs. on March
28th, Captain Snyder ordered a broom run up the halyard for all to see -
the Navy's traditional symbol for a clean sweep. A speed of
35.2 knots equates to just over 40 mph, for a ship displacing over
50,000 tons, that's hauling ass!
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