lc_story203.xml

lc_story203.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2004-01-06

I was an E5 in the Navy on board the USS SPRUANCE DD 963 in Mayport Fl. We were scheduled to get underway to do some training exercises. We were watching Headline news as preparations were made. As soon as someone came from the berthing area yelling that the first plane had crashed, we were stunned. We being all 300+ crew. Its like work stopped and we were all pasted in front of the TV. My Chief and I ran to the TV, and watched as the second plane crashed and his first words were(paraphrased)"Holy @@@@, that was done by terrorists!" Well we found out for sure after we were in the Atlantic, and our schedule had changed. We were now Operation Noble Eagle, patrolling the East coast. We didn't go as far as New York, but we did sit real close off of Virginia near DC. We stayed there for 45 days.

The crew on the ship who had families in New York were way upset.
One I think had his dad work in the towers. Real rough.

Well, I think that everyone is doing what they can to prevent the acts of terrorism, but I also feel that they are doing too much. I know its important to be safe in our own country, but being a military man, I think about the military aspect of this. The war in Iraq is over, Saddam has been caught, the Iraqi people have their basic government rolling. Why in Gods name are our soldiers still there dying everyday? Pointless. We did just fine starting over way back when,k so will they. The President, with all respect, needs to get back focused on us here in the U.S. Feed our own children now. Take care of our own homeless and our own single parents and our orphans from this war. Please.