Ok, here it goes. Every Memorial Day Weekend in New York City they have what's called Fleet Week. Navies from all over the world meet in the New York - New Jersey harbor. This year I went. My uncle is the commanding officer of the USS Carr, a guided missile frigate. My father (veteran navy jet engine mechanic), myself (aspiring to be a naval officer), and my dad's friend (veteran navy officer) were invited by my uncle as guests aboard the Carr. The American, Pakistani, British, French, and Canadian Navies, and the US Marines and Coast Gaurd were their.
Day 1 Friday:
Arrive on Staten Island at 12:30. Toured the Carr and had lunch with my uncle and 4 other officers. They were his CDO (weapons) and 3 LT JG's. They talked to me about the different ways of becoming a naval officer, NROTC, the Academy, and OCS. I want to apply to NROTC and the Academy.
Went back into Manhattan and checked into a pretty nice hotel, Comfort Inn, at 16:30. Went out to eat with my dad and his friend at a Thai seafood joint, gotta love NYC food. After that we went out with my uncle and some fellow skippers to a very posh rooftop bar in Manhattan. People bought them rounds of drinks and thanked them for serving our country. It may me feel so proud. And anxious as hell to put on those dress whites! We finally went back to the hotel and went to sleep at 00:30.
Day 2 Saturday:
Take the ferry to Staten Island, arrive at 08:20. Here's the sweet part. We witnessed a French Corvett (Destroyer) crash right into a Pakistani oiler while trying to dock. I believe the Frenchy ship was the Jean Bart and the Pakistani ship was the Mowain. The rench skipper came in way too hard and way to fast. He scraped right up against the Pakistanis and tore both ships to high hell. The noise was deafening. The image of the two ships smashing against each other was even louder. After that we went aboard the Carr and we got to sit in on the day's breefing. There were some French jokes cracked lol. In fact that happened all day. After that we took the ship out into the harbor and drove around for a while. I got to touch a real Browning .50 cal machinegun hehe. Good 'ol Ma Deuce. We also got to tour a SeaHawk helicopter that was parked on the helipad on the stern of the ship. We came back into port and parked alongside another French Destroyer. Those idiots were so lax we almost didn't make it in right. The officers were just standing there and the enlisted men had their thimbs up their butts. We left the ship and had yet another dinner in Manhattan. God that food is good. After dinner we walked through Times Square. I gotta tell ya, I've been to NYC at least 10-15 times. But this time I just realized, this is the greatest city in the world!
Day 3 Sunday:
Came back to dreary old Rochester upstate. Grrr, some day I'll get outa here and where the uniform of a US naval officer. What a blast.
Day 1 Friday:
Arrive on Staten Island at 12:30. Toured the Carr and had lunch with my uncle and 4 other officers. They were his CDO (weapons) and 3 LT JG's. They talked to me about the different ways of becoming a naval officer, NROTC, the Academy, and OCS. I want to apply to NROTC and the Academy.
Went back into Manhattan and checked into a pretty nice hotel, Comfort Inn, at 16:30. Went out to eat with my dad and his friend at a Thai seafood joint, gotta love NYC food. After that we went out with my uncle and some fellow skippers to a very posh rooftop bar in Manhattan. People bought them rounds of drinks and thanked them for serving our country. It may me feel so proud. And anxious as hell to put on those dress whites! We finally went back to the hotel and went to sleep at 00:30.
Day 2 Saturday:
Take the ferry to Staten Island, arrive at 08:20. Here's the sweet part. We witnessed a French Corvett (Destroyer) crash right into a Pakistani oiler while trying to dock. I believe the Frenchy ship was the Jean Bart and the Pakistani ship was the Mowain. The rench skipper came in way too hard and way to fast. He scraped right up against the Pakistanis and tore both ships to high hell. The noise was deafening. The image of the two ships smashing against each other was even louder. After that we went aboard the Carr and we got to sit in on the day's breefing. There were some French jokes cracked lol. In fact that happened all day. After that we took the ship out into the harbor and drove around for a while. I got to touch a real Browning .50 cal machinegun hehe. Good 'ol Ma Deuce. We also got to tour a SeaHawk helicopter that was parked on the helipad on the stern of the ship. We came back into port and parked alongside another French Destroyer. Those idiots were so lax we almost didn't make it in right. The officers were just standing there and the enlisted men had their thimbs up their butts. We left the ship and had yet another dinner in Manhattan. God that food is good. After dinner we walked through Times Square. I gotta tell ya, I've been to NYC at least 10-15 times. But this time I just realized, this is the greatest city in the world!
Day 3 Sunday:
Came back to dreary old Rochester upstate. Grrr, some day I'll get outa here and where the uniform of a US naval officer. What a blast.
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