The World of Tim...

7 December - Stillness Destroyed...

President Roosevelt referred to this day as a, "date which will live in infamy"...

We know now that the surprise was complete. We know now that the attacking planes came in two waves; the first hit its target at 7:53 AM, the second at 8:55...an hour later it was all over and by 1 pm the carriers that launched the planes from 274 miles off the coast of Oahu were heading back to Japan. We all know that the Japanese attack left behind 2,403 dead and a crippled Pacific Fleet. Last year I shared what visiting the memorial is like (read my 2009 post) but, this year I am compelled to pause and think about the sailors on that day...

Happy Thanksgiving & Thank You!

I n the United States we are on the eve of yet another 4-day Thanksgiving holiday weekend. At some point, many of us will sit down with family and friends...maybe we'll be prompted to share what we are thankful for this year. I've given it some thought and while I've got so many things and people that I am thankful for; I have the highest gratitude for a very special group of people...

For those that are spending this weekend standing watch and putting themselves in harm's way; I am very thankful to you for delivering on a promise that our founding fathers made all those years ago...

"...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

Thank you for standing tall so that I can enjoy the life and blessings that I am so thankful for.

Bravo Zulu, Shipmates!

Happy Birthday USS Enterprise (CVN-65)!

On September 24, 1960 the USS Enterprise was launched, becoming the world's first nuclear powered aircraft carrier. The only ship of her class, the "Big E" (as her crew refer to her)  is the second-oldest vessel in commission in the United States Navy, after the wooden-hulled, three-masted frigate USS Constitution. The ship was once scheduled for decommissioning in 2014 or 2015, depending on the life of her reactors and completion of her replacement, USS Gerald R. Ford. But the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010 slated the ship's retirement for 2013, when she will have served for 51 consecutive years, the most of any U.S. aircraft carrier.

For all our ships, submarines, sailors in harm's way, and to mark this special day in this proud ship's legacy; I'm sharing an annual ritual that takes place in many coastal regions of the United States at the approach of the coming navigational season. Designed to ask Divine providence for good weather and safe boating conditions. The words are as varied as the origin of the tradition but basically, the clergy bless each vessel while all pray:

"May the Lord fill your sails with fair wind, support your hulls in inviting seas, guide your hands upon the tiller toward pleasant places and bring you home, to a safe and loving harbor."