Posted on 05/24/2002 1:43:40 AM PDT by Snow Bunny
OMGosh, no way HiJinx. How old are you? My dad was in Military Intelligence in Berlin in the early to mid 70's. I wonder if you knew him?
HiJinx, you are a real babe. You look a little like Anthony Edwards, but waaaaaaay cuter. LOL Hugs to you. I've been thinking about you and praying for your family. It's so nice to meet the real you and read all about your life. I love getting to know my friends better. Thanks so much for your service to our country.
I like FReeper Fridays, because I get to read about unsung heroes, who just happen to be my friends too. :) I feel honored to be meeting so many great Americans, here at FR.
Besides stale cookies, what else do they like to get?
This coming Monday is the Memorial Day parade at 10 AM here in sunny Venice, Florida. I'll be working the crowd before the parade starts, wearing my tricorn hat and handing out U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights booklets from my canvas haversack. Should be a fun day.
~~~deadhead~~~
Today's classic warship, USS Kansas (BB-21)
Connecticut class
Displacement. 16,000
Length. 456'4"
Beam. 76'10"
Draft. 24'6"
Speed. 18 kt.
Complement. 880
Armament. 4 12", 8 8", 12 3-pdrs., 2 1-pdrs., 2 .30 cal., 4 21" torpedo tubes.
Commissioned on 18 April 1907
Sold for scrap on 24 August 1923
USS KANSAS, a 16,000-ton Connecticut class battleship built at Camden, New Jersey, was commissioned in April 1907. After a shakedown cruise off the east coast, she joined the Atlantic Fleet's battleships in Hampton Roads, Virginia, in time to take part in the cruise around the World that began in December 1907. For the next fifteen months, Kansas and her sister battleships cruised around South America to the U.S. west coast, then steamed across the Pacific to visit Hawaii, New Zealand, Australia, the Philippines and Japan. Continuing by way of the Indian Ocean, they called on Ceylon, transited the Suez Canal, passed through the Mediterranean and crossed the Atlantic to return to Hampton Roads in late February 1909.
At the end of this epic voyage, KANSAS began an overhaul that greatly changed her appearance. She emerged with two new "cage" masts and grey paint in place of the previous "white and buff". During the next eight years, she mainly operated with the battle fleet in U.S. and Caribbean waters, but also made three trans-Atlantic cruises. In late 1911, KANSAS called on ports in France and England. The next spring, she went to the Baltic and in 1913 visited Italy. In a diplomatic mission in July 1914, the battleship transported the body of the late Venezuelan Minister back to his country for burial.
After the United States entered World War I in April 1917, KANSAS served in training and escort roles until the conflict's end in November 1918. She made five round-trips to France from then until mid-1919, helping to bring home veterans of the "Great War". In June 1920, KANSAS passed through the Panama Canal to the Pacific, taking Naval Academy midshipmen on a training cruise that reached as far west as Hawaii. Returning to the Pacific in October 1920, she steamed to Samoa and Hawaii. She made a final voyage to Europe on a midshipmen's training cruise in mid-1921. KANSAS was inactive after the conclusion of that trip. Decommissioned in December 1921, she was stricken from the Navy list in 1923 and broken up in 1924.
Oh yeah, knives are authorized, but they gotta come from a sheath and the blades gotta be at least 4 inches...
Just Amy, thanks. Maybe if I hurry with the Snickers it won't be too bad. I'll go to Sam's and see what I can find that won't melt.
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