My visit to US Naval Base Coronado - April 8-9, 2012

JEFFHEAD.COM ^ | April 15, 2012 | Jeff Head

[Jeff Head]

Over the weekend begininng Saturday, April 7th, 2012, myself and my wife were down in southern California, in San Diego. We were there for my daughter's wedding on Monday, April 9th, in Coronado, California on the beach at the Hotel del Coronado.

Beautiful setting, but also the home of the Naval Base Coranado and a lot of the Amphibios Warfare Command on the West Coast. Across the strait was the anchorage for many of the vessels.

We took some time to visit and photograph the vessesl we could see, and there were a lot of them, a real delight for any naval enthusiast.

First of all, off the coast of the island, either doing exercises, or standing as an ABM sentinel, we immediately saw an Arleigh Burke Class AEGIS Destroyer. She was very well defined with very sleek lines and very squared away. This was a Flight IIA Burke, with the full helicopter hangar on the aft end.

US NAVY ARLEIGH BURKE FLIGHT IIA DDG OFF THE COAST

While we were watching and photographing these vessels a US Marine Sea Hawk helicopter flew over and I got a picture of it. There were numerous helo overflights throughout the times we were there.

Across the strait were the anchorages for many ships of the US 7th Fleet. I tried to get pictures of as many as I could:

US NAVY WASP CLASS LHD, USS BOXER, LHD-4

US NAVY HOSPITAL SHIP

Driving across the Coronado Bridge, we were treated to a close up view of a new, San Antonio Class LPD undergoing maintenance while docked there. This is the USS Green Bay, LPD-20.

US NAVY SAN ANTONIO CLASS LPD, USS GREEN BAY, LPD-20

All along the line were more Burke destroyers, a Tconderoga Class Cruisers, another Wasp Class LHD and other support vessels.

US NAVY WASP CLASS LHD, USS KEARSARGE, LHD-3 & ANOTHER BURKE DDG

...READ THE REST OF THE JOURNAL HERE (more great pics).

[MasterGunner01]

You will certainly see some interesting ships along the San Diego water front. A must see is USS MIDWAY (CV-41) and the ex-Soviet Foxtrot class submarine B-39. The Foxtrot is a very bare bones diesel-electric sub that the Soviets built in numbers (74 were built between 1957 to 1983). Life on the pre-nuclear submarines was not easy and as the spartan conditions aboard the B-39 can attest. The S/V STAR OF INDIA is also worthwhile. STAR was built in 1863 and is a bark-rigged sailing ship made entirely of iron.

[mojo114]

Lucky you! Used to live in Escondido (North of San Diego). Try to find time to visit the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park located in Escondido. Just checked they now call in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park. We visited there all the time and really is a special place. Go in the morning as it does get hot!
On the drive to Escondido up 15 N you will go past Miramar Naval Air Station which used to be a busy place. Top Gun school located there.
Been to all the Sea World’s and San Diego has the best! Try to visit that as the gardens and flowers are beautiful and the shows are great. Check the sun angle and try to sit accordingly- can be roasting if full sun for an hour.
Just some thoughts for your family to consider, wish I could come!!

[Ax]

Thanks for the tips, mojo. My wife’s been out there a couple of times to visit her bro who’s lived there for about 30 years. I’ve never heard a bad thing said about San Diego. Only thing I’m not looking forward to is that long plane ride from West Palm Beach to SD via Atlanta.

[A Navy Vet]

"On the drive to Escondido up 15 N you will go past Miramar Naval Air Station which used to be a busy place. Top Gun school located there."

You do know that Miramar is now a Marine Air Station? Or were you referring to the past? The Naval Fighter Weapons School (Top Gun) is now integrated into the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center at NAS Fallon, NV.

[mojo114]

Talking past- 1980’s. Thanks for the update.

[GATOR NAVY]

7th Fleet is WESTPAC. EASTPAC is 3rd Fleet.

[Jeff Head]

Yep...already fixed that on my site...was my bad, &th is forward deployed in Japan.

Another freeper also pointed thios out on this thread and I appreciate it.

They say San Diego is the highest concentration of US Naval vessels in the world after Norfolk. I believe it.

The entire Sound around Bremerton is pretty big too, as would be Hawaii and Japan.

But yes, this is the 3rd fleet. Thanks for pointing it out.

[BIGLOOK]

Pearl Harbor has full complement of surface vessals and subs but much of the time they are deployed. Carriers are in and out since no one wants another December 7th in the Duck Pond. When a carrier arrives, it’s rarely inside the harbor unless for a refit. Where the subs are is anyone’s guess.

[A Navy Vet]

Naval Station Bremerton and Naval Submarine Base Bangor were consolidated into Naval Base Kitsap some years back.

The same consolidation of bases occurred in San Diego with all but one of the Naval installations (Naval Base, San Diego).

I always thought that to have different command structures were redundant (think redundant fedgov agencies), so I think this a good thing. Of course, each base still has it's own designation and base commander.

[RightField]

Beautiful pictures. I am an ex-San Diegan who still misses the best of San Diego life.

It's always a thrill when a carrier returns to port.

[CAluvdubya]

I so wish that you could have seen the USS Reagan! We are her homeport but she's up in Washington for repairs right now!

She's quite a sight!

I can imagine the wonderful setting the Del provided for your daughter's wedding. What gorgeous photos you all will have to mark the day! Congratulations to all!

With so many FReepers heading this way, seems we should have a mini FR convention here some time! Just a thought....

[CAluvdubya]

Used to live in Escondido (North of San Diego). Try to find time to visit the San Diego Zoo Wild Animal Park located in Escondido. Just checked they now call in the San Diego Zoo Safari Park

They can try to change the name but we still call it The Wild Animal Park :)

[A Navy Vet]

GO GATOR NAVY!

LPH-11 (USS NEW ORLEANS) - purple shirt here. What a pain when the Marine units came aboard and bought out the ship's store and layed about everywhere. Or maybe you were on a smaller LPD or LST or now LSD? Still, I was proud to be their "sea-going bellhop". Gotta love our Marines.

Just researched LPH-11 and found she was used as target practice and sunk in 2010 some 70 miles off Kaua'i. She was my home for (3)years back in the 70's. Makes me a little sad. Guess better to be blown up than being scrapped for junk metal.

I still remember every inch of that flight deck and every time I had to run across it to fuel the Cobra's, Huey's, Chinooks, Sea Stallions - also some Harriers. Think FOD walks in o'dark thirty. Can't count the number of times I ate dry cheese sandwiches on deck and peed off the side of the re-fueling station. Miss those times, except for the countless fire-fighting drills and how bad everyone smelled from the heat of the orient. Are you a Shellback?

[GATOR NAVY]

I was on two LPDs (DUBUQUE and JUNEAU), two LSTs (BRISTOL COUNTY and SAN BERNARDINO), an LKA (ST LOUIS) and an LSD (CARTER HALL). Only the last is still in commission. The LSTs were sold to foreign navies and the LKA is in mothballs at Pearl Harbor. I don’t know the status of the LPDs. They were rode hard for 40+ years and put away wet.

I was able to cross the equator on every ship I was on, including the only non-gator, an FFG. I am a Golden Shellback-BRISTOL COUNTY crossed at 0° and 180° enroute from Guadalcanal to Pearl Harbor. I was King Neptune on my last crossing (actually the CMC was a senior shellback but he was required to be a safety observer for the ceremony.)

For my job (QM) amphibs were challenging ships. Lots of inshore navigation and of course beaching on the LSTs. I enjoyed them very much.

[GATOR NAVY]

I saw that someone else corrected you-after I posted. My fault for not reading all the posts first.

I haven’t been to San Diego since 1995, when we brought my LST from Sasebo to be decommed and turned over to the Chilean Navy. I remember being shocked at how empty the place seemed after the first big wave of post-Gulf War decommissionings compared to what it had been in the ‘80s. I imagine I would be really shocked now. But the guys in the ‘80s who remembered the ‘60s and ‘70s probably said the same thing.

[aomagrat]

Thanks for the photos. It’s been almost 20 years since I’ve been to Coronado. I had 3 years of shore duty at NAS North Island followed by 3 years on USS Ranger (CV-61) homeported at NAS North Island. I left in 1993 when the Ranger decomissioned. There sure have been a lot of changes since then, in San Diego and in the Navy.

[A Navy Vet]

"I was King Neptune on my last crossing (actually the CMC was a senior shellback but he was required to be a safety observer for the ceremony.)"

Jeeze, so you were the guy I had to kiss the lard laden fat belly? That was nasty, not to mention crawling through a tunnel of galley garbage. I wonder if they still do that, along with the paddles hitting the backside. My second/third crossing was fun, as I was a Shellback. My turn...har! I also did duty on a FF (USS Barbey).

Sounds like you missed out on adult Disneyland of Olongapo. Then maybe not your cup o tea.

ROTOR-HEADS ROTATE EVERYWHERE! USN: 1975-1986.

[GATOR NAVY]

No, that was the Royal Baby, not King Neptune. I made it to Subic plenty of times before it shut down. I was also there right after Pinatubo went off and was in the last the ARG to pull out when they closed the base. I never went back after that though, which was cool because I was married by then.

[A Navy Vet]

"No, that was the Royal Baby, not King Neptune."

Yes. The synapses are not firing on all cylinders nowadays. It's been too long since.

Take care Vet.