The FReeper Foxhole Remembers the USS Forrestal Fire (7/29/1967)

Fate has a strange way of working out doesn't it. One different decision and your whole life takes anothe course.

Yes and it gets better.

I took orders to a VP squadron out of Moffett Field CA. ( which also means I did’t get to be in the Final Count down movie) And stayed out there after I got off of active to 1990

So I was out there when the Big One Hit in 89. at the time I lived north of San Francisco. And on that day I was down in the south bay installing some equipment. As I left to head back home. I go to my self “ what the heck why fight traffic let’s stop at St. James and have a beer & burger” ( a place right outside Moffett) ( I could kick back for two hours but only get home a 1/2 Hr. later)

Because I was more on the east side of the bay. If I would have went right home I would have taken the freeway that runs up the east side the bay.
And because of that decision I was playing a new sit-down race car driving video game. That as I rounded a corner to “fast” and started to run off the track. The game starts shaking. I’m going “ Cool” Then as the car begins to flip the game starts bang the wall. Wait a minuet here. Look up to see all the glasses flying off the shelves behind the bar. and go ops. it’s not the game
EARTHQUAKE!

So I grab my beer and head out the door. Only to see the need to time my exit between the cars in the parking lot. Which are rolling together and apart.

After it was all over. And get back inside, get a TV working. And see the reports of the large section of the double deck portion of 880 freeway had collapsed.
Now the timeing was that if I haden’t stopped. I would have been in the middle of it. ( And north bound traffic was on the lower deck) Or at best a mile either side!
And do you know what the name of the freeway was??
The Nimitz Freeway!

How did that happen?? My window locked up wouldn’t respond. Now I see it posted 3x???

Take 2 off

Well dammit Sam, Let's give it up for the FID!

Me thinks you have a "charmed" life.

That's ok, It happens sometimes. Don't worry about it.

Those Sailors did a great job that day. A lot of them paid the ultimate price to save their ship.

I saw the training films, it was horrendous. Ironically the 'Mighty O'was in the same film.

This is an FYI kind of thing, I'm not trying to be a smart alec or whatever but what you have pictured there is an A-5A (A3J) A-5 is after congressional redo of military designation system. The A-5A had no reconnaissance capability, it was strictly a nuke dropper. The RA-5C was made to find a job for the aircraft after the subs beat out NavAir for the nuke strike roll. To my Dad who is still NAVY to the core after 50 yrs. it is still an A3J, (if congress couldn't figure out navy terminology that's no reason to change the system to him). One note that freepers might find amusing is that the Marines did hoodwink congress with navy terminology, during the Korean war they asked congress for more F4U corsairs and congressmen told them what they really wanted was neat new jets. The Marines went to Vought aivation and had them add new hard points to the F4U, called it the AU (Attack, Vought, first type) and the congressmen said "how many do you want?"