The FReeper Foxhole - SAM and Snippy Tour the USS Tarawa LHA-1 & meet bkwells - Sept. 5th, 2003

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks for telling us about the Hobbit Hole supporting our Troops. It is very emotional isn't it. Words can't describe the love in our hearts for our men and women serving and our Veterans. So go ahead and tear up, I do it all the time.

:)

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon Prof.

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon Prof. You're welcome!

[snippy_about_it]

Good afternoon feather. We will post more pics but SAM and I are working on about three hours sleep last night and actually not much sleep this week at all so we are a little behind.

Hey, who can sleep with so much excitement going on!!!!

We had a wonderful time and still grinning ear to ear!

[w_over_w]

That they would go out of their way for us, after all they already do for us serving our country, was just amazing.

Very, very well said young lady. I can't wait to see the additional pictures (see #24) and I'll "try" to refrain from any more Snippy captions. FWIW, when I kid like this with my wife she "slugs" me. It's a nice slug . . .

[snippy_about_it]

LOL. We have some great pics but the computer is slow today as it was last night and we are soooo tired. I'm trying to catch up so stay tuned. Caption away if you like, that was funny!

[HiJinx]

Wow...Wow...Wow.

What an amazing treat the Senior Chief had for you. You don't know how glad I am for you that you both had this opportunity.

Thanks so very much for bringing it all together for us, your humble audience! ;~)

[snippy_about_it]

Thanks Jinxy, stop back after a while to see more pictures. It was truly a dream come true for me. ;)

[snippy_about_it]

Group picture while at dinner Wednesday night! Are they gorgeous or what!!!

[SAMWolf]

The OA Division - USS Tawara
Honors Snippy

The OA Division Crew turned the dinner in their honor into a dinner honoring Snippy's support of the crew during their deployment.

We all met at a restuarant called Claim Jumpers in Grossmont at 1530 hours on Wednesday afternoon. Amazing to both Senior Chief bkwells and myself, we had a table of 9 Sailors and not one beer was ordered!!

We started off with the biggest plate of appetizers I've seen in a long time and after getting to know each other a little better we ordered dinner. James, our chauffeur, out ate everyone and the table and took plenty of ribbing. Of course, I've never met a Texan without a hollow leg when it comes to excellent food.

When dessert time came around James was the only one who even thought about being interested. More ribbing from everyone else and we decided to pass on dessert. But before we left the restuarant, James was presented with a "slice" of Death by Chocolate cake that was at least 7 layers tall and 6 inches wide. A small token or our appreciation for his chauffering duties. He said it wouldn't make it back to the Boat, because he had a fork (not borrowed from the Mess) in his vehicle.

After the dinner Senior Chief bkwells presented a folded flag in a display case to Snippy. This was a flag Snippy had sent to the crew, they had hoisted and flown the flag from the bridge of the USS Tarawa when they crossed the Equator and the International Dateline.

After a moving speech, (for a Navy Senior Chief), bkwells presented the flag to Snippy among a round of applause from the rest of the Division.

It was the last thing both of us expected and quite a moving moment for all of us.

[SAMWolf]

Radu, I can't even begin to tell you how much of an honor this was for Snippy and myself. You couldn't ask to met a finer group of American men and women.

For an old ground pounder, who only has read about these ships, I was impressed with the men and women of the crew and the ship. I would have been lost in about 2 minutes once we were below decks. How these sailors and Marines can find their way around and not end up tripping over hatchways or banging their head on bulkhead doors is nothing short of amazing.

Tom going down one of the narrow and steep stairways.


Topside on the Island, I so wished I could uncover and "play" with those 50 cals.

[SAMWolf]

I don't know how you guys survived those cramped conditions!

[SAMWolf]

Thanks GailA. Good graphic for today's thread.

[SAMWolf]

Good Afternoon manna. What a thrill this trip was!

[Samwise]

OK. Now I am bawling big time.

[SAMWolf]

Good Afternoon weldgophardline.

What a fine group of young men and women. As I saw them and talked to them it was hard to remember that we were that age at one time doing the same jobs. I must be getting old or something.

[SAMWolf]

It was a great trip and meeting the crew and touring the Tarawa was fantastic.

[SAMWolf]

Afternoon Feather. I am soooooooooo behind on pings, E-mails and Fr-mails. But this trip was worth every minute!

[SAMWolf]

Snippy and I are still running on adrenaline. I think we had about 3 hours of sleep since Thursday morning.

[Soaring Feather]

We had a wonderful time and still grinning ear to ear!
Is it catching?? :-)