Navy in Pacific Responds to Tsunami Warning [News updates at Navy Facbook pages]

WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2010 – The Navy is taking precautionary measures in response to the Tsunami warning issued in the wake of the Feb. 27 earthquake in Chile. The measures include preparing to sortie ships and moving a ship from Naval Station Pearl Harbor and one from Naval Station San Diego.

USS Crommelin, USS Chafee, USS Chung Hoon and USS O'Kane, USNS Yukon and Sea Commando, a SEAL support vessel, will sortie from Naval Station Pearl Harbor. USS Port Royal is in a maintenance availability and cannot get underway, so it will be moved to deeper water inside the harbor.

In addition, the U.S. 3rd Fleet took precautionary measures by advising able San Diego ships to get underway and to take station in the Southern California operating area. USS Lake Champlain will join USS Pearl Harbor, USS Dubuque, USS Peleliu, and USNS Rainier, which are already at sea.

The Navy is encouraging military families in Hawaii are encouraged to call Fleet and Family Support Center in Hawaii at (808) 474-1999 or to check Commander Navy Region Hawaii Facebook page to be kept appraised of latest updates. Updates also available on the U.S. Navy Facebook page.

(From an U.S. Navy press release.)

Here's what he did...

He is a recipient of the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as commanding officer of USS Sigsbee (DD-502) from May 1944 to October 1945.[3]

In the spring of 1945, Sigsbee assisted in the destruction of 20 enemy planes while screening a carrier strike force off the Japanese island of Kyūshū. On April 14, 1945, while on radar picket station off Okinawa, a kamikaze crashed into Sigsbee, reducing her starboard engine to five knots and knocking out the ship's port engine and steering control. Despite the damage, then Commander Chung-Hoon valiantly kept his antiaircraft batteries delivering "prolonged and effective fire" against the continuing enemy air attack while simultaneously directing the damage control efforts that allowed Sigsbee to make port under her own power.

A related question for Facebook Freepers:

Assume there was some major event happening. Let's use a big earthquake generated tsunami originating in Chile for an example. People in Chile and elsewhere start posting photos and videos of the earthquake damage and info on the status of the tsunami. This is certainly going to be the most current source of information available on the net. Faster than FR since we pretty much depend on the major new sources and the bloggers for our stuff.

In the future we are occasionally going to have to find this sort of info fast on Facebook.

HOW DO WE DO THAT?

Chinese American Hero: Gordon Pai’ea Chung-Hoon

Name in English: Gordon Pai’ea Chung-Hoon
Name in Chinese: 钟云 [鍾雲]
Name in Pinyin: Zhōng Yún
Gender: Male
Birth Year: 1910-1979
Birth Place: Honolulu, Hawaii

Profession: Federal Government, Military Officer, USN Rear Admiral

Education: 1934, US Naval Academy, Annapolis

Awards: Commander Chung-Hoon was the awarded the Navy Cross and Silver Star for conspicuous gallantry and extraordinary heroism as commanding officer of USS Sigsbee (DD-502) from May 1944 to October 1945; 2003, an Aegis Class guided missile destroyer, USS Chung-Hoon (DDG-93), was named in his honor.

Contribution(s): Admiral for the United States Navy, USN Commander during World War II. Gordon Chung-Hoon’s father, William Chung-Hoon Jr., was a County Treasurer in Hawaii and his mother was Agnes Punana, a native Hawaiian. While attending the United States Naval Academy, Chung-Hoon gained recognition as the football team’s halfback and punter. His team broke an eleven year winless streak against the Army. At the time of Pearl Harbor, Chung-Hoon was attached to the USS Arizona. He commanded the USS Sigsbee from May 1944 to October 1945. He was honored with a Navy Cross and Silver Star for his leadership on the USS Sigsbee during two battles in 1945.

In 1945, while screening a carrier strike force off Kyushu, the Sigsbee helped shoot down twenty Japanese fighters. Later in 1945, the Sigsbee suffered a kamikaze attack in Okinawa, disabling the destroyer’s port engine and steering control. Instead of ordering an evacuation, Admiral Chung-Hoon rallied his men. The Sigsbee continued to fire at enemy planes effectively as it struggled back to port.

Chung-Hoon retired from the Navy in 1959 as a rear admiral and was appointed by Hawaii’s governor as the director of the state Department of Agriculture.

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