Macdonough (DDG 39) - Naval Cruise Book

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WITH THE THRESHER AND IT WAS MY HEART THAT REJOICED WHEN CDR SHEPHERD ROCKETED INTO ORBIT ABOVE THE EARTH IT WAS I WHO LANGUISHED IN A VIET CONG PRISON CAMP AND IT WAS ! WHO WALKED UPON THE MOON 1 AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR I AM WOMAN - I AM MAN I AM WHITE AND BLACK YELLOW. RED AND BROWN I AM JEWISH. MUSLIM. CHRISTIAN. BUDDHIST I AM IRISH. PHILIPINO. AFRICAN. FRENCH. CHINESE. AND INDIAN AND MY STANDARD IS THE OUTSTRETCHED HAND OF LIBERTY TODAY I SERVE AROUND THE WORLD ON LAND. IN THE AIR. ON AND UNDER THE SEA I SERVE PROUDLY AT PEACE ONCE AGAIN BUT WITH FERVENT PRAYER THAT I NEED NOT BE CALLED AGAIN TELL YOUR CHILDREN OF ME TELL THEM OF MY SACRIFICE AND HOW MY SPIRIT SOARS ABOVE THEIR COUNTRY I HAVE SPREAD THE MANTLE OF MY NATION OVER THE OCEAN AND I WILL GUARD HER FOREVER I AM HER HERITAGE AND YOURS I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR

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I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR by: MUCM Jere Wallace • HEAR MY VOICE, AMERICA THOUGH 1 SPEAK THROUGH THE MIST OF 200 YEARS MY SHOUT FOR FREEDOM WILL ECHO THROUGH LIBERTY ' S HALLS FOR MANY CENTURIES TO COME HEAR ME SPEAK. FOR MY WORDS ARE OF TRUTH AND JUSTICE AND THE RIGHTS OF MAN FOR THESE IDEALS HAVE I SPILLED MY BLOOD UPON THE WORLD ' S TROUBLED WATERS LISTEN WELL FOR MY NAME IS ETERNAL - YOURS IS BUT A MOMENT I AM THE SPIRIT OF HEROS PAST AND FUTURE I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR I WAS BORN UPON THE ICY SHORES OF PLYMOUTH, ROCKED UPON THE WAVES OF THE ATLANTIC, AND NURSED IN THE WILDERNESS OF VIRGINIA I CUT MY TEETH ON NEW ENGLAND CODFISH. AND I WAS CLOTHED IN SOUTHERN COTTON I BUILD MUSCLE AT THE HALYARDS YARDS OF NEW BEDFORD WHALERS. AND I GAINED MY SEA LEGS HIGH ATOP THE MIZZEN OF YANKEE CLIPPER SHIPS YES, I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR ONE OF THE GREATEST SEAMEN THE WORLD HAS EVER KNOWN THE SEA IS MY HOME - AND MY WORDS ARE TEMBERED BY THE SOUND OF PADDLEWHEELS ON THE MISSISSIPPI AND THE SONG OF WHALES OFF GREENLAND ' S BARREN SHORE MY EYES HAVE GROWN DIM FROM THE GLARE OF SUNSHINE ON BLUE WATER. AND MY HEART IS FULL OF STAR-STEWN NIGHTS UNDER THE SOUTHERN CROSS MY HANDS ARE RAW FROM WINTER STORMS WHILE SAILING DOWN ' ROUND THE HORN AND THEY ARE BLISTERED FROM THE HEAT OF CANNON BROADSIDE WHILE DEFENDING OUR NATION I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR AND I HAVE SEEN THE SUNSET ON A THOUSAND DISTANT. LONELY LANDS YES. I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR IT WAS I WHO STOOD TALL BESIDE JOHN PAUL JONES AS HE SHOUTED. ■I HAVE NOT YET BEGUN TO FIGHT I FOUGHT UPON LAKE ERIE WITH PERRY AND 1 RODE WITH STEPHEN DECATUR INTO TRIPOLI HARBOR TO BURN THE PHILADELPHIA I MET THE GUERRIERE ABOARD CONSTITUTION AND I WAS LASHED TO THE MAST WITH ADMIRAL FARRAGUT AT MOBILE BAY I HAVE HEARD THE CLANG OF CONFEDERATE SHOT AGAINST THE SIDES OF MONITFR I HAVE SUFFERED THE COLD WITH PERRY AT THE NORTH POLE AND I RESPONDED WHEN DEWEY SAID YOU MAY FIRE WHEN READY. GRIDLEY AT MANILA BAY IT WAS I WHO TRANSPORTED SUPPLIES FROM SUBMARINE INFESTED WATERS WHEN OUR SOLDIERS WERE CALLED OVER THERE I WAS THERE AS ADMIRAL BYRD CROSSED THE SOUTH POLE IT WAS I WHO WENT DOWN WITH THE ARIZONA AT PEARL HARBOR WHO SUPPORTED OUR TROOPS AT INCHON AND PATROLED THE DARK. DEADLY WATERS OF THE MEKONG DELTA I AM THE AMERICAN SAILOR AND 1 WEAR MANY FACES: I AM THE PILOT SOARING ACROSS GOD ' S BLUE CANOPY AND I AM A SEABEE ATOP A DUSTY BULLDOZER IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC 1 AM A CORPSMAN NURSING THE WOUNDED IN THE JUNGLE AND I AM A TORPEDOMAN IN THE NAUTILUS DEEP BENEATH THE NORTH POLE I AM HARD, AND I AM STRONG BUT IT WAS MY EYES THAT FILLED WITH TEARS WHEN MY BROTHER WENT DOWN 62

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STUDY HARD . . .