Philippine Sea (CG 58) - Naval Cruise Book

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Uain lavy sv-'-v H ' iflliilifl '11 N V-f 411 IH.. ',,.. - . Z., . vw U- ' ,map .df QQ Da af Departure . mr' -me - nf. ph b May 1992 A small crowd gathers outside the ship early in the ' -w--if rwwf-Hr we f+ - ,I .Vi.f,.,-r wr ,im W. . .,. ,, Wmfhww morning. No loud fanfare, no band or balloons. We wish it was just another day, but this day will last six months long. gaxrmm Underway. Only 184 days to go.

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Chaplain McElwain was born in Newcastle, Pennsylvania, on 5 August 1955. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology in 1977. In 1986 he completed his Master's of Divinity Degree at Central Baptist theological seminary. Ordination was by the First Baptist Church of Turner Kansas on Pentecost Sunday 18 May 1986 Chaplain McElwa1n served as summer associ ated pastor in training at the First Baptist Church Webster City Iowa in 1984 associate pastor of First Baptist Church of Turner Kansas 1985 and 1986 pastor of the Ceresco Baptist Church Ceresco Michigan 1986 to on 17 March 1989 he attended Chaplains School in Newport Rhode Island during the summer session of 1989 Recalled to active duty in February 1990 his initial assignment was to Naval Station Guam where he served as Protestant Chaplain to Naval Station and her Chaplain David M. MeElwain Lieutenant United States Nav I fa. :fir is 4 5 9 E tenant commands until February 1992. He reported aboard USS PHILIPPINE SEA in March 1992. Chaplain McElwain is married to the former Linda P. Raker of Myrtle Beach, 1 South Carolina. They have four children, Noily, Jenny, Carlos, and Wendy. Chaplains Prayer For thousands of years people have formed small groups and gone to the wilderness seeking an intimate experience with God These communities of monks and nuns felt that being away from ordinary life gave them an advantage toward bemg open to the Divine For almost as long people have been sailing the seas The vastness of the ocean the solltude of the seas cnmson skies over painted water and the mfimtude of the mght sky inevitably cause seafarers to ask the ultimate questions L1fe cannot be viewed with complacency Creation itself grasps the soul to force reilec tion We each have to some extent or another tasted the experience of the mystics Perhaps we wonder at the Milky Way stretched out breaching or the crescent moon hghting up the seas Knowing the insignificance of ourselves compared to the endless sea brings life down to faith levels A thousand other expenences have touched our souls to make us wonder We have plied the sea together and will never be quite able to express the touch of God on our lives Mystery reached deep into our soul drawing more from us than we believed could be contained within our selves May we continue to bless God as we live our lives Amen .s ak . B , 9 3 9 3 . I - . . - 1 , A ' ' , ' . :iff . Cornmissigned in die U S Naval Reserve in cosmic clouds across the sky. It may have been whales 'Lf 9 o . ?4 .ix

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