Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) - Naval Cruise Book

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Abraham Lincoln ' s Navy Leadership. Innovation. Integrity. The many at- tributes of Abraham Lincoln, the man, are reflected aboard USS Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln ' s Navy. Not many of us today, barring a few historians, think of President Lincoln in a naval con- text Indeed, his many great acts and personal heroism are not often marked by naval milestones. But before he was President, Lincoln was a leading patent attorney. He also made modest contributions as an inventor, including many mechanical devices, one of which was designed to lift vessels over shoals. Historians credit Lincoln ' s interest in naval artillery with bringing Commander John A. Dahlgren to the fore- front of his early career. Mr. Lincoln often visited the Washington Navy Yard, where Dahlgren labored, for dem- onstrations of naval ordnance and other weapons. Lincoln ' s personal interest and intervention in naval matters during the Civil War are credited with making the blockade of Confederate ports and rivers into a reality. As the war began. Confederate forces had seized or threat- ened important Navy yards. Quickly, Lincohi realized that a strong Union Navy should be created literally from scratch. Historians say the relative unpreparedness of the national fleet was a blessing in disguise. The Confederacy may have had the upper hand in the Navy yards, but since the peacetime fleet was sparse, the Confederacy got few ships. In spite of excellent seamanship, these soon were obsolete. The Union needed deepwa- ter ships to enforce its coastal block- ade and a flotilla of river vessels was required to press operations on the great rivers that were the highways into the South. The Union pressed many ships into service. New vessels also were quick to come, yielding early Union victories that were important to national morale. Union Navy superiority was established inland, and its blockading forces severed the Confederacy ' s overseas supply lines. The lack of vital supplies foretold the land battle victories that would close the war. Lincoln and the Union had learned the lessons that secure sea lanes of communication mean the survival of an island nation such as the United States. The doctrine continues to- day. Another little noticed lesson of the era was Lincoln ' s contribution to naval aviation. Thaddeus Lowe came to Lincoln with the idea for a corps of observation balloons. Some deployed In the Washington area aboard the George Washington Park Custis, a converted coal barge moored on the Potomac River during the Civil War and named for Lin- coln ' s father-in-law. But the Idea never took shape. The real beginnings of naval aviation would wait some flfty years. I I t I

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The Chain Of Command Excellence in a military unit is achieved through having high standards, through having people who believe in those standards and support them. They do this throu good com- munications, by having their troops understand the mission of the ship, and by taking pride in being united in carrying out that mission. You have high stan- dards by having officers who set a good example, who meet those high standards themselves, who are willing to work hard and sac- rifkx for the good of the unit, and who will take care of those troops and make sure that they are treated fairly and that they are given a maximum opportu- nity for training and advance- ment. Rear Admiral Charlea R. Laraon