Coronado (AGF 11) - Naval Cruise Book

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Above: American born, Italian renown virtuoso Stephen Schlaks performs on the flight deck. Bot- tom left: Children from Gaeta and Naples join in a Christmas Chorus. Bottom right: Members of the SIXTH Fleet band play on the flight deck. Oppo- site page, top: An RAI technician decorates the Christmas tree on the flight deck. Bottom: CAPT Schweizer welcomes star Sandra Milo to CORONADO. ■m-M rf%i4i 102

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DOD SHOWS

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RAI-TV CHRISTMAS SHOW For two days in December the decks of CORONADO resem- bled a Hollywood television studio as production crew from Radiotelevisone Italy (RAI), Italy ' s national radio and television network videotaped a children ' s Christmas special. Star Sandra Milo brought her Piccoli Fans (little fans) pro- duction team to Gaeta to shoot the on location portions of the one and a half hour Christmas special which aired nationally in Italy Christmas night at 8:30 on RAI TV. The logistics behind this program were enormous. RAI techni- cians began arriving with their equipment the day before shoot- ing started. This equipment was loaded onto a boat and brought alongside CORONADO where crew members operated a crane that lifted the gear to waiting RAI technicians on the flight deck. The Boatswain ' s Mates assisted handling an unusual cargo which included a baby grand piano and 40 foot Christmas tree. CORONADO sailors were used throughout the production. The show also featured Italian chidren and Navy dependent children from CORONADO ' s crew, COMSIXTH fleet staff and the Naples and Gaeta communities. The theme of the special was pace (peace). Fittingly, the motto of the U.S. SIXTH fleet, embarked aboard CORONADO, is Power for Peace . 103