Grasp (ARS 51) - Naval Cruise Book

Text from Pages 1 - 59 of the 1996 volume:

1-1-W AT TIMES DURING LONG PERIODS OF SEPARATION IT IS UNF ORT UNAT RE THAT SOME OF US PAY THE ULTIMATE SACRIF ICE MIN MEMORY OF N PHYLLIS CLOUDDEN JERRYL. HOFFMAN EDWARD STEVE HOT CHKISS SARAH JOHNSON 4 Cruise Data for 1996 Mediterranean Deplo ment 1. DATES: 20 FEB 1996 - 29 AUG 1996 2. TOTAL DISTANCE: 17,055.8NM 8. PORT VISITS: 20 FEB - O6 MAR 25 FEB - 25 FEB 06 MAR 10 MAR 11 MAR 15 MAR 20 MAR - 22 MAR 25 MAR - 26 MAR 28 MAR - 51 MAR 05 APR O5 APR 05 APR O5 APR 06 APR 15 APR 16 APR O7 MAY 09 MAY 11 MAY 15 MAY - 16 MAY LANT XING HAMILTON BERMUDA LISBON PORTUGAL ROTA SPAIN CAGLIARI SARDINIA CAGLIARI SARDINIA CAGLIARI SARDINIA CATANIA SICILY AUGUSTA BAY SICILY VALLE'I'I'A MALTA LA MADDALENA SARDINIA SFAX TUNISIA PALMA SPAIN 17 MAY 21 MAY PALMA SPAIN 24 MAY 24 MAY AUGUSTA BAY SICILY 29 MAY 01 JUN SOUSSE TUNISIA 02 JUN 05 JUN CATANIA SICILY 08 JUN 17 JUN CONSTANTA ROMANIA 18 JUN 21 JUN ISTANBUL TURKEY 25 JUN 28 JUN NAPLES ITALY 29 JUN 29 JUN LA MADDALENA SARDINIA 01 JUL 04 JUL CARTAGENA SPAIN 05 JUL 06 JUL ROTA SPAIN 18 JUL 22 JUL LITTLE CREEK VIRGINIA 25 JUL 27 AUG EAST MORICHFAS LONG ISLAND 28 AUG LITTLE CREEKVIRGINIA USS GRASP 1 11 V af ily' Commancf in 9 Officer Lieutenant Commander Wiffiam P. Orr United States Navy Lieutenant Commander William D. Orr, U.6. Navy was born in Oakhurst, New Jersey on October 20. 1961. lie attended the Ceorgia institute of Technol- ogy where he received a bachelor of 6cience Degree in industrial Management. lle was commis- sioned through the Naval Deserve Officer Training Corps in 6eptember 1985. After completing 6urface Warfare Officer 6chool in Newport, Qhode Island and Diving and 6alvage 6chools in Danama City. florida he served on U66 6hreveport Cl.6D-125 Weapons Officer and Assistant Operations Officer from November 1984 to February 1987. lie was then translerred to U66 Crasp CAIf265lJ where he wrved as First lieutenant and 6alvage Officer until June 1989. From July 1989 to January 1992 he was assigned as Director of Training and Curriculum and Instruc- tional 6tandards Officer at the Naval Diving and 6alvage Training Center, Danama City, llorida. Following 6urface Warlare Officer Department SS GRASP Head 6chool and Drospective Executive Officer Course at 6urface Warfare Officer 6chool, New- port, Qhode island, he served as Executive OE ficer, U66 Crapple CAQ653D from 6eptember 1992 to January 1995. lie then went on to complete the 6enior Ofhcer 6hip Material Qeadiness Course and Drospective Commanding Ofhcer Course in Newport, Dhode Island and reported on board U66 Crasp CAlQ651J as the Commanding Officer on O4 August 1995. Lieutenant Commander Orr has been awarded two Navy Commendations Medals and the Navy Achievement Medal. Additionally. he is authorized to wear the Meritorious Unit Commendation Medal and various other service medals and ribbons. Lieutenant Commander Orr is married to the former lflizabeth Dudley of Opelika, Alabama. The Orr's have a son Jimmy and two daughters. lfmily and 6ara, prewntly residing in Virginia beach. Virginia. m 1 Executive Officer Lieutenant Afan P. Tupman United States Navy Lieutenant Alan D. Tupman was born in Long Island, New York on November 50, 1957. Ile at- tended the Center Moriches lligh school where he received his high school diploma. Ile enlisted in the navy as a oeaman Qecruit in August ol 1977. Alter achieving the rank ol' Chief' boatswain Mate he was commissioned in April of' 1989 as an Ensign through the Limited Duty Ollicer Drogram. Alter completing Limited DutyfChiel' Warrant Ollicer lndoctrination Densacola. Florida he served on U66 Opportune CAI26: 411 as First Lieutenant and Assistant Operations Oflicer from May 1989 to May 1992. lle was then transferred to Naval Weapons otation Detachment Dort lladloclc Washington where he served as Assistant Ollicer in Charge and Water Front Otlicer until April 1994 lle com- L pleted Department llead Training and Executive Ollicer training in Newport, Dhode Island in October 1994 and is presently assigned to the U66 Crasp CADE: 515 Executive Othcer. Lieutenant Tupman has been Awarded two Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medals, three Navy and Marine corps Achievement Medals and four Navy Cood Conducts. Additionally he is authorized to wear two Meritorious unit commenda- tions, Navy Expeditionary Medal and various other service medals and ribbons. Lieutenant Tupman is married to the former Mary Ann O. Leishman ol' lloulton, Maine. The Tupman's have two daughters Lindsey and Lauren and pres ently reside in Virginia beach, Virginia. USS GRASP DECK SALVAGE .51 A Q LTJG Block W BMCSISWXDVJ BMCISWXMDVJ BMCISWJ Hall Duffy Qemember how it all began? Underway! ohilt colors. The weather decks are secured to all hands due to high winds and heavy Man the port boat deck, l mean, save the port workboatl otand by lor heavy rolls while the ship comes about. Guess what honey? l'm in bermuda! l'Jel'ore entering the Mediterra- nean oea, Deck Department already setting the standard lor excellence, the excellence that would follow on throughout the cruise. From mine recoveries to raising ships lrom the deepest depths, we stuck together! Sometimes we may have telt like giving up, but we knew that one port we were coming home to, wouldnt always be live months away. We learned and grew a lot as individuals and became strong as a team. The unreps proved that we could lace any challenge no matter what the scope, long as we stuck to- gether. Qemember how it all ended? We made it, were going home! Nothing could mess this up. Cuess what folks? Were going to have to pull together one more time. lt could not have happened at a more dillicult time. TWA flight SOO! We were tired and just wanted to go home. but, we were needed. We raised our heads and didn't let it bring us down, there were 250 people out there that werent going home again, and we could make a dillerence in a lot ol' peoples lives. Dennis BMI Funka GMG1 Haarer All ol the sailors ol' the U56 Grasp will never be BM1lDVl BM1 Wiggan forgotten. This cruise is now in the history books, and Thomas one day our children and grandchildren will read that book, and we can tell them, we were on the CIIQMQD! IQ l EN2 Bezik MM2 Degitz BMZIDVJ BMQKSWJ Straw GMGQISW1 Powers White SS GRASP . rr-W -v - PHIZIDVJ Banda gl' ENSIDVJ Irish SN C. Brown BIVI3 Cisneros BM3 Roach 'Un SN S. Brown GMG3 Grazioso BM3 Hasty V, SN Alcanlar SN Austria E94 W' bl. . SN Caine SN Clayton IQ Q Tia Q 9, YUM null llzis lffX'fllkLffI SN Davis SN Ketchum SN Nurmally ix'SNJ ' I 'wi T01 if iff-55, T SN Dodd SN Gotorth SN Ivkovlch X Q Q, r m DCFN Knight SN Lapena SN McClain SN Pxlot 7 5. xi' K ,.' 'Ns , J wi. is - one Mae.. Q Old Dog . , Qu ff E fqw I ' ' fi A- Huw A ' lf-W f Q. ' Whig . . -A - 4 . 3- 5 - V- ru- ' 1 I ' ' s Ab01'0-' Lflllk Mom mmf llllllfff Right: lx ii ilu' rw! win' or flu' 4Ql't'l'II H'fl't':? . n-A-I+ -fff'4'3 -- 1' 'HX Y - ,- 'v gp.. S: E -,..uu Q11-I , 2 ...ll - , ---N lv.fQq.f,..- I u s .-4- f - it pl! ' ..... .fit ,....--q lu rl IV1'-,f ,. . v 74 4 . . 6 ,. I , figs' ,, 1' V Hmzvcf in ilu' mail hzwhx' err: ',,, P I' r 5 Q - 0 f . f t Nr c' IfII'c l' .s'Irmg4'.s' 4 namin- ' dr! -- I IHHII., ENGINEERING ENS Avram LT Davison ln the Engineering Department, we are the ones whom the ship counts on to do the jobs no one else can or doesnt want to do. Led by the Chief Engineer, the Damage Control Assistant, the Main Dropulsion Assistant and the Electrical Officer, the department thrives on trouble and problems. The primary divi- sions are Qepair, Machinery, Electrical and Auxiliaries. Qepair provides damage control training, welding and brazing services and plumbing services for the entire crew. The Machinery Divisions, EMOI. and EMD5 pro- vide the necessities For the crew: heat, fresh water, compressed air for equipment operations Cneedle gunsj, propulsion to maneuver the ship through the water. The Electrical Division provides electrical generation to operate shipboard machinery, personal electrical equipment and also provides lighting and electricity for television, microwaves, video and all the current modern electrical appliances. The Auxilia- ries Division maintains a myriad of shipboard equip ment such as the 55 tt. workboats, davits, winches, air conditioning units, laundry press, washers and dryers. This department gives their all For health and welfare of the crew. because WE CAQEI ENCSISWJ DCClSWJ Cummings H0ffmar1 EMCISWJ IC1 Barlow Kerslake EM 1lAWfDVl HT1 ISWJ Hurley Brornbacher i EM 1 ISWJ EN 1 IDVJ Porth EN1 S its ,f in . gh.. IT? TC 'NJ l WJ M D vil Mccuuou h I U R2 Cuenca EN2 8 3 g Stelnke SS GRASP P 17 DC2 Frush EN2 Hass IC2 Urqmjo EN3 Bgwleg -. fu I DC3 Hays EN3 Lochard IC3 Pruett, EN3 Robinson ,ft wi 1 X x . .. .v ...Q .... ,- lVl1UI'!',.S' my pen I' h-'Qlfl Ju Below Left: Nou' wl1f1I.' EN3 Ware YNSN Ames EMFN Anton EMFN Crowell BCIIJW Righf-' 1 llflff' IMS wulclz. T' ff-A, 14: - - W F P DCFN FN Hrusovski FN Iule DCFR JOIWUSLOH Granberly DCFN EMFN Quick FN Rorer ENFN Sande Micldlebrook t x -ng YM' FN Stewart FN Watson Tank 3 lznldx lmw nzurlz? 'LN Wont' Rnrw'.x' mvukc' V I Gum! full' USS GRASP I i 5 , l . J' 1 , r . .C Turn Iwn WIIUII7 I'm :mf sure F39 ',,,f 1 Sw xv-' v ' 1 an J JI ' :L Clzcuzge number seven Cheesy 6 HL-,A ' ' 1-vw.. ' 'af Yellow gone fqji fel f','.Lv3 I love this watell IF' 7' I.'3 -i D-4 i . f M -JE' Muster Engzzzeermg .... Ynu want signalures mm: I 1801 Ihis C'UHIl7llll'I' thing lI'C'lil'lf I kmm' iI'.s' here .s'n111ewl1e1'e ' vm 1' . 'F . G ,.!,e 1--,n -' HJ E -vm , USS GRASP OPERATION LTJG Blais RMC Arthur Operations Department encompassed the Quar- termasters, Dadiomen, dfnignalmen, Operations Special- ists, and Electronics Technicians, Ltjg lblais has led us over hill and dale, through various operations and of course the recent Mediterranean Deployment. E-mail, the lite blood ol' many onboard, was kept steadily lloxving through his computer '... even though the phone lines werent always easy to get. DMC Arthur re- ported onboard about one week belore we left in February. but even though she didnt get a long turnover, everything went smoothly lor all. Lots ol' hard work lor everyone in the department, but an enjoyable time had by all hands during our time in the Med. ocenery, nightlile, shopping, daiquiris by the Callon CDalmaJ...all were welcome treats alter many hard days of work navigating, communicating. repair- ing, and preserving. ET1 Fulk RMIIAWJ Hollowman QM 1 isvvi Hunt sivuiswi sner OS2 Wheelwright ET3 Kalauokaaea ET3 Knarr RM3 Hodge RM3 USS GRASP LL f Meyers SMSN Buck QMSN WallaCe W f' m-W M ' . - M .4 ! s Speukin Qf clzeesy A!.'N! 'Q .lQ?i l x f Q V f , J uv . , gn- xi Y Hmm' flu I Cllllllgf' the UIIZIIIIIUI? '-i ' ..., . W 1 W In I 1 . 'a I a .5 , 1, X f Q XL 1 W iff 'Nui . V., Lp - ...fif?' ' W N - 'V W .fi xii ,gl h, Q4 Q, fi- mf -Q. ll 4 L1 i V .. ' W Q ' 1 . :J S '91 .... ls Ilzix lmw iffv flour' Lost RM I I' ,..Y YWIUI do you nzvun nn I14ll.S'lC'l'? Af- JM.,.,kAw ' 1 , 4 , J-1 ' -.,,, ' 70 fs 1 .M .nm A sf EM E USS GRASP 15 i SUPPLY During the Mediterranean i deployment. oupply Department was involved with several diplo matic special meals and lunctions, prepared lour meals a day lor the LTJohnson SKCISWJ olhcers and crew and provided M51 L08-an MS1Neaulfl Miravile lor on station messing: mHiI1l.G5HCd ? SHI Williams MS3 Austin SK3 Neeley HMCSISWXDVJ YN 1 ISWJ Brown PN 1 Reed Brady time. All routine i high sanitation standards, pro- cessed laundry, achieved con- tinual high inventory validity, and processed CAtSlQliDc5, ANQIQQS 4 and routing requisitions. MSSN Spano MEDICAL! TIVE During the Mediterranean Cmise Admin was responsible lor delivery and receipt of mail which consisted oli foreign airports with few English speaking natives, even a trip across the Mediterm nean oea in a Z boat didnt stop the mail, Compli- cated pay issues were brought to the attention Oli A Dlitt Deed then accomplished as easily as being if! port 'the Med awards were completed and submit- ted but was just about the death olYN1t5oWl EWWH' last minute orders were completed on time evefy correspondence and reports always made their way to their destination. All in all we had a great Med Cruise and even though we were diverted to Moriches, New Ygpk We can IQQIQ back and l remember when ..... CQAcSlf7s Medical department is comprised ol' two corpsmen. llMC6t6WfDVD brady and l'lM2Cl MFl Morrison. between the two ol them they were able to keep the crew healthy and lit. They also helped bl' dispensing motions sickness pill and insuring that all who wanted them could get them with no delay. Wilh the treatment, ol minor cuts and bruises they we 'G ko L USS GRASP l,'l VJ I e, eic cep vusy during the deployment.. .4 1 Oulside uf last . Wim! do vnu mcmz bake LUIIIIIIUI' ww! ll-an 5 .. I You want fI.f7.X'L'C1 l1mv T Y Nice fllll, jim' wvll my ' 'fi lf , ,, ,'H4,g...,M A ' New A J H, ff .ax J arg? H I I ,J ,U H, ?,. I V, 1 - M mf 9, , ' ' . sf- 4 ' H1 4 ' . ,V Q K sim , v 7,3-0. K T t I -Q , 44. Wlzczf 1111 -fislzirz' pole? E L ' I i . q , , E , I 3 , ' 5 i 4 2 USS GRASP 15 . XX DN - H AMILTO BERMUDA . . . f I'vc1'r1u1dq1 as H10 gollccllvc xmmc lol X f L1 chain of about 150 Small islands '-zvlxiqlw lic in the middlc of thc .'XloI4mt,1c in H10 slmpc ol' Q1 hugo lishhook. f5CI'HllIdli5 arc the mosl, nor'l,l1c1'ly group of :oral islands in the world. IJJCI'IlllICILi is thc oldest, I'Jr'il,i sl1 colony and Ihc oldest sCll?5ovc1'nin5 colony 041155 10203 in Lhc british Cormnon- wcailkoll. z we Down one Make fluff!! 16 USS GRASP F' 'A qjo Sfllrwulel' H'Cl.S'lIlf0H'II 2 if Ciru.s'p 2 being rcflnvaled b :E ,1 '. , I , Hlllfll may alum. H gui! LISBO PORTUGAL ...-...LLM , 9 Wm see llzut bar over rlzere? .4I , by , ,, What l1C'.Yf MDV I' Lisbon also known aa Lisboa has an appeal that stems lrom combination ol' relaxed urbanity and liaboana' careful preservation ol tradition. The city con- stantly renovatea its historic monuments and meticulously maintains the blaek and white mosaic aidewalka, pastel building lhaeadeas. and cobbled medieval alleys. liaboa became the capital ol' the Kingdom ol' Dortugal in l255, and the Kingdom reached iw height toward the end ol the l5th century, when Dortugueae navigatora pioneered explora- tiona ol Asia and the New World. Cn Novem- ber l. IY55, a huge earthquake struck and clom to ultimately died. and the city was reduced to a pile ol smoldering rubble. The city quickly recovered and .started to rebuild and expand. iigyli USS GRASP HM 11z,v.fk'ic'11fl. 18 USS GRASP NI ' li! , his-N. , if' ig CAGLIARI SARDEGNA Cagliari is the Capital ot the island of oardinia. The Citys streets twist and turn. Founded by and raised to pros- perity under the Carthaginian, Cagliari passed through the hands of numerous Donian, opanishand Disan Conquerors. The Citys present disposi- tion, however, seems infiueneed more by the sun and pleasant climate than by its tumultuous history. , p ' Katz .,, . A .y H Uss GRASPXM ...-....-N., ..-vf...--.,.-1--Q- CATAN IA AND ICILT AUGUSTA BAT Catania reveals an intriguing urban mosaic. This ancient city has been leveled Colten by the nearby volcano Mount lftnal and rebuilt many times since its initial founding as a Creek colony in 729 FAC: Walls of dark volca- nic stone lend a characteristic pall to the historic quarters. Augusta bay leads to the town ol' Syracuse. This town was Founded by the Creeks in 734 BC and the town grew quickly. From the 6th to 5rd centuries BC. Emyracuse was argu- ably the greatest city in the world, cultivat- ing such luminaries as Theocritus. Archimedes, and the great Creek lyric poet, Dindar. The city also boasts the creation ol both the worlds largest theater and the first known cookbook. miss GRASP L p lim- c ' The mini city ol' Valletta. with ornate palacea and mum- uma, protected bye massive lortilicationa ol honeycolored stone, was built by the knights ol the Grder of ot. John. who occupied the island from 1530 to E98 The main entrance ia through the City Cate which leads onto the main shopping street. VALLETTA MALTA e- Now this is a gun. USS GRASP 5 L x r j-,-2,1 JJ ., , . , , --He.-.-an xf :miie -' .- ,V-' , l 1 !' .?f.'h .-Ly., rf f -. . Q 3 ,Lf 1 -,Fx gf. 2 . 'il 22 USS GRASP v u A 3 QQABS USS GRASP 25 LA MAD DALEN A Q . ' 9 ' 7131 flyl, .5 hi , V 'Q B Lfgwx i 4' H- w ,pi 'wr 'fx Ji: , Fil -, w 5' . .. N I .VLA Q- 4 ' n Hou' lung do 1 lmve m do 1l1i.vf' , ,N Wh 5177 24 USS GRASP H sr ll fs' all good . J , ,5 fi ' - A 3 Tn ', , R- Q1 -. 1 . ' 1 4 Dalan and Olbia are the cities that afe the Qloscal lo la lladdalcna. Dalanas most. famous allraclaion is a rock. Carved by The wind, il, rcwscnlblcws a bear. Dalan is a conmparalively sleepy beach town whom main indnsslry seems lo be Sllllllllllg paaaengcrs 8CI'O3iS the bay lo the island ol' la llladclalcna. More beaches await, Lhctre as . well as a nature pressewc and llwe fxrncfrican I n1ilil,a1'y bam. Olbiaa biggest attraction iss the medieval Qlnncll ancl nary a beach in asiglmla There I are also many convicnl ouldwr calass that line . the Diazza l'lLilf5llCl'll,H. L,,,,,.4 Ulf' um' dup' FII I5 Z, w -,, .KM ARDEGNA Pllfffll I in u litllv OT A Fw I ,. A, 1 I 1 . E!1l'II'0lllH8HIC11 p1'ese1'vu1im1 'rf fw Mm - in n'r find fl smrinn 15, L1 fy..,,. 5y Dun? try Ilzis at lzmm' U fl VnI1,, ' -- ulmll bullw Tlwru ull vlzipin and PKIIIIIIIIA, lll.l- In flu' CU muzrk us In vlzip lmw uss GRASP 25 I I .Q A SFAX TUNISIA I re' f nz ' q 5 ! Glam is N 'l'1111isiL1S second-l4 ar'5C Qllx, llxc rl1u ssix 'Q will -1 3SLII'I'OlIIldiI1S I Ihr rncdum IH ' 1 thc only 1 1 ' Vcnlindcr that OSIGX is ovcx' IQQO lvcnrs Old, in .spift of HIC banks, bllsirmcssgw, and full LWIIIIJIIISS. Bottonz Right: HQVV0 go! In p1'v.s'c'1'w' llzisf 4 PALMA MALLORCA s 9 M 1 if I . ,,: The capital ol lflallorca. Dalma is a tourist happy concrete jungle. lls streets hustle with shopmrs going lrom shop to shop to me the many dillerent . items that are lor sale. You can get anything here gd from leather coats and bags, to designer clothes, jewelry. silverware. and car stereos. Even the citys namesake - palm trees - have gone commercial. packed up and moved to hotel lobbies. Dalma remains one ol opains wealthiest cities, a true metropolis with a large year-round population, a well-preserved old quarter. fancy restaurants. and a swinging night lille. alma yi Qsitff n .Wm cowBoYBARWggWwg ,5 COUNTRY t-:Esrzzx 5019 fs- 6019 ROCKQROLL --gf - .HQ , usxicziu :ooo - - WIT aniliilo A ,Q gf 'M ,Ax Jag.- U'1J'w i 'U i...,,.-,QJNK-N Home away from lmnw A ce- l got your buck Sure do like Ilmsc' Clflfl1llfI'flY. 4 .' i llnj I I i rlzillin' USS GRASP l 545: fi? 'hs' F I 1 Hiking cz lJr'ec1k,f?'mr1 .S'lI017l7fl1LLf. 1 '15 5 5.3 .5g, -..4 -A..f .,.. .. -Q. H I I ff--... PALMA DE -s l, 3 I 3 , --91411824 28 USS GRASP ,-, 3-5 . I The Goqf Troup! MALLORCA , Buck Libr more lfClfC1IlfI'f1S' Ml: J. 7 44 oussla TU 1 IA E it i V.,--. .3-,.-,:. i I .,.t f. i , ,....1-7 oousse central location on the oaiiel made it an impor- tant site long before anyone invented the tour-bus. ' otarting in the 5rd century FDC, various groups fought bloody battles to give the city the name ot their choice: Hadmmetum under the Illomanas, linnaaericopoiias under the Vandals, Justinopolis under the Vlyzantines. and oouease under the Aghlabid Arabs. ' :gf i I Are mu talkin to n 11 -'hating USS GRASP CO STANTA ROMANIA Constanla Qonianias second. largest city. The larnous Qonian poet Ovid was exiled here from Dome in A0 8. Donian ware- houxs and shops lrorn the 4th century AD. including a large niosaic floor are great sites to me There are alw Qoman baths lroni the same period. Qther places to me include the National Long day, RQVCUI Irip. llisl.OI'y Grid fXI'CllGC0lOglC3l ivluxuni which leatures statues lroni Neolithic llamangian culture K4000 to 5000 IBCJ. An Archeol- ogy Dark provides sites from the 5rd and slth centuries AD and a oth century tower. There is also an aquarium and dolphinarium which ollers aquatic displays by trained dolphins. II l'6'llH-Y Wfl.S'AflllI .SVUFIIIIZI f61l1Q4'.S'f lmilzlinlq in flu' wnrlcl 50 USS GRASP .F lhfimzlly gn! ll alulfn' gr! CASA SPERA TA 'gf' 'z D Casa G5pCVL111X,u Cflouw oi' Hopcj wcxas loundcd in Jiilunnrvv ol- 1091 by concerned Dorxumiuns and cm fXHlCl'iCLiI1 OI'SLilliZiil,iOH. O5lmU'oss Corlmulniilv. In lhc IGH ol' lhut avccar, is bccunmc L1 .lmidicul DQ1's+om1lil'v Vcqognizcd as Q1 nou- prolll Ol'gLiIliZLiUOI1 by the C-OVCI'I1IHCIll, ol. Qor11uniL1, Cusai L5lDCi'lfiIltfL1 is lofnicd im Corwlurmigi. thc Doimmii.-in city most, aiiqlbcifd by lhc M005 QpidCIIliC. Cox1sl u11i u 7 coulmms L53 ol thc Cams ol pcdiulrig MUGS in lfuropc. if '74 Jaw - Clm I mkv 1110171 ull flllllllf, USS GRASP 51 ' 'M' ' -4'H' A-11-apr.. -V -fm-1'---gh -V7.4--..,.--., .,, ' . . -1 - 'I .. I .M ,Y L1 A .. x. 5, wJ... 'YI l Weld to wl1uIf'!.' -nr: nq '4-M, Mun ljbel smpid! l'll take fllI..S' wwf' Dain work gets the job done , A ,. Did you clcfun I'lItl!.fIl'Sf Hvy. . . nh ...A S'l'lIf0lQ Igor ll qzrmlirffzf' Q USS GKASP P! r. I 1 Y 1 M L 'gl!':EL' fgiv 5 61:1- I .4-1. Y? JP R N15 E' -, is N 11 1 CNN 1 11 10 1 1 p 1 N Q1 ' ' 1' C 1' S' 1 1111 1 101 , 3 -4 .V M Q f-'tix Q I1 1? Q., Q1 1Y1O1111i, Y11111 11116 1111P1111i,x1' 11111 1101 13111111 110 111111. XY11L11f 116 51111 1111 16:11 1111'11l:111'1' 111111'C1Q'1' 1112 C'I1CIl1'N'S 111' 1115141115 1110111 11110 COI1111'11Q lo 1111: 51151111 111' 117111111 11 11:15 01 1v:1gc 111111 111C11 5 511111111111 11111111 151' 1111111111111 111C111. , y ' f P ii .4 5 ,C 1 I. - .Q 1' - . 1'1112l1I Rnn11u11z1,' 4 figs-aazwvv' U55 GRASP 155 XX. .. 4 I- F' 91 Gum: lore If r 4 , E4 'ff I Uh. . . Cllrys. . . Ull . . . Gm's.'.',' 54 uss GRASP ' ,J UVV , Sn Nic'UjY.s'l1MSl!.'.' Catch of the day! wlzul ffl .vzzuggml it 5 I 5154, i H x ak Q ia' . H.u 4 .kk Atl-'I m .p -Q Ax Q 1 1 Z- x . Aw. Jn S umlauv drive 1 Fine bVlll'l'tf:S' Illcf ION' sc.: fg- 5 1Vcn '-v day Slliplllllft' USS GRASP 5 F l I w , v-.-1-.-.1-vitrA --'4-.-2 44 J. - -g 5 fn ,mv I 1 TANBUL TURKEY ' , , Y.--...-.1,.n gjgg ,ig 334 P 3 .A mg' A r. . , -., 1 u - fl A ,J l'.1 L7 1'.F'f:fi5- Jn , f X Opnlonl, Ollornnn Lil'Cllll,CCl,l1I'C. buill, on nn enor- mous sqnlc ovcrlooks loinfv. I'l'lllCllll5 sl41'Col,s. 'l'l1on.sunds ol fllO3iClllCS sound llmo cull lo prnvcl' livc lirnoss dnilv as Qr'o':-rdcd, Llilasllx' IIlEll'lCCl,S lillcd 'zcfilll slorocl Incr- -,--, Jaws. ,..--. S f ' 'if' YJ. , .' fat-i .'!' 0 ' , . ,L - -.,,.4..... '-4 Sf' chants and pcddlows sell gold, sspiccvs, npln'odi.siacas. X 'th and more. oclloluw believe lhnl llmo silo ol' modern lslnnbnl was willed bv Nlvconnenns as Carly as the U conlnrlx' l'1C'. lfvidcncb. l1o':-zfcvor, is spnrsc and lilllo rnorc is known nboul, the cil,yS origins. by the lllll ccnlnry VAC. 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USS GRASP The USS Grasp and USCGC Harriet Lane come home after spending more than a month spearheading TWA Flight 800 salvage efforts. - u . , P N A .- 1 ,M . .. 4 4 , . . uf 4' , U ' -.wi A Q. ' nop? S.-for -IU' -. I . nf A - . -'tn '7 s THE INDEPENDENT NAVY NEWSWEEKLY Fon HAMPTON ROAD s redlbl by: Mick Dumke Soundings Staff Navy diver Lt.j.g Billy Block still wore a simple white ribbon pinned to his uniform as a memorial to victims ofTWA Flight 800 he hadn't yet stepped off the USS Grasp after more than a month of painstaking. crucial salvage work at the site of the plane's horrifying, disastrous July l7 crash. Around him the ship -just returned to Na- val Amphibious Base. Little Creek - was abuzz with the happy homecoming greetings of lovers, children and parents of crew members. as well as the attentions of news reporters and camera- men. Attempting to being the two worlds together, to keep things in context, Block offered some thoughts, impressions and memories of those 38 days of recovering victims - all 230 people aboard the plane died - and collecting crash debris off the Long Island coast. Though at times both grueling and gruesome, he said more often than not the TWA salvage efforts were just a huge job the had to be done - yet unlike anything he and the ship's divers had taken part in before. Let's just say you felt pretty lucky you didn't know anyone on the plane, he concluded. Even veterans of previous rescue opera- tions were troubled by what they saw at the TWA crash site. Lt. Chris Austin, operations officer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane, said details he observed at the disaster scene left him rattled far beyond anything he saw during the l990 Haitian exodus and an air crash in the Caribbean several years ago. 1 In those situations we were pickings up life. That's what was so frustrating about this one: as time went by we knew we couldn't achieve our mission of saving lives, he said. 6'When you look over the side and see baby shoes and bottles floating by, it's very frustrating. I know those families want to know why. l didn't feel like I was getting them enough answers. No shortage of impressions After serving at the crash site as an on- fcene commander, Austin's vessel returned to its Portsmouth home a week and a half ago. The GfHSp. concluding its critical role in recovery ef- forts, pulled into port last Wednesday showing the briny wear of serious deployment. . Two other Hampton Roads-based vessels ' the USS Grapple, the Grasp's sister salvage Ship, and the USS Oak Hill, a dock landing ship - are still working to wrap up the wreckage re- covery The Grapple and the Oak Hill are all that's left now. but the effort of all these ships hasjust been incredible. said the Cmdr. Gordon Hume, a spokesman for the Navy's salvage operations off the coast of East Moriches. New York. l've really been impressed. The missions have left no shortage of im- pressions - especially with divers from the Grasp, who recovered most of the bodies and wreck- age from the disaster's most littered debris ar- eas. At a frenetic pace, in a dark region well beneath the ocean's surface. they came across images they simply didn't want to discuss after- ward. nl don't think you want the know what I saw - it's something I hope to forget, said Petty Officer 3rd Class Douglas lrish. He lowered his voice. 'fl tried not to imagine them being real people. Imagine what shape you'd be in ifyou fell 13,700 feet. It took a toll on every one of us. Return brings relief The Grasp left for the salvage operation on July 2 l ,just three days after completing a five- month Mediterranean deployment. So it wasn't surprising that, just after returning to port, the divers weren't talking about exasperation or hor- ror. They were instead offering a perspective of the mission that altemated between relief, thank- fulness and commitment, though tempered at times by uneasy recollection. i'When we were told we were going home, we were happy, admitted Petty Officer 3rd Class Aaron Knight. Irish, one of the men who discovered the plane's black boxes several weeks ago, shrugged offany suggestion of heroism or glorious home- coming. f'None of us were anything special -just part of a team. he said. It was a serious job, but I didn't feel any pressure to finish quickly. I knew we'd be out there until everybody was happy with our progress. The ship's morale, in fact, stayed high throughout the salvage mission, said Lt. Cmdr. William Orr, Grasp's commanding ofiicer. Its 90 crew members spent the trip tip to the area off the Long Island coast preparing themselves for the immense tasks ahead. Initially we kind ofwalked through the plans in our minds. Orr explained. I'd never been in- volved with anything ofthis magnitude before, we'djust salvaged a 62-foot fishing trawler off Sfax. Tunisia. but this was different. We had mixed emotions. obviously, but once we were up there everyone got focused. The first days were hectic. Block recalled. as crew members worked to establish a stable mooring for the 255-foot vessel and establish a diving schedule. Even befor'e arriving. divers had been assigned an immediate, unenviable task: re- cover victims' bodies. Assisted by an underwater remote operat- ing vehicle CROVJ. a device tethered by cable to the ship and eqtripped with an underwater cam- era. divers were able to locate primary wreck- age piles. With victims' families pressing for the quick recovery of remains, divers were grouped into two I2 hour shifts, each of which consisted of I6 to 20 men. Offtime was used for essential sleep and recovery i'All ofus were petty well trained for it, but some guys still got decompression sickness com- ing up from l IO, l20 feet, Block confessed. Any thing over 100 feet is dangerous. Others were shaken by evidence ofthe nor- malcy of victims' lives mixed among the wreck- age. In coming across personal belongings divers were abrtrptly reminded of what had been cut short when the plane exploded. 'fOne of our guys found a set of engage- ment rings, Knight noted grimly. It was one of the things that really got to us. Most ofthe divers took on an attitude like Block's: don't mull things over too deeply. It was something that had to be done. We had to disassociate ourselves. he said. Divers are pretty tough as a rule. The next job: recovering wreckage The diving teams gradually spent more and more of their time on task number two: bringing plane parts and pieces to the surface in as pre- served a condition as possible. Many ofthe divers were shocked bye the sheer volume of debris on the ocean fioor. i'You don't realize how big one of those planes is until it's spread overan area like that, said Knight, shaking his head. You don't realize how thin the actual structure ofa plane is. Although portions of the aircraft were im- mediately identifiable. much of the debris had fallen into piles as chunks and shreds. divers said. The pieces ranged from being as small as something that would fit into the palm of your hand up to those that would barely fit on board the ship. like a wing. Irish offered. The heavy. large and cumbersome plane parts were raised with the aid of the Grasp's hook and crane. Divers collected smaller pieces into eight bye I2 foot baskets that were subse- quently pulled tothe surface. Orr reiterated that the support network for salvage vessels was tremendous Anything we needed we called into shore. The next day it would show up - you know, anything, from equip- ment on down to toilet paper. USS GRASP , -.w,:..,,,,.a4--.- ...Tl H, Uh F' 'LIU . E A 3 Wg. Ng , -4 ... .4 .. ,M ,f-. , ,. - ...,...:.r-v- 'Bs x xx X-- , 5.1 , ' ish: XXX I ,le ,-new - '-'K H, -mf -f Y, . 4? ao., XX 5 .av . -'N-an -4.4. A fi- 1 Wa'l 1 , X -, , an va N. .- - ' 67? inf . . ws 'S- 54 2 U55 GRASP .A bf .A ,r . R ,41- w.- 1 A 'tr 1352 I vg vf 9'a 's I Vi. K ,u -:JT - - '1 71 1 s qu -V. .-.-' e ,. 1 ' 5, - .u 1 'Q .. NK f wi, .a .' 'Lf 'Kr .5 91.22 . . ai X 'Q Q- 2,- dr 67 L, Y 'f ' . g .4 , S. Y -1f,f I7i Q.: g'W .ii xi-c.. 9? v ' law ff 1 .XE -2 K mf li IIA fr Qtr' A Y ..!,l '04 f Q 5 2 f I .h M., ,., A !!l fX1 Q A10 4 ilu wi , U v I' 'xii 1 3. it :X . I 'X DEDICATED T O THOSE WHO LUST THEIR LIVES ON TWA FLT 800 AND THEIR FAMILIES LEFT BEHIND lu- . 1 i . -,-me-an-w.., ,,1,fy.gwn1.p.m 1m-ummm ul L'-3. ww vuf1ww...n1-fy'-M-my