Jack Williams (FFG 24) - Naval Cruise Book

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Underway On the morning of 29 April 1983, after bidding our final iarewells to loved ones, the word was passed to take in all lines Shortly thereafter came the word, UNDERWAY, SHIFT COLORS. So began JACK WILLIAMS MED CRUISE 83. ' 4 4 ? f ' ' ' 1 After leaving Mayport, the ship joined the USS EISENHOWER Battle group for the ten day transit to Rota, Spain. On May 8th we arrived in Rota for a short four hour stay, just long enough to take on fuel, then It was time to move on to the Suez Canal.

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Deployment 83

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ENTERING THE SUEZ CANAL Suez Canal We transited directly across the Mediterranean to the Suez Canal; 2100 mile leg, taking five days. The Suez Canal is only wide enough for passage of one ship at a time, so we formed up in the southbound convoy of thirty ships, for our night-time run through the canal. The trek started at midnight on the 14th and lasted seventeen hours. Monument to the Unknown Soldier