Jouett (CG 29) - Naval Cruise Book

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IRAN THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS REVISITED BY E X 3 GARY A JtlEU TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS IN THE GULFTXjJM. NOT A CREATURE WAS STIRRING IN THE LAND OF ISLA THE F-14S WERE PARKED BY THE ISLAND WITH CARE IN HOPES THEY COULD BOMB TEHRAN FROM THE AIR THE CREW WAS SLEEPING ALL SNUG IN THEIR RACKS DREAMING OF KHOMEINI HAVING MASSIVE CARDIACS. WITH THE JOUETT AT PIRAZ. F-4S WERE THE CAPS, M1DWATCHES PREDICTING IRAN WOULD COLLAPSE. WHEN ALL THROUGH THE TASK FORCE THERE AROSE SUCH A FEAR. THE SUDDEN REALIZATION THAT THERE WOULD BE NO BEER. TO SICK BAY THE ALKIES HASTENED THEIR PACE WHILE HOPING THAT DOC WOULD SPLICE THE MAIN BRACE. WHEN WHAT TO THE LOOKOUTS EYES SHOULD APPEAR BUT A MINIATURE BEERTRUCK AND SIX DRUNKEN REINDEER WITH A GRINDING OF GEARS AND AN OCCASIONAL THUNK, ZIG ZAGGING AND WEAVING. THE DRIVER WAS DRUNK! SAUDI ARABIA OMAN WITH A VOICE SLIGHTLY SLURRED. WE HEARD HIM EXCLAIM AS HE PEERED AT HIS REINDEER AND CALLED THEM BY NAME: ON PERCY! ON HERSCHEL! ON MORRIS! ON BLAINE! ON CHEETAH! ON MALCOLM! REMEMBER THE MAINE!! AND ON THE FLIGHTDECK. HE FINALLY DID LAND. HE STAGGERED FROM THE BEERTRUCK. MUG IN EACH HAND. THEN FROM THE CREW THERE AROSE SUCH A CHEER THAT IT FRIGHTENED POOR SANTA AND HE SPILLED HIS BEER THE CREV MOBBED THE BEERTRUCK. MUCH LAUGHTER AND DRINKING. SOME EYED THE REINDEER, BIZARRE THOUGHTS THEY WERE THINKING. THEN A VOICE FROM THE BRIDGE SCREAMED IN THEIR EAR. PUT THOSE CANS DOWN. GET THAT ELF OUTTA HERE! BUT THE BEERTRUCK WAS BROKEN. NO REPAIR IN SIGHT. ALL THE REINDEER UNCONSCIOUS FROM THEIR DRUNKEN FLIGHT A HELO WAS LAUNCHED. A VERTREP WAS PLANNED TO CARRY OFF SANTA AND HIS DRUNKEN BAND. THE TASK WAS AHEAD. THE REINDEER TO WAKE. SO HE KICKED AT THEIR H OOVES AND THEN HE SPAKE: UP DELBERT! UP BERNIE! HEY FRITZ WAKE JACQUES! UP MAURICE! HEY ADOLF! LETS GO TO THE HAVKV AND WE HEARD HIM EXCLAIM. AS HE FLIPPED THEM THF flRD, AYATOLLAH KHOMEINI. YOU ' RE A AeAL CAMEL TUB IT IS A PLEASURE TO CONYRY TO ALL OF YOU IN THE NA VY-MAfTIlW ' CORPS TEAM. AND TO YOUR FAMILIES. THE WARMEST WISHES FOR THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. AS YOU KNOM ' i CHRISTMAS IS A VERY SPECIAL OCCASION, FOR RELI- GIOUS AND COUNTLEs OTHER REA- SONS THAT DERIVE FR(M THE TRADE TIONS OF EACHR Tf tVS LIFE. CHRIST MAS CAN THpSMEAN MANY THINGS TO MANY PeJdPLE. AND EACH PERSON HAS A RIGHT TO ATTACH THAT MEAN- ING TO ITJHA T HIS OR HER OWN PHI- LOSOPH] ATTRIBUTES TO THIS PAR TIME OF YEAR. I REMEMBER WELL THE CHRISTMAS OF 1944. WHICH I SPENT ABOARD THE CARRIER ENTERPRISE WITH 2.000 OTH- ER MEN. FAR. FAR AWAY FROM THOSE WE LOVED. BUT IN A SENSE WE MERE

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; KNOV in ' i l ' i R-l in ' KOI A ' 1)1- APPOINTMEN1 17 SPENDING nil HOLI- DAYS UNEXPECTEDLY Hi) FJtOM man i n loved ones i hopi vol FINDCON SOLATION (N CER1 UN KN09 l EDGl Hi i YOUR SACRIflCl ISINTHl SERVICl ol OUR MOST URGENT NATIONAL ( mm 171 nil Kill 15 1 1 toil 4A K7 i ANS FROM CAPTIVITY, AND THl PRESER i r70A OF OUR NATION ' S REPU1 t r o.v |v I FORCE FOR REASON IND MODERA TION IN THE CONDUCT OF INTERN ATION AL RELATIONS I SPEAK FOR PRI SIDl I CARTER IND FOR IMERH IN ( ITIZFNS EVERYWHERl l EXPRESSING OUR AP PREl l i on FOR YOUR SELFLESS ONTRI- HI ; N ro C41 5J I ' l I M F ON EARTH DURING nil CHRISTMAS SEASON llll HONORABLl HAROLD BROWN SE( RETARY OF Dill SSI ON CAMEL STATION PAKISTAN ARABIAN SEA MR) N IK -hUFTHING FLSi U LOVED ! nv It) M UC£ Ol « ( ONTRIBl in i m mi i-i i i in mi WORLD THOSE Ol liil WHOARl SEPARATED I ROM YOUR LOVED ONES in ' YOUR FRIENDS ARI MAKING I REA1 SACRIFICE. BUT I HOP1 ) Ol B iw Fffi 77 m m It m KNOWING THATYOl ik MAKING i i K KM COA K nONTOTHl STRENGTH Ol HI R I.RI I N I III i IN ' PRI -I R I i TOA ' l HAVl am VERY BEST WISHES FOR i PP HOU in) in ' VOX II ii inks in i APPRECIATION 77 F AMERICAN PEOPLl MIRR) CHRIST Mi- nn Hi i i ' K ! ( )U IK ) HIDALGO -n k IK) c ; ii t !WI:W YEAR ' S MIDWATC H BY IT ROBERT Y ANKLE UNDERWAY ON NEW YEAR ' S DAY AT PRESIDENT CARTER ' S BEHEST III! in COULD Dd IT AND ALL THF WORLD K N7 H SO THF) SEN! in I THEIR VERY BEST CTG 70 J s FIRST DEED U is TO ORDER I «. UNDERLAY (,ii x I -I YOUNG M i N AND FAt I IR I N WITH THAT. THE CO CONCURRED THE HARD ( Ol ' ) N BY ( T(, 70.2 ' S HAND III- IS0340Z ( V 79 REFERRED WITH Kim HA UK. HERRI II) AND FA NING (,H SPRUANC1 DESTROYER, DAVID R RA) OTt U III 1 1 i re - ». K1TT) HAWK HI ROD IND lOUSTT WAp GLD SS M l lOv u ROGER (ED) THAT ' ( ONDITIOHJII Wl SET AT St WITH YOKE FirfcNGS u DARKl N7 i -ill THE PLANT WAS SPL1 WITH BOILER S i i AND j ON II THE Fl II ERH 11 I HAD IB AND 2A U OULD HOI D WITH 2B GENERATOR STANDING ID Fill GUNS U K ( T MANNID U Till (•! ( Rl u s SLEPT BUT EM ON BRAVO WAS IN FULL ill n 1 EAST AM ' WES1 OR u HA II I R Rll ' l - BES1 Fill N (. ORDERS l -l Rl i m III i n (. OURSt 090 AT i KNOTS u kin N IN U IKN K HAD IHI l ll K N 111! i i ' NN HE ' SSWOQl a II ll I ' in kn u HOB TO DO n II -I Rli.lll ihi i.i ii oi m in u | i ; in I - i i i. I ' CN FOR l ) I I i ' l I ) Mi. Ill hi l nil WORLD HAD BETTER u -I WE ' VE RESOLVED OONT TREAD ON ME! n a i n tS -i riRin I i IPAB1 1 IND oi in I M.I K TO III. Ill