Kearsarge (LHD 3) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 88 text:

Lbttateed LH D-3 v It . 1, -, , . 1 . ., J .. rj f Q il 9' -- 4' ' 1 A , W ' Q Q 5:3 , ' Qi Xi ,W 54. Lv...--11 Lfsffi' ' S552 - , iff -32 -ij. ,' , ,A ts ig .ffl - -- 'L , ,hx - Y' .,,y .-5 i.. eil, Y f-- '-f , . - 6 JZ 7' s ' Hai ff, .' f , , N . ' ,,.- X f f 1 2 2 A -Q ,.-vgE,1r:!f' , '-' .. - . f Ig! i ' X,- , . . - 'Y T '- 1 5 I .' 7 4 1 . 'A :' 5' . . 4 , 'All of you--olllin this generotion of our military--have token up the highest salt of hustory. You re defendin 0 ' ' tfrom not 9 Y Ur COUUTVY, Gnd protecting the unnocen An 83 MAv d wherever you go, you corry o message of hope--H In r t of 'u F B r-T E .1- If' 2.

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W Y lm and Journal 1 6 -.x l li- 1 :S .1-f Zr,'i',' .Ja . ., pg 'lrluunnu I . XX. .iff U ' iw i - Q, vi M 8,5 ' I I 'Q K M X . t . iii 5.4.4 'W l Mo While the wash down continued at Kuwait Naval Base, the Marines continued to arrive back aboard the ship. Returning from as far north as Baghdad, the Marines had to ensure every piece of gear and every vehicle was thoroughly washed before it was moved back to the ship via helicopter and LCAC. An aggressive agricultural inspection was necessary to ensure the ship didn't carry anything back to the U.S. that could cause illness or pollute the environment. On 18 May, the last Marine stepped off a helicopter aboard KEARSARGE marking an end to the back load that took 13 days. The crew fully understood that, although more than 8,000 miles away, homecoming was now in sight. With the back load complete, the number of smiles aboard the ship increased ten- fold. The ship had deployed the Marines on time, and now could rest easy that the mission to get them back aboard was also complete. y NlAYf'?l I

Page 89 text:

and .l56Pulfr5W6ll f . . 1 ..-f' ,nn . n , ,,' no . bk is t-li K ' I . lk if Hn, 7-n Nu . ,, .EPT .1 U. - if . ' A . ,, .Q ' .,. -Q r 2 ,pw J I , ig .-I - ' ' -Q f ,i ,v . L xv , Xf les. A .,, , 4 J . E700 ll N s x , 6. -- ' .42 Q .. .- 'I 'E .- 'QAIE-1-:-ll: 1.2.51-3 eat, E3 .747 ' ' ai . i 'A' ' .f-' . 7 ' ' 1 'V .. , , 1 -f-.:'??f.- f -fa. '.'-.1,,'- .-' , V . . 2 The very next day, KEARSARGE hauled up her anchor and departed LHOA-3 for the very last time. The ship and crew were heading home. The crew also continued to clean...and on the flight deck, the Marines from MAG-29 started to wash down the helicopters. An incredibly tedious process, each aircraft was stripped down and washed from top to bottom for the same type of inspection each vehicle had received at Kuwait Naval Base. On 22 May the ship passed through the Strait of Hormuz, ending its service in the Arabian Gulf. The next day the crew started to wash the ship's exterior, starting with the mast and working their way down. The crew also took advantage of an opportunity for 59 Sailors to talk to their families back home using video teleconferencing. For those Sailors, seeing their new babies and families was a priceless opportunity. On the flight deck, Air Department worked for two straight days to rid the ship of the sand that made its way into every crevice. Under a baking sun, the crew uncovered the gray color that had been hidden under a blanket of sand. -affahg , . . 5 - Jn'-,' , . .,, A . .1 '. ,, , . .J-' 'Jia -. 1 .ai 6, Ia ,,g.f '. - 1 -wr-v., IC ,, .,,' ,,. if 4' 4 .,,p ' - -1... '- A .Lg ,wr i. '- I Z -.JJ-fl. AAUY MM,