Kearsarge (LHD 3) - Naval Cruise Book

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Y-lr 1' , . '8 I Z E I , 2 ' in 5 N ' unned stqfeessfpe I6 I l'i'4r I' - ,f r I -2.1 - . 4 . 4 w I 5. 1 WL? 1 ? Gperotion I f Shining ' I 's. I!- 1.7 I r y ,- . 3-'llf w,g --. -f Express fe' . .fre o U fi? . I gf' 5,1 I s 13, , if I,-1 , -' V 'pf X e ee S- 'T u . I , , s- ,, s M9 A , .P N - Cb L1 I.. 1 I f I ' .I ,- .,f7,'- - 0' J N' 7 .I U I- . A fi f f - , -4, . x 'IK I Q. I. U Q 1 1 ' . y f 1. be i f r W , fi' ' -' ff I I , I- 3 1..- 1 4 Message of Thanks from Ambassador John W. Blaney June l8 ' 2003 ,- -.-H' ,-:. ,'L if ' 4 'L' 1 I want to express my deep thanks to you, the men and women ofthe USS KEARSARGE ILHD 31. Wm ltavc'l - ' victorious in wat: and I salute you while grieving with you for those who have been lost. I te eognize that it is past tlte timelhtr sending you home to your wives, families and friends. Let me assure you that I' the outset. I have done evetjvtlting I can to speed you on you 're way. But, as you prepare to leave, let me also assure ,WIN your stop hen' was intportant. Here 's why. aller our own. 77W -Vl1f 'l' .WW 'INN' Sl'l'l1,lron1 :dar belongs to Liberia, a country created by the United States in the I 9 ' Cl'l1lU U' havenjorjieetl slaves. It is no accident that Liberia flies a flag that looks like ours and has a .system lj government nwllf lu For many years. Liberia was the single shining star of freedom in Africa, and was the first independent republic 1 continent. All the while. Liberia was our closestfriend in Africa and served as an important base jbr thousands QIAI soldiers and our aircraft in WWII. Many Liberians hav So. , QQXJUNE e. in fact, served in our military. Wllllf 'Will H'lY'H.l! I' WWII. bloody tyranny came and stayed in this land in 1980 when a violent coup killed tln I'n'sident ol'Liberia and put an uneducated and corrupt Liberian army sergeant named Samuel Doe into power: tu Ill tu

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,, Ji' ..l.wl. images and Jleurnel ,Y '. 0 u - 1 I . in , mx! i fu. A4- ' .ra '- ml Us-ff Y 4 I A ,ig ,ll --A ,, .... - 1 :--.-.zz -r ' --fa Q-,- 4.,-.Q -- S S :f-:iff t,,,-L.:- , iii, if 5. .. 4. gq ' 5 -- '------e---.-,--.,-....-.- . mv.. .....,.., -. . ,,, i I ii -.L A s A i' if ..,-.., .. ,M WILFX Presidenhol Suppon Asion Heriloge Labliicgnsii Oiflood Tiger Cruise Homecoming As soon as the President departed Jordan, KEAFISARGE set a course to the Suez Canal. On 6 June the ship crossed back into the Mediterranean and set a course for home. days later the Commanding Officer announced homecoming might be delayed because there was trouble inthe African country of Liberia. The ship continued west, passed through the Strait of Gibraltar, and instead of it 1 crossing the Atlantic, set a southerly course down the coast of Africa. Unfortunately, just four 'O In preparation for that mission, the ship cross- decked hundreds of Marines and many aircraft to give the ship the right mix of assets in case the unrest grew more problematic and . , V . N ,115 I Q 4 i fit? B, KEARSARGE would be need to rescue American citizens or provide security to the embassy in Monrovia. The ship also began to prepare by conducting Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation iNEOl drills to hone , everyone's skills. June

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lm and loutnal 5.9! PE L X 'lx .f v J gvn ng. I A I S f 3 f 1 2 '5 L i il ' f ' ,- -- . .f , KU , I: A J 4 r 2 Q .lg , ' . - Xr . .. He himself was later assassinated several years later: and the whole country was plunged into a multi -jlrctional civil war lfrseverr terrible years in the early 1990 's. Aj?er hundreds of thousands died, one ofthe warlortls. Charles laylon carrre to power and was elected President of Lilreria, in 1997. , Liberia i.s a land rich in natural resources, like gold and diamonds. oil. iron ore. timber: and is the home ofFirestone 's rrurssrx-e rubber plantation. Ury'ortunately, under 7aylor's oppressive rule. Liberia has slippedjurrlrer and becorrre the world 's prrrrresrc'orrr1trjy: and arguably has the most abused civilian population in the world. Not only that, but Liberia has become the epicenter ofinstabilitv throughout West Africa. and hundreds oftlrousurrds more lure been slaughtered brutally in neighboring countries as a result of Taylor 's military adventures and sponsorship of rrr.xrrrgerrcie.s'. This is also a countrjv where it 's own militarjv and militias as well as two separates rebel armies prey upon the llllrtrcertl. This must not arzd will not continue. And indeed, while you were here. the United States has helped to broker a signed f'f'-Wthre agreement that has stopped the fighting of three separate arrrries. Much remains to be done to shore up this success. for exanrple, verification and rrrorritorirrg ofthe ceasegfire. mmmjig of the ceasefire also sets the stagefor the departure of President Taylor? which Irie lras now lzfdged dx. 3 W an I me mumiongrrr ernment is now berng.d1scussed to take powenjollowed byuheeelectrons. he no rnrsru' 4.12 rrslrsrrr' Jnlclglr' Lf xhmqmerw 'slmglle-brat now there is hope for a neu: j5'ee. Liberia, and stalnlrtv m West Aft u a. an: an c nz o ns rug c I I ul srdferrng. and M ,i:2Zre.serrc'e here has demonstrated that Arrrerica has not forgotten its. Sl6'Il-Tkllllj liilrerial as D IrrtfrtltirrrriitsllrczfQ 'wwf' ' fl1V 5llllC:fllt'Il1el' into total drsrntegratron and become a Sonralra West . a am .sn ren any xg, 1, . . , 'W VPS. Lrberra rs a jailed-state, but the time may be at hand fri'-Deedorn and peace to rerur rr to Liber ur. ' . haw U Ifso' 0 behay of my small crem the last western Embassy still open, whose white walls and concertrrru woe you nugln- ' H PS0ll-rnany thanks for your help. Like you, we too will never' give up on tlrejiglrtjorfreedorrr wlrerever rt may Ire. As Ilr , , , A , , , , ' 'ffm'-Svrrtatrve ofthe President ofthe United States. l thank you for you gallanrrjv. and wrslr you u safeurour ney lrorm. J U n e JUNE 93