Koelsch (FF 1049) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 11 text:

X. o. LCDH ' V. V. r.allafjher III Lieutenant Commander Thomas P. Galla- gher 111 graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 1973 with a B.S in Political Science. He has served aboard the USS Garcia (FF-1040) as Gunnery Assistant, CIC Officer, and Weapons Officer. He served aboard the USS Bagley (FF- 1069) as Weapons Officer and aboard the USS Duluth (LPD-6) as Operations Officer. He has made one Mediterranean, one North Atlantic, one Mideastforce and three Westpac IO deploy- ments. Lieutenant Commander Gallagher received a Master of Arts Degree in International Rela- tions from Miami University in 1978, while serv- ing there as a Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps instructor of Weapons and Navigation. His other shore assignment was as an instructor of National Security Policy and International Relations at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis. Lieutenant Commander Gallagher is mar- ried to LCDR Kathleen Larson Gallagher, who is the Executive Officer of NRD Jacksonville. They have a son, Patrick.

Page 10 text:

EXECUTIVE

Page 12 text:

He stands at the front door in the twilight of early morn- ing, holding a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the door in the other. The sun is just peaking over the horizon. Bril- Hant streaks of gold, orange and turquoise splash across the sky. It ' s going to be a beautiful day, he thinks and sighs sadly. He quietly enters the house and walks to the children ' s bedroom. As he stands silently in the doorway to their room, many things pass through his mind: how peacefully they sleep: how much joy he gets from watching them grow; how much he loves them and how much he ' ll miss them while he ' s away. After a few moments, he goes to wake his wife. As she sleeps, he attempts to memorize the soft curves of her silky body, the small movements of her rose red lips, the elegant beauty of her face. He goes to her and wakes her tenderly with a kiss. The sun is up and shining brightly over the world now, as he and his family drive to the ship for the last time for many weeks to come. He is leaving today on a cruise that will last about four months. It ' s a short cruise, as cruises go, but the pain of leaving his family is no less intense. The children are abnormally quiet because they know he is leaving. He wonders if they understand why he must go and hopes they will not blame him for leaving them. He knows he is leaving because it is his job as a U.S. Navy sailor, and he takes im- mense pride in serving his country and protecting his chil- dren ' s freedom. It saddens him though, that all too often his job takes precedence over his family. It is not fair to them that he should be away for so long. They have arrived at the pier. Members of the ship ' s crew are arriving in ever increasing numbers with their families. He hugs his children tightly one last time, then turns to his wife. A solitary tear rolls down her cheek as they look deeply into each others eyes. He kisses her softly and slowly turns and walks away. As he joins the line of sailors going across the brow, he looks back to see his wife and children standing by the car, waiting to watch the ship depart. He waves good- bye and walks across the brow onto the ship. He is already thinking of what to write in his first letter. by EM2 Max Matteson eagfgieanaMBiB I HHH warn