Reid (FFG 30) - Naval Cruise Book

Page 49 text:

l'li K 1' i LIKE A MANNEQUIN Like a mannequin he sits as if there were no life. His still expressionless face with dark cir- cles surrounding his eyes, denotes his many restless nights. In the distance you hear a radio playing low, but being muffled by equip- ment and blowers. He sits, staring at a cal- endar as though counting the days, as one might count seconds going by on a clock. His eyes seem to flip through the months in an attempt to speed up time. Without breaking concentration he drinks from a can. His eyes appear cold and dark, like frozen lakes of blue water. As you look deeper, it is as if you can look into his bodily shell, only to find a cold empty void. Finally breaking his eyes from the calendar, he stares at a picture of a beautiful brown haired woman, and a cute little girl. As you look closer you see a resemblance in the face of the little girl and the man in front of you. Again looking at the man, you see pain and tears overcome his face as if someone was twisting a sword through his heart and soul.

Page 48 text:

WESTP C R E'S A LITTLE STORY I GOT TO TELL. RggUT A MIGHTY BATTLE FRIGATE YOU KNOW, SO WELL. , IT STARTED WAY BACK IN MARCH OF 90. WHEN WE STARTED OUR CRUISE WITH THE USS VANDY. OLONGAPO, PI IS WHERE WE STAYED. A CLUB CALLED FLORIDA'S IS WHERE WE PLAYED. THEPLACEXNASKKHUN'ANDYNEXNANTEDTTJ STAY, . BUTTTHESCHEDULEXNASTHMTTSOYNECKYFUN- DERWAY. PHUKET, THAILAND WAS THE PLACE TO BE. WITH MANY MILES OF BEACHES AND A LOT TO SEE. ME AND MY SHIPMATES HIT THE SPOT. WE SWAM AND DANCED AND DID A LOT. WELL THAILAND WAS FUN, YOU KNOW IT'S TRUE. BUT IN THE PERSIAN GULF WE HAD A JOB TO DO. BEEN HERE 3 MONTHS AND WE SERVED OUR TIME, ON OUR WAY OUT AND IRAQ COMMITTED THE BIGGEST CRIME. RELIEF WAS ON THE WAY WHEN WE LEARNED THE NEWS. NOW WERE SITTING HERE WITH THE PERSIAN GULF BLUES. WHEN WERE LEAVING NOBODY KNOWS, SO WE DRIFT AND FLOAT AND SEE HOW IT GOES. A TIME WILL COME WHEN WE REACH THE DAY, WE'LL GET THE WORD AND HOME IS WHERE WE'LL GO TO STAY. WRITTEN BY: OSSN ADAMS OSSN ALLEN 3 I. ... I I .,. A I x ?I 7 I

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1 i IDDLE EAST FGRCE AWARDS