Yesterday we came back from the carrier U.S.S. Yorktown. It was in Charleston Harbor. At first I was confused because I thought that the Yorktown already had sunk but then the guide told us that this was CV-10 and the one that sunk was CV-5. First, he showed us the sailors sleeping places and told us that we were going to sleep there. The girls had the officer's quarters. The place where we were going to sleep had mattresses stacked on top of each other normally four at a time and only had a foot of space between them. But, surprisingly, the beds were not that uncomfortable at all. We went on a couple of self guided tours. They were very interesting and had rooms that would normally be there and there were little plaques that said this was what and so on. There also fighter jets on the flight deck and hangar bay. One of the fighter jets they let you sit in it and there were different controls and things that the fighter jet pilot would have to push or switch and that matter. One jet on the flight deck had a huge hole through the middle of it and we could see light at the other end. I think this was the air intake part. There was also a ship's theater in the very front where they showed movies about the Yorktown and the Laffey, which was a destroyer. I learned that the Laffey was hit five thimes by kamikazes and three times by bombs. I don't really know because it also said that it was hit six times by kamikazes and four times by bombs. Kamikazes were suicide plane that had 500 pounds of explosives in it. They were supposed to go very high in the air and just fall right onto their target so if they were shot, they would still hit. It's kind of sad that the Japanese government made these teenagers fly planes right into ships. I wonder if they were doing it because they had to or because they were just loyal to their country. I wonder what type of thoughts they had just before they were going to crash. I wonder what type of thoughts the American sailors had when they saw that going to crash. We did not get to see the Laffey because it left Charleston on the Wednesday before we came to get repaired in a dry dock in Denton. I liked it very much and would like to go again. The picture is of the U.S.S. Yorktown. She is also called the "Fighting Lady" and was damaged by only one bomb.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Yesterday we came back from the carrier U.S.S. Yorktown. It was in Charleston Harbor. At first I was confused because I thought that the Yorktown already had sunk but then the guide told us that this was CV-10 and the one that sunk was CV-5. First, he showed us the sailors sleeping places and told us that we were going to sleep there. The girls had the officer's quarters. The place where we were going to sleep had mattresses stacked on top of each other normally four at a time and only had a foot of space between them. But, surprisingly, the beds were not that uncomfortable at all. We went on a couple of self guided tours. They were very interesting and had rooms that would normally be there and there were little plaques that said this was what and so on. There also fighter jets on the flight deck and hangar bay. One of the fighter jets they let you sit in it and there were different controls and things that the fighter jet pilot would have to push or switch and that matter. One jet on the flight deck had a huge hole through the middle of it and we could see light at the other end. I think this was the air intake part. There was also a ship's theater in the very front where they showed movies about the Yorktown and the Laffey, which was a destroyer. I learned that the Laffey was hit five thimes by kamikazes and three times by bombs. I don't really know because it also said that it was hit six times by kamikazes and four times by bombs. Kamikazes were suicide plane that had 500 pounds of explosives in it. They were supposed to go very high in the air and just fall right onto their target so if they were shot, they would still hit. It's kind of sad that the Japanese government made these teenagers fly planes right into ships. I wonder if they were doing it because they had to or because they were just loyal to their country. I wonder what type of thoughts they had just before they were going to crash. I wonder what type of thoughts the American sailors had when they saw that going to crash. We did not get to see the Laffey because it left Charleston on the Wednesday before we came to get repaired in a dry dock in Denton. I liked it very much and would like to go again. The picture is of the U.S.S. Yorktown. She is also called the "Fighting Lady" and was damaged by only one bomb.
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I learned that the Laffey was hit five thimes by kamikazes and three times by bombs.
ReplyDeleteWhat an experience!
ReplyDeleteIt is very hard to analyze the real thoughts of the kamakazi suicite bombers or the american sailors. Probably during war time people were both a little bit "crazy" - they might have no time to think about this and that, following orders and duties took over their own mind.
Peace is good, and is achieved because of the sacrofies of them. We do not have to wrorry about our lives, meals, shelters every day. We need do our best to appreciate the sacrofies those had done.
Anyway this is my 2cents. Thanks for sharing.