Spirit of "76 ALIVE in USS Ronald Reagan

In the words of our golden 50th President, "Let friend and foe alike know that America has the muscle to back up its words." That muscle -- and fierce, patriotic Spirit of ''76 -- is also alive in the USS Ronald Reagan(CVN-76). Fittingly, she was the only ship in the U.S. Navy ever to bear the name of a living president.

During Ronald Reagan's two terms as President (1981-1989), he was a strong advocate of naval power, calling for a 15-carrier, 600-ship Navy. He initiated five Nimitz-class carriers on his watch. His use of naval power was evident during three major military operations – Operation Urgent Fury (Grenada, 1983); Operation El Dorado Canyon (Libya, 1986); and Operation Praying Mantis (Iran, 1988).

The air power muscle of the nation's newest carrier is transported by two nuclear reactors capable of more than 20 years of continuous service without refueling, providing virtually unlimited range and endurance, and a top speed in excess of 30 knots. The ship will support a wide variety of aircraft, including the F/A-18 Hornet and F/A-18 Super Hornet strike fighters, the F-14 Tomcat fighter, the E-2 Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, the C-2 Greyhound logistics aircraft, the S-3 Viking anti-submarine aircraft, the EA-6 Prowler electronic warfare aircraft and the multi-role SH-60 and MH-60 helicopters.

This Nuclear-Powered Aircraft Carrier and her 5,500 crew members departed Norfolk Naval Station on May 27th -- ironically, just nine days before its namesake completed his earthly pilgrimage. The ship will be under way for nearly two months while circumnavigating around the tip of South America. The Navy’s newest nuclear-powered and most technologically-advanced aircraft carrier will be heading for its official homeport at Balboa Naval Hospital after leading the OR for many years as the Perioperative Nursing Department Head at the Naval Hospital Bremerton in Washington.

Her Fleet Hospital Bremerton command recently returned from their deployment to Naval Hospital Rota in Spain where they tended our troops wounded in Iraq. Soon to have American eagle devices on her collars and a captain's fourth bar added to her boards, I'm hoping and praying that she will retire soon with the rate of a rear admiral. I'm sure that President Reagan would favor that. He liked her.

Among her many assignments since the Viet Nam conflict (while an Ensign), she was one of President Reagan's nurses at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., ("Betheseda Naval Hospital") from March-April 1981. At that time he was close to death after his attempted assasination as he left the Washington Hilton Hotel in Washington, D.C. As he entered the operating room, mortally wounded, he quipped to his surgeons, "I hope you're all Republicans." The President also had surgery there again in 1985 for colon cancer. And Nancy had surgery for her breast cancer there during his Presidency.

President George W. Bush awarded The Congressional Gold Medal to both the former President & First Lady on May 16, 2002.

"Man the ship and bring her alive!" said former First Lady Nancy Reagan when she commissioned the ship at Naval Station Norfolk last July 12th. (She also did the honors at the ship's christening on March 4, 2001.) It lives almost as big as Ronnie's spirit. Godspeed and God Bless America.

Dear Lord,

There's a young man far from home,
called to serve his nation in time of war;
sent to defend our freedom
on some distant foreign shore.

We pray You keep him safe,
we pray You keep him strong,
we pray You send him safely home...
for he's been away so long.

There's a young woman far from home,
serving her nation with pride.
Her step is strong, her step is sure,
there is courage in every stride.
We pray You keep her safe,
we pray You keep her strong,
we pray You send her safely home ...
for she's been away too long.

Bless those who await their safe return.
Bless those who mourn the lost.
Bless those who serve this country well,
no matter what the cost.

(-- Author Unknown)

IF IT WASN'T FOR DOUBLE STANDARDS,
LIBERALS WOULD HAVE NO STANDARDS AT ALL!