ed72n -> RE: A Nit Pick... (2/23/2014 1:00:08 AM)
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Congratulations on your service, Weasel! I had a co-worker whose niece was a crew member of the USS Abraham Lincoln and through them, I got on a "Family Day Cruise" in 1998. I had a great time touring the ship and watching the cat-shots and landing demonstrations by an EA-6 from Whitbey Island NAS. I had enlargements of this demonstration hung up in my office wall and I got HUGE prestige points from visitors and co-workers. The one picture that I forgot to take was when I was in one of the ship's stores where I was buying hats and mugs for my co-worker's family. I couldn't help but notice how hot is was in there. After finding the items and waiting to pay, I noticed on the floor a 2 inch diameter pipe sticking out and a cap on top with a warning. It said something like, "Warning, access port to nuclear reactor." I figured the store must have been directly over the reactor due to the heat and sign. I've told many friends that "I must have been within 30 feet of the ship's reactor," but I kick myself for never taking the picture. (Imagine THOSE prestige points . . .) I guess you can say I'm a "Glow Boy Tourist" now. Sad to say, I was not cheeky enough to ask for a tour of the reactor although I'm a techie type. (But I did get to run up the Admiral's private stairwell to the bridge before I got admonished by one of the crew members.) I have great memories of that great trip . . . quote:
ORIGINAL: NakedWeasel Hey Werewolf, Welcome home, Squidly-diddly! Glad to see I'm not the only Glow Boy in the house. I was an MM3 aboard the Stinkin' Lincoln, plank owner, rack rider.... Class A bilge rat, Gutter Snipe of the Third Kind. Being in M Division, I spent most of my time on the steam-side and in the shaft alleys, and a little time in "Hot Zones" in the aft hanger bay dealing with a little "broken arrow" fun and games. Honestly, I was never interested in becoming an engineer-type, wanted to be a SEAL like every other military brat who joins the Navy- but I couldn't get a waiver for terrible eyesight. Apparently, the powers that be thought it might be useful for me to get too close to radiation and super-heated steam and sent me down the day-glo yellow deck road. I did that for a tour and decided I was a people person, and I like guns, so can I please be a corpsman instead? They said NO! You can do another West Pac, Snipe. I said, Well, I guess it's time to leave this sorry outfit.... and went to college and became a medic/firefighter anyway. I had some good times, and met some very bright people, and like you- I got to see the guts of a nuke plant from the inside. But I'm glad I don't have to do that anymore.
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