Chapter 169

Marine One landed at the Norfolk Navy Yard shortly before 0800. A group of VIP vans carried me and the group that always traveled with me. Today there were additional officials; Secretary of Defense, Secretary of the Navy, Chief of Naval Operations were among them. Of course there were a couple of news people that had won today’s lottery.

I waited at the base of the stairs with the Chief of Naval Operations to be piped aboard. All the other officials had already boarded; I was the last to board along with part of my security.

As I waited to climb the stairs, the others in my group went first. Each was announced as being aboard stepped by their rank and position. As I stepped from the stairs to the deck the loud speaker announced, “Attention all hands! The Commander In Chief is now aboard.” That was followed by ‘Stars and Stripes’ as I walked across the deck to the Island.

“Prepare to cast off all lines.”

I felt the ship move as tugs started to pull the ship away from the dock. It takes several large tugs to maneuver a ship this size to or away from the dock and into the channel. Tides and currents play havoc in narrow channels and ports with large ships. Tugs make sure they do not run aground or are pushed against docks or other ships.

Once the ships are underway and in deep channels, the tugs are no longer needed unless there are high winds.

At the Island we went up three decks to the control room. It was glass enclosed with a three sixty visibility. All the ships functions were controlled from decks of the Island.

Where I was on the third deck with the ship’s wheel that guided the ship, there were fancy chairs for the captains and there were several already seated; the Rear Admiral and a couple more other important officers. Flight operations on the flight deck could be observed from here. A lowly captain was ordered to give up his fancy swivel seat for me.

By now we had passed over the section of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel that connected the eastern shore of Virginia to Virginia proper. Several Burke class destroyers followed the Thomas out of the Hampton Roads harbor. As we moved further out to sea we were met with several more ships, including a missile cruiser and a couple more destroyers.

The Fordson and the Stennis were behind us - we were a couple miles at sea when I saw them move to into formation and picked up speed to join us.

We were picking up speed; I could tell by the vibrations and by looking at the instruments that were on all sides. Ships operations were under way with all the officers doing something. It was here that Rear Admiral Scott and Captain McCoy turned to talk to me.

“Our air operations will begin in about twenty minutes. We will land twenty aircraft initially and they will do a series of launches and landings. For some of the pilots it will be the first actual carrier landings. Pensacola Flight School has deemed they are carrier qualified so we shall find out if they remember all the training,” Captain McCoy said.

They talked navy for twenty minutes, explaining carrier operations and how the escort ships fit into the picture. The carrier is the center of the task force. It was the job of the escorts to mirror the movements of the carrier for a lot of reasons.

The escort’s primary job was to protect the carrier from damage by the enemy from submarines, aircraft, and missiles. Escorts ships came with specialized duties. Some were submarine hunters, others were designed to do antimissile functions and anti-aircraft duties.

Another important function was to rescue pilots that ejected from troubled aircraft in launch or landing modes. They were also tasked in hunting for anyone that fell off the carrier.

The announcement that aircraft were inbound and the ship turning into the wind to assist in the process of landing ended our conversation. I watched as the hook of the first plane caught the arresting cable bringing the plane to an immediate stop. The second plane missed the cables and had to go around. On the second try the pilot caught the second cable. The Thompson’s air group continued to come aboard - twenty planes in all. It was a mix of F35, F37 and late model F18 H models.

With binoculars I watched the Fordson air group trying to get aboard. It wasn’t going well. I saw five planes land and then the remaining aircraft were in a holding pattern; the deck was full of people. Twenty minutes later the planes were still in a holding pattern.

“Admiral Scott, can you monitor the Fordson’s air group radios?” I asked.

“Yes ma-am,” he said as he ordered it to be put on the speaker.

We listened as the problems with the landing system were discussed. The fifteen pilots in the air were told that if the problem could not be fixed in fifteen minutes, an order would be given that they were to return to Oceania air station.

Oceania was one of the places that carrier planes were sent to as the carriers came to port. The planes were also flown from there to carriers leaving for a duty tour.

“What a shame. I’m sure some of those pilots are just out of training and need the experience to gain confidence in their abilities. Do you have room on deck or in the hangar to add them to the training group today?” I asked.

“Plenty of room! We only have twenty but we can carry eighty,” Captain McCoy said.

“Do it!” the Chief of Naval Operations said.

“Page the Fordson; I need to speak with Admiral Bramble,” Admiral Scott directed the radio operator.

“Admiral Bramble - per orders of President Jones and the Chief of Naval Operations, the fifteen planes in the air are to be assigned to the Thomas air group until you get your problem repaired. Have the planes contact Thomas air control for instructions at one niner niner point five,” Scott said.

Five minutes later the first of the planes hooked the cable, twenty minutes later the last one was on deck. As soon as the deck was clear, planes were coming up the elevators. The Thomas’ twenty planes were launched in pairs. Twenty minutes later the Fordson’s fifteen were launched.

Control was forming them up in five plane squadrons. Young pilots were learning that carrier life and flying was going to be a lot different than Pensacola Naval Air station. The squadrons were vectored back one at a time to land and repeat.

Admiral Scott winked at me and moved his head to look out the window to the Fordson. The deck was still full of men trying to fix the problem. He looked back at me and smiled.

He was old school and had faith in old school technology. I was sure Admiral Bramble was going to get a ribbing back at the officers club.

“Captain McCoy, have you got an old school Chief Petty Officer that can give me a tour below decks while you teach them virgins how to grab the cable the first time?” I asked.

“Yes Ma-am, Chief Stevens will meet you at the hatchway to the flight deck,” he said.

Two Secret Service agents and I made our way to the hatch and waited for the Chief.

“Madam President, what would you like to see?” he asked.