They Came in Peace.

It happened on this day, 29 years ago.

At 0620, a truck loaded with 12,000 lbs of TNT smashed through fences and a gate outside the US Marine barracks at the Beirut Airport. The truck bomb detonated at the BLT headquarters, literally lifting the entire building from its foundations. As the building settled back into the cavity where the concrete support pillars once were, it collapsed, killing scores of Marines, sailors and soldiers almost instantly. Entire platoons wiped out while they were resting in the relative comfort of the BLT HQ. Officers and enlisted alike, killed, as they went about their daily duties. In all, 241, dead, many more injured.

The last survivor was pulled from the rubble, 52 hours later.


Rest in peace, gentlemen.

Iceman out.

Haze gray and underway

Today, the USS Enterprise (CVN-65) departs on her last cruise. The first ever nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, the second-oldest ship in commission with the United States Navy, and the longest warship in the world, the Big E is nothing short of a marvel. Active during the Cuban Missile Crisis, the war in Vietnam and on through the 70s, 80s and 90s, the Enterprise has been present in almost every single conflict the US has been involved in over the last 50 years. When the towers fell on 9/11, the Enterprise was on its way home, though as soon as word was received of the attacks, without orders, the ship returned at flank speed to its station near the Persian Gulf, ready to attack targets in Afghanistan.

The Big E has a ton of history in its hull, and will forever remain the sweetheart of America's modern Navy. There's beauty in the sharp lines of this ship, and though it'll be deactivated later this year, and put through the scrapping process, it will forever hold a place in the hearts of all those touched by its fighting spirit.

Sadly, the Enterprise will not stay afloat as a museum ship, due to the removal of the nuclear fuel, and the costs involved in fixing up the ship, after the reactors are taken out (extremely large portions of the ship will have to be cut out in order to extract the nuclear equipment). However, there is a petition circulating around that a ship of the Gerald Ford class, the CVN-80, be named the 9th USS Enterprise.

(http://www.petitiononline.com/CVN79ENT/petition.html)

 Task Force One, the first nuclear-powered task force, sailed around the world (26,540 nmi) in 65 days!

The Big E during her shakedown cruise.

http://www.navytimes.com/news/2012/03/ap-navy-enterprise-crew-revels-ships-long-history-031012/