USS Independence

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Service Dates: 1966-1967

P.O. Box 586

Roosevelt, Utah 84066

ronwally@ubtanet.com

I remember one day on the flight deck, I was carrying 6 point tie downs to my line shack,as I approached the number one elevator a vigalantie swung around in front of me, gooseing the left engine throtle the blast hit me, causing me too fly approx. 40 ft to the Island. also another account was I watched a crew member exiting a E-2a from the left side of the aircraft and walk right through the prop and the fusealage, without being struck by the prop. I often wondered what happened to that crewman. I'll bet he is still alive, do you think.

Service Dates=1976-1980

I was a parachute rigger(PR3)in VF33 from 1977-1980 in CAG7

stationed at Oceana Va. Our ship was the Indy and around the summer of 1978

we made a port call to Athens Greece.

Now around this time the Greeks didn't care much for the United States due

to the Cypress/Turkey row. So when we pull into Athens the Greeks have put

up a giant banner on fleet landing that said "YANKEE GO HOME!" in 10 foot

red white and blue letters. Nice touch.

This didn't set well with the crew of the Independence and when liberty

commenced that night airdale and blackshoe alike went into the ancient city

of Athens and kicked some royal ass! You could see the fires burning from

the Indy and hear sirend wailing all through the night. Unfortunatly I had

duty that night and only witnessed this from the flight deck.

The next day the CO of the ship, Capt. Ramsey called the entire crew up on

the flight deck and made us stand in the hot Greek sun for about two hours

at attention. He then addressed us with the 1MC through deck edge speakers

on full volume and told us that the USS Independence had been banned from

the port of Athens for good. He went on and on for about 2 hours finally

ending with "the Independence will not be allowed back into Athens Greece

ever as razor blades!". I thought that was pretty funny. So much for the

Greeks.

Sailor=

Service Dates=7/89 to 7/91

We pulled in to Singapore after 122 days at sea. Having just

been releived by the Midway after doing circles in the Gulf of Oman (Desert

Shield) the ship was looking pretty nasty. A floatilla of oriental junks

approached the ship as soon as the anchors were dropped lead by a little old

lady with a Vietnamese pot hat. The junks were loaded to the hilt with

scafolding covered with paint. About 150 chineese painters proceeded to

paint the entire ship from the edge of the flight deck to the water line.

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