USS Independence

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Personal Experiences.

Service Dates: 1966-1967.

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.

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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