Postcards: USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69) – 1996

One of the “experiences” sampled during time in the yard is the replacement of the ship’s screws. Here, IKE’s have just been remounted prior to her being refloated and moved out of drydock (yes, YHS is in the pic). Prior to flooding the drydock, the hull board walks the length and breadth of the visible hull, looking for obstructions in openings and anything else that is out of order. Some of us had specific duties — among mine as Navigator was checking the opening for the ship’s pitlog which happened to be on the centerline, amidships. Now mind you, a Nimitz-class carrier viewed pierside is indeed an awesome sight. However, when viewed from the perspective presented by being dead center, under the hull, well, it is humbling to say the least…

Free at last, free at last, Thank God Almighty we were free at last.
Sort Of (another 3 months in the yards still to go at this point).