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    Final port of call

    One of two aircraft carriers I served aboard, USS Kitty Hawk CV-63 departed Bremerton Washington on January 15th for its final port of call--a ship dismantling facility in Brownsville, Texas.



    Fair winds and following seas Kitty Hawk.
    1981 GS750L (sold)
    1981 GS750L (current)
    1978 Yamaha RD400 (RD = Race Development)
    1981 Honda CT70 (86+ MPG at WOT most of the time)
    1983 GS1100GL (needs work: update, gone to a new home)
    1956 Simplex (with a TS250 motor)
    1985 GS1150E (Hammer Time!!)
    1998 1200 Bandit (Rattler)
    1980 GS1100L (Janice)
    Do I continue?

    "An unarmed man can only flee from evil, and evil is not overcome by fleeing from it." - Col Jeff Cooper
    e tan, e epi tan

    #2
    1961 to 2009 is a long time. Kitty Hawk must have been a fine ship.
    sigpic Too old, too many bikes, too many cars, too many things

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      #3
      The lifespan of ships seems so anthropomorphic, and their deaths always feel more emotional to me than those of other vehicles.
      "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
      ~Herman Melville

      2016 1200 Superlow
      1982 CB900f

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        #4
        I wonder if there's anyone who served on this ship and later on the newest-generation carrier, the Gerald Ford? It would be interesting to hear what the improvements are like on a day to day basis.
        1983 GS850G, Cosmos Blue.
        2005 KLR685, Aztec Pink - Turd II.3, the ReReReTurdening
        2015 Yamaha FJ-09, Magma Red Power Corrupts...
        Eat more venison.

        Please provide details. The GSR Hive Mind is nearly omniscient, but not yet clairvoyant.

        Celeriter equita, converteque saepe.

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        Co-host of "The Riding Obsession" sport-touring motorcycling podcast at tro.bike!

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          #5
          A ship is a living and breathing thing. You become part of the ship when you serve on her. You take care of her and she will take care of you. Sounds corny but you live and depend on her 24/7.
          Dale

          1982 Suzuki GS1100G
          2017 Kawasaki Versys-X 300
          1999 Kawasaki ZRX1100
          1997 Honda 250 Rebel
          1984 Honda Nighthawk S CB700SC
          1973 Yamaha RT3 360

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            #6
            I agree. There is deep reasoning for the fact that ships are feminine in gender. They replicate the mother we associate with the earth, and with the goddesses of the ancient sea.
            "Thought he, it is a wicked world in all meridians; I'll die a pagan."
            ~Herman Melville

            2016 1200 Superlow
            1982 CB900f

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              #7
              Im a Jarhead but boarded (improperly) the Midway and Missouri in Subic. Very impressive.
              82 1100 EZ (red)

              "You co-opting words of KV only thickens the scent of your BS. A thief and a putter-on of airs most foul. " JEEPRUSTY

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                #8
                Originally posted by GS1150Pilot View Post
                The lifespan of ships seems so anthropomorphic, and their deaths always feel more emotional to me than those of other vehicles.
                That is a very good analogy.

                I have never served on any ship, and was only on board CVN65 / USS Enterprise once, but that experience was so profound that when the ship was retired I felt a sense of loss.
                Bertrand Russell: 'Men are born ignorant, not stupid. They are made stupid by education.'

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                  #9
                  Many people have no concept of life aboard a carrier. I was stationed in California assigned to an aircraft squadron attached to the Carl Vinson (CVN 70). I’ve always thought it was humorous what happened to me just before I rotated off the ship, I was making my way through the chow line and had looked back, there was a guy about three people behind me that looked familiar but I couldn’t place him. After making it through the line, we both ended up at the rather large condiments carousel, we both had noticed that we were looking at each other so both of us said at the same time, I know you from somewhere! And then it hit us, boot camp, sure enough, we knew each other in boot camp. We talked for a couple minutes and I finally asked him if he was just checking in and he said, “no, I’ve been here for three years and I’m leaving next week, how about you?, you just checking in?” I looked at him and chuckled a little and then said, “nope, I’ve been here for three years and I’m leaving next week.”

                  Most people have no concept of how large these ships are but at the same time it’s amazing how small of a world it is, I have a couple stories for that but don’t want to ramble on.

                  I’ll always remember fondly the time I spent on the Carl Vinson and will take it as a loss when they finally retire her but for now she remains in King Neptune’s favor.

                  As for the Kitty Hawk, I saw her numerous times but was never assigned or afforded the opportunity to go onboard, she was a mighty ship though.

                  As Taz said, Fair Winds and Following Seas Kitty Hawk!
                  http://www.visitedstatesmap.com/imag...TXUTWAWIsm.jpg

                  "Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the vote." Benjamin Franklin, 1759

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