Comments on: The Gulf of Tonkin Incident, Redux http://turningpoints.iomaire.com/index.php/2009/04/11/the-gulf-of-tonkin-incident-redux/ Ruminations on life, art, politics, and whatever else catches my fancy. Sat, 31 Jul 2010 01:10:34 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Jeff http://turningpoints.iomaire.com/index.php/2009/04/11/the-gulf-of-tonkin-incident-redux/comment-page-1/#comment-1458 Jeff Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:58:13 +0000 http://turningpoints.iomaire.com/?p=1001#comment-1458 Kay, I appreciate your thoughts! I'm pleased to know that my suggestion doesn't color me "crazy." I'd venture to say that perhaps the explanation might be profits. As in the ship companies not wanting to spend the money it would take to outfit the ships with defensive measures or to pay for armed escort ships. It is always cheaper to let the government pay for protection, right? You might find The Conservative Nanny State an interesting read. The Constellation (CVA-64) was one of the other ships on rotation in the Gulf of Tonkin when I was on the Kitty Hawk. She left San Diego about two months before the Kitty Hawk did in 1972. And you are right, 24 hour flight ops are impressive indeed. I "slept" three decks below the flight deck and sleeping was nearly impossible with jets landing on the "roof" every few hours. Between the launchings on the angled flight deck and the recoveries directly above me, I didn't get much rest! Good to hear from the front lines! Kay,

I appreciate your thoughts! I’m pleased to know that my suggestion doesn’t color me “crazy.” I’d venture to say that perhaps the explanation might be profits. As in the ship companies not wanting to spend the money it would take to outfit the ships with defensive measures or to pay for armed escort ships. It is always cheaper to let the government pay for protection, right? You might find The Conservative Nanny State an interesting read.

The Constellation (CVA-64) was one of the other ships on rotation in the Gulf of Tonkin when I was on the Kitty Hawk. She left San Diego about two months before the Kitty Hawk did in 1972. And you are right, 24 hour flight ops are impressive indeed. I “slept” three decks below the flight deck and sleeping was nearly impossible with jets landing on the “roof” every few hours. Between the launchings on the angled flight deck and the recoveries directly above me, I didn’t get much rest!

Good to hear from the front lines!

]]> By: Kay http://turningpoints.iomaire.com/index.php/2009/04/11/the-gulf-of-tonkin-incident-redux/comment-page-1/#comment-1457 Kay Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:43:07 +0000 http://turningpoints.iomaire.com/?p=1001#comment-1457 Jeff, Followed you here from Fred's Fragments blog - looking forward to exploring your site, I'm here at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Africa - joint forces "helping Africans solve African challenges" as the lingo goes... (did you catch my eyes rolling there?) just thought you might find it interesting that the everyman conversations at the chow hall with CNN and Fox news blaring on about this episode, lean toward your suggestion. Why aren't these ships carrying weapons and defense personnel, with all the piracy going on? We can't figure it out. Sure is ramping up here though, looking like more of the same business as usual... I was onboard the USS Constellation in 2003 as we headed in to the Gulf, watching Colin Powell plead the case that launched our "shock-and-awe" rampage on Iraq. Connie was night carrier, Lincoln was day, for 24-hour flight ops - quite the thing to be a part of. Hard to say from my perch how this piracy issue will be dealt with; I'm not holding my breath for any change in policy though. Sad to say. Seems like it would be easier to arm the cargo ships, we have a hard time believing the shipping companies have not thought of that, or is it that they can't? Or are they just depending on the military solution to save the day? Jeff,

Followed you here from Fred’s Fragments blog – looking forward to exploring your site,

I’m here at Camp Lemonier in Djibouti, Africa – joint forces “helping Africans solve African challenges” as the lingo goes… (did you catch my eyes rolling there?) just thought you might find it interesting that the everyman conversations at the chow hall with CNN and Fox news blaring on about this episode, lean toward your suggestion. Why aren’t these ships carrying weapons and defense personnel, with all the piracy going on? We can’t figure it out.

Sure is ramping up here though, looking like more of the same business as usual… I was onboard the USS Constellation in 2003 as we headed in to the Gulf, watching Colin Powell plead the case that launched our “shock-and-awe” rampage on Iraq. Connie was night carrier, Lincoln was day, for 24-hour flight ops – quite the thing to be a part of.

Hard to say from my perch how this piracy issue will be dealt with; I’m not holding my breath for any change in policy though. Sad to say. Seems like it would be easier to arm the cargo ships, we have a hard time believing the shipping companies have not thought of that, or is it that they can’t? Or are they just depending on the military solution to save the day?

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