I spent six years in the Navy. Almost all of it on the USS California (Nuclear class cruiser with a crew of about 500). I was a Fire Control Tech. This ship escorted convoys but went solo if food stores were plenty.
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On one such occasion we left Pearl Harbor intending to head west with the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson along with a handful of other ships. Suddenly we veered north away from the convoy. The Captain announced over the PA that our mission had changed, we were going to transport some Navy Seals to an area near the Kamchatka peninsula.
That was the end of the announcement but I found out why....the Seals were going to steal a Russian sonar buoy. The ship is nuclear powered, not as easy to detect. We get to the spot just before the Russians know we there. I'm on deck watching as the Seals deploy on a raft through frigid sub-arctic, choppy seas. Two of them dive underwater and emerge a few minutes later with something they put on the raft.
After they boarded, we left in a hurry. We had been spotted, but it was to late. A Russian destroyer passed by within 50 meters going the opposite way. I saw a bunch of sailors on deck. I gave them the finger
No lie.
After that we headed north again....that's another story.
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Addendum: Being out in the middle of the ocean, pitch dark nothing but the stars and moon. It's something you cannot describe properly. The whole Milky Way is before your eyes. Especially if you have hash from Pakistan. That's another story....
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On one such occasion we left Pearl Harbor intending to head west with the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson along with a handful of other ships. Suddenly we veered north away from the convoy. The Captain announced over the PA that our mission had changed, we were going to transport some Navy Seals to an area near the Kamchatka peninsula.
That was the end of the announcement but I found out why....the Seals were going to steal a Russian sonar buoy. The ship is nuclear powered, not as easy to detect. We get to the spot just before the Russians know we there. I'm on deck watching as the Seals deploy on a raft through frigid sub-arctic, choppy seas. Two of them dive underwater and emerge a few minutes later with something they put on the raft.
After they boarded, we left in a hurry. We had been spotted, but it was to late. A Russian destroyer passed by within 50 meters going the opposite way. I saw a bunch of sailors on deck. I gave them the finger
No lie.
After that we headed north again....that's another story.
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Addendum: Being out in the middle of the ocean, pitch dark nothing but the stars and moon. It's something you cannot describe properly. The whole Milky Way is before your eyes. Especially if you have hash from Pakistan. That's another story....
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