On this very day, July 29, forty six years ago an American aircraft carrier, the USS Forrestal, burned at sea and it would seem few remember that fact as I noticed no mention of it in the media today. But some one must remember…. with one hundred and thirty four dead and another one hundred and sixty one injured ….someone remembers. It was this tragic day that caused from then on every US sailor to be trained as a fire fighter.
I thought about this and as I did I reached for my copy of the 1973 cruise book of the USS John F Kennedy, CVA 67 to find no real joy in the memories that stared back at me in the blank faces of her crew page after page. There were few faces whose names I could now remember…. or even cared to. And no mention at all of someone elses Middle East war we went to aide in …. so, I’ve just placed my 1973 Cruise book and the forty year old memories it contains where it belongs …on Ebay. I’m thinking a hundred bucks could buy enough adult beverages to forget the few names and faces in the book I do recall….
….with enough left over to toast the memorable crew of the Forrestal
