9/23/99 BT Jim e-mail JandJ2@aol.com
We seemed to spend a lot
of time in the North Atlantic. Rumor at the time was we were there to test
the new Harrier jets. Some can be seen in the pictures intercepting the
Russian Bear and Badger planes.
The Guam was for the most part not considered a good place to be in those
days. Vietnam was still going on in the early 70's and we were understaffed.
At least in the Boiler Room.
I learned much later that we were classified as an "Interim Sea Control Ship"
for at least part of the four years I was on board. I still am not sure what
that means but it seems to have been different from the other LPH' s at that
time.
I was once told by a VFW that I was eligible to join since I was on the Guam
during those years. I have not had that verified or ever joined. It didn't
make sense to me though because as far as I know we were never in a war zone.
Have often wondered where we might have been or what we might have been
doing. BT's were a somewhat secluded group then ;-). ........ Didn't get topside
very often while underway...........
NORLANTEX 1973
&
Realm of the Artic Circle
I have a couple of pictures of Nixon standing on the forward brow of the USS
Independence on the 4th of July in Norfolk. He had her steam back from the
Atlantic so he could land on her for a photo shoot. The Guam and the Newport
news were tied on the opposite side of pier 12. The Secret Service closed
off the pier and the Guam had to be cleaned and painted on the pier side to
look nice for the photo shoot. They put some small gun boats on the pier as
a show of what the latest thing was they were using in Vietnam. I didn't get
much in the way of pictures of the Guam that day because I was standing on
it. The Nixon pictures are a little hard to see because of the distance and
the cheep camera I had at the time. Ill try enlarging them as I scan them.
Will see what comes out.
I remember thinking at the time about the unbelievable cost of bringing the
Independence back to Norfolk for him to land on it to make a 15 min speech...
Nixon
Nixon 2
Nixon 3
4
This is a stern shot of a NamGUNBOAT they had on the pier for Nixon. Part
of the show.
This is a Jet and an Anphibious assult vehicle that were also on the pier.
JET PIC
This was taken in the boiler room of the Guam. Always a dark and dismal
place. This was taken in the garden spot of the boiler room between the
main feed pumps and the boilers
BOILER ROOM
This is theflight deck on the day of the Nixon visit. We didn't have any
aircraft on board. Usually all the planes and copters were flown off before
we pulled in. The indy had them for Nixon since they had raced back from
somewhere in the Alantic for him to land on it.
I dont remember where I got this one. I think they were giving them out at
one time.
USS GUAM
Forgot to mention on the STERN PICTURE I sent you will notice it was taken
before they installed the missle launchers. Still had the 5" guns then.
RICK HOWELL(Marine) 69-70
***TIMOTHY LANDRY***
BOILER ROOM