The USS Laffey DD-724 is home. I look forward to seeing her again. I was not able to get down there. Here is the E-mail from the President of the USS Laffey Association:
ALL HANDS:
THE LAFFEY IS HOME.
I was called to do a 0630 "live" news interview on channel 4. When I parked my car at Pats Point channel 2 news grabbed me for an interview. It was great, even before the sun came up.
The sun DID come up and it was a beautiful, clear day.
It was a very emotional time, watching her from the flight deck of the Yorktown. She was out in the channel and looking good and it brought tears to everyone's eyes.
As she was passing under the bow of the Yorktown I called Joe Folino....it was 0530 in California......and we cried
together. It was a beautiful thing.
They finally got her docked about 0900. The old girl took to her new home and looked very proud to be "FRONT AND CENTER" on display on the main pier. She is the first ship you see in front of the Yorktown.
The news media was all over the flight deck interviewing various shipmates. Associated Press, Channel 2 news Charleston, Channesl 4 and 5 Charleston, The Patch of Mt. Pleasant, Mount Peasant Magazine, and many other independents.
Lee Hunt was our only WWII vet here. He stayed on the pier to watch the arrival and was interviewed after the ship was tied up.
Mac Burdette supplied us with little air horns and a champagne toast. Everyone tooted the horns and toasted the arrival from the flight deck of the Yorktown.
Check out Yahoo news, USA Today website and the news stations in Charleston's websites for the videos and still pix of the move.
Everyone in town has been so excited about this move. We were congratulated everywhere we went.
Did I say that it was a beautiful thing???
I want to thank Mac Burdette, Bob Howard and the entire staff at Patriots Point for saving the "SHIP THAT WOULD NOT DIE" One More Time!!!
Be proud to be a Laffey Sailor today.
We are all heading home tomorrow.
We are emotionally drained and have to go to bed....it 10 PM........what a wild bunch.
Love you all.
Sonny
Saw a picture of her pulling up to her new pier, and she is beautiful. I was on a Gearing-class tin can (DD715) and ... just for a moment ... I was back there, in the day.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear she's back!
ReplyDeleteShe is back where she belongs!
ReplyDeleteOne of my fellow bloggers, John Coffey over at Coffeypot, served on her sister ship and he was delighted to hear that Laffey was finally coming home to her berth next to Yorktown. Newt spoke on the Yorktown the night before the SC primary and a couple days later they moved the sub Clamagore from her berth to make room for Laffey. She'd been tied up downriver at Veteran's Terminal for the Port Authority for months after her overhaul at Detyens Shipyard.
ReplyDelete