In the U.S. Navy photo above, the son of U.S. Navy Electrician's Mate 1st Class Randall White waves to his father's ship, the aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), as it transits San Diego Bay Nov. 30, 2011, after departing Naval Air Station North Island on a scheduled deployment to the western Pacific region.
The photo makes me glad that I was 18-years-old and single in 1970 when I too shipped out from Naval Air Station North Island and San Diego Bay on the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk.
Like the Vinson above, we too sailed to the western Pacific region (WESTPAC).
The USS Kitty Hawk went on to spend nearly a year off the coast of Vietnam and performed combat operations in support of the ground troops in South Vietnam. We also visited such ports-of-call as Honolulu, Hawaii, Sasebo, Japan, Hong Kong, and Subic Bay in the Philippines.
My time on the carrier would not have seemed such an adventure if I had been married and had small children at home.
My heart goes out to the U.S. military men and women who are separated from their spouses and children, especially during this holiday season.
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