Patriot's Point Charleston Harbor, South Carolina

[Rhino]

This Year's Dixie Flyer trip went to the Sunny South, once again. No model show, only 1 hobby shop. Donna & I visited places on my "Bucket List" and family. It all started back in 1943, When USS Yorktown was commissioned, and put to Sea under Captain Jocko Clark's command, to war in the Pacific.............
Cross the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge

(it's a hoot when the GPS says it! ) and find yourself before The Fighting Lady, USS Yorktown, in her CVS fit.

Not JUST the ol' Lady, but USS Laffey DD-724, and USS Clamagore SS-343, A Guppy III fit of a late Balao class submarine are also available for touring. The website might would make you think it costs $20.00 to visit each Vessel, but it does not. Gate money is for all 3 ships, and a Vietnam Experience exhibit as well. A great Naval History value!! :captain .
My Sweetie was excited to visit her first Aircraft Carrier. See?!?

 

[Rhino]

We were short time, because of our dinner plans in Darien GA, so we only took in Tour #3, Hangar & Flight Deck. It would be easy to spend a day taking in the exhibits at Patriot's point. WE RUSHED (We DID play some) Here we go!!!

Jimmy Thach's F-6F3 Hellcat

Trusty ol' Speedy-Dee. SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber. I touched it! Couldn't help myself. :idonno

B-25 Mitchell & Furtle Turtle Nose art close-up

Pinckney Castle is visible from Yorktown's flight deck

As is Fort Sumter. :salute

 

[Rhino]

Donna sat in her 1st Jet, on her first Aircraft Carrier! A Grumman TF-9J Cougar two-seater. :yipee

I have a great Love for Grumman products.

Ready Room 3, and VF-1's Officers (in 1944)

Island superstructure, port side, with score boards.

Flight deck, looking forward. The E-1B Tracker would have opperated from a CVS. The USMC F-4J Phantom II would not have.

Just in time for St. Patrick's Day, The fighting Shamrocks!!

 

[Rhino]

My first, in person Vought F-8E Crusader Lets have a look-see, what's in here.

The old Gunfighter was hungry!!

Donna, wisely, gave the Crusader intake a wider berth than I did. It looked trim & venomous, even as a display aircraft.

F-8 afterburner cooling duct & blow-in door detail shot.

F/A-18A Hornet squadron markings

Douglas EA-3B Skywarrior. You can see why it's nickname was "Whale"

Admiral Stockdale's Vietnam era Douglas A-4E Skyhawk! Well, not really. :salute

 

[Rhino]

The S-3A Viking (Hoover)is marked as a VS-41 Shamrock Jet, However, someone went to a lot of trouble to paint a VS-33 Screw bird on her vertical stablizer. :facepalm

The F-14 Tomcat looks like an A model. She's being restored, and was un-hug-able. I asked staff members "What are you young men doing to my Airplane?!?" They said she was gonna be pink. I promised to return with a big stick if it were so. The volunteer Staff was AMAZING! No, the loomium ladder in the port side intake is not mil-spec for the F-14A.

Sans hydraulic fluid, the nose gear compresses to launch position.

Sorry Guys. That's all for tonight.

 

[Swordsman]

Very Nice photos ... Thanks for sharing ... looks like ya'll had lots of Fun ... :drinks

 

[moon puppy]

No one will know what Castle Pickney is, until they google it...

Great pictures Chris, one day the stars will align and we'll be able to :drink if only my transmission hadn't failed on me, I could have played hooky and come down I20.

Lived here all my life and have not made it to Patriot's Point yet. Did you see the Metal of Honor museum there? Also the SS Savanah is on display there as well. (Opps..when did they move it to Baltimore?)

When we go to Charleston we generally end up down town or out on IOP eating a shrimp po' boy. Oh those were the days...

Looks like y'all had fun!

 

[Iron Mike]

Glad you had a good time! Looking forward to seeing more photos. :drinks

 

[Sherman 18]

Thanks for sharing! :drinks

 

[Paulw]

That's a lot going on since I was there in 81. I was on the Thorn out of Charleston and they had the SS Savanna there also. It's a shame that they scrapped that one. It was the first nuclear powered steam ship and back in the 80's they were supposed to turn the grand ball room into a restaurant and night club.

 

[Rhino]

OK. Coffee, and my last lil' Pekan Pah, from AL, this morning. AND!! More pict's! :dance
There was a funny Cartoon on the bulkhead, just outside the Flag at-sea Cabin. this isn't a very good pict' :facepalm

Lunch! The Fighting Lady Cafe (actually a space under the after hangar deck, formerly used for ordinance) is not the Wardroom galley. Service was stellar. When was the last time YOU had lunch on a Carrier? :skipper

Donna had a Caesar Salad. :coolio

Rhino to Carrier; sighted Pekan Pah ala mode; Sank same. Pah! Ah jus love Pah! :drool

DD-724, USS Laffey, An Allen M. Sumner Class Destroyer, gained her title "The Ship that would not Die" in battle off Okinawa in 1945. Hit by 11 kamikazes, her Skipper, Frederick Becton brought her into Kerama Retto, with heavy damage, but still afloat. She Got better!! SLEP'd and FRAM'd, in her Vietnam fit, we lacked the time for a more complete chronicle.

 

[Rhino]

Ship's Badge.

This shot is for ol' Mike Seek, a Torpedoman 2nd, of USS Garcia fame.

When Hugo came to Charleston, a 20 foot swell hit CVS-10 from astern, doing no damage, but shifting Her in Her berth.
When the silt settled, she was higher astern, and rolled a bit to starboard. A seasoned Man could tell it from the flight deck.

USS Clamagore, SS-343. a Guppy III mod. Balao class diesel electric Boat.

It's hard on these Aging Ladies to just be tied up.

The Volunteer crew had some of her deck plating removed, for an usual view of the Boat's pressure hull. NEET-O!!

 

[Rhino]

Another view of USS Laffey. A tidy, trim, purposeful looking Vessel.

I was saddened not to tread the hallowed decks of the second USS Laffey of WWII, were so many of our Nation's young men gave their lives to save their Ship, shipmates, nay, the whole World, near 75 years back.
We could hear Hueys taking off and landing, from Yorktown's Flight deck, but I'll be switched if I could see any traffic.
We hustled down the pier to have a look-see.

 

[Rhino]

USN UH-1 Seawolf Helo wasn't turned up. :hmmm

The PBR's jacuzzi jets were operating. No explanation here. :idonno

I don't believe the bow turret is historically correct, but you get the general idea of Riverine firepower.

Part of Patriot's Point is their Vietnam Experience Exhibit. Loudspeakers play convincing loud Huey take-off, overflights, and landings, along with comms traffic, and interesting exhibits. AHA!!
Seahorse

CH-46D Sea Knight (Bullfrog)

 

[Rhino]

My Honey says she didn't do anything to the wrecked M151 Mutt, but I'm saying the smoke is her responsibility! It wasn't burning when I walked by.

USMC AH-1W Sea Cobra needs a little TLC. Still cool!

If you decide to visit Patriot's Point Museum, allow a lot more time than we spent here. There was a bunch more USS Yorktown to take in, and USS Laffey & USS Clamagore deserve further appreciation. The Volunteers all had stories to tell, and were most welcoming and friendly. The gift shop has a selection of relevant model kits, at mostly unnattractive prices. We did get some gift shop swag, and then The Dixie Flyer zorched off for Darien GA, and dinner at Skippers Fish Camp with Donna's Son, Daughter-in-law, and precious, beautiful, Grandbaby.
One persistant question still haunts my lil' bird brain;

If you are Italian, is this street were your bathroom is found in Charleston? :yipee

 

[moon puppy]

That's one of the easy ones. Did you go through Yamasee?

 

[Rhino]

I don't think so. There were so many towns packed into our Voyage this year.

 

[moon puppy]

I don't think so. There were so many towns packed into our Voyage this year.

If you went from Savanah to Charleston you went through Yamasee, you must have blinked.

 

[Duke Maddog]

Magnificent! What a great trip! I gotta add this to my bucket list.

And the last time I had lunch on an aircraft carrier? March 1st 2006 when I went to the USS Midway down in San Diego for my birthday. They have a restaurant/snack bar on the fantail just below the flight deck. Great view, great food! What a great trip that was!

 

[Rhino]

My Darlin' Dear took some cool pictures too! :yipee
USS Yorktown's ships bell. Salute the OOD, abd the Flag, and be welcomed aboard, this is the first thing you see.

She got me in the C.I.C. with red lights on, telling stories...............

Taking mission notes, in VF-1's ready room 3.

Portside/stern view of USS Yorktown's Island superstructure, with a lil' A-7E SLUF in the foreground.

USS Clamagore, with pleasure craft, and Pinckney's Castle, in the background. Donna has a good eye for composition!!