Saturday, July 25, 2009
ABOVE IS AN IMAGE OF ONE WHO HAS SKATED THROUGH HIS ENTIRE LIFE , MANAGING TO SIDESTEP REAL WORK, BUT MANAGING TO STEP TO THE FRONT OF THE LINE JUST IN TIME FOR THE AWARDS AND THE PHOTOGRAPHS.
Having skated on the backs of Docents, this brown-nosed, integrity-deficient scrounge may be dreaming of the time he got his wife trained as a docent and then flown on a US NAVY aircraft to an offshore aircraft carrier for an overnight stay, ALL at TAXPAYER EXPENSE.
His wife was a waste of a docent training slot.
She never served for one minute as a docent, but She got a "perk" that NO genuine, hardworking docent ever got.......and this loafer arranged that insult to REAL Docents. He was never an officer, be he behaved like he thought officers behaved in the movies.
"PEOPLE WHO CAN - DO." "PEOPLE WHO CAN'T - TEACH"
A "wannabe" with a brown nose and an attitude shaped by years of of being dismissed as "irrelevant" by teenage students when he was a teacher, he thought he had found a place on U.S.S. Midway where he could finally be "important". He thought he was a senior officer.
All of his energies aboard Midway were dedicated solely to trying to be "important", and waging personal, vindictive wars against Docents who had better ideas than his and made the mistake of speaking up. He fired Docents who had better ideas, and then claimed the ideas as his own.
HE ACTUALLY FIRED VOLUNTEERS, AND THREATENED TO FIRE OTHER DOCENTS WHO WERE UNABLE TO STAND WATCHES BECAUSE THEY HAD DIED.
HE ALSO SUSPENDED OR FIRED DOCENTS WHOSE WIVES HAD DIED, DOCENTS WHO HAD EXTENSIVE LASER EYE SURGERIES AND COULD NOT SEE WELL ENOUGH TO DRIVE, AND MANY OTHER DOCENTS WHO HAD HIPS OR KNEES REPLACED OR HAD HEART ATTACKS OR RESPIRATORY FAILURES ---
BUT HE GAVE HIS WIFE A LANDING AND NIGHT ABOARD A CARRIER AT SEA IN SPITE OF HER NEVER HAVING SERVED AS A DOCENT. He gave himself awards and personally claimed honors for the accomplishment of REAL docents. He made agreements he never intended to honor.
MIDWAY continues to be a resounding success because of the selfless work of hundreds of genuine volunteer docents who have never enjoyed the perks this person's wife enjoyed. An apology for his behavior should be given by San Diego Aircraft Museum / U.S.S. Midway to ALL past and present Docents.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
"An interested group of visitors learns how carrier planes are launched"
"Despite the weather, these people want to know how
the Navy can land a jet travelling at 120 miles per hour
on a runway which is moving forward as well as up and down!"
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
You can see the silhouettes of the sailors on the flight deck as they get a last look at home port for a few months.(Click on photos to enlarge them)
Try to imagine yourself lining up to land on the ship's angle deck at 120 - 140 knots!
USS Ronald Reagan at left is moving past USS Nimitz at right. USS Midway, a decomissioned aircraft carrier which is now a museum, can only bear silent witness and "remember" her glory days of putting out to sea.
Moving past USS Nimitz, USS Reagan is about to make a slow turn to port to put her in the San Diego shipping channel.
Sunday, December 11, 2005
Monday, November 28, 2005
U.S.S. Peleliu comes into port, followed by Dawn Princess, and under the ever watchful eye of a chopper over head. (Stern of U.S.S. Nimitz is visible to the left)
Jim was an aviator AND a surface Captain! (Note the Harrier's refueling probe)
Navy security chases this little boat away from its apparent course which would have placed it between Peleliu and a passing Los Angeles class submarine
CH 46 beginning to sidle over to Peleliu - Note the crew member leaning out of the forward hatch....he'll stay there until it lands!
Looks like a Docent went aft on the LCAC to inspect Peleliu's stern gate and the large fan nacelle
Hard turn to port to eyeball an encroaching civilian boat. Nice view of Point Loma in the background!
This large civilian powerboat being watched closely by our "guard dog" helo
Peleliu's being escorted by tugs fore and aft, a helicopter overhead, and a tugboat water show
Monday, November 21, 2005
Tuesday, May 17, 2005
T.Wrightson Wins the Contest!!
Tom Wrightson was the first to correctly identify the rotor blade of the CH-46 helicopter as the subject in the April Mystery Photo Contest. Tom wins the $35.00 gift certificate to the Fish Market restaurant on the Embarcadero next to Midway!!
Congratulations!!!!
Watch for a new Mystery Photo soon!
Congratulations!!!!
Watch for a new Mystery Photo soon!
"I'm gonna shoot your sorry self out of my sky next!" (Actually John was pointing in the direction of his A-7)
He just told them that Nimitz was preparing to ram us!! The guest in the red hat is preparing to execute an emergency porch evacuation drill as the others look for the ramming approach of Nimitz!
John just called the old gray lady (Midway) a "boat" instead of a ship, invoking the aviator's privilege of being airworthy rather than seaworthy.
"K" is ALWAYS in Engine Room #3 - I'd think that he must need a head break in a week or so!
A happy Midway guest poses for a picture next to the forward F4. The flags (skivvies) read: "Honor the Legend"
CW and Reid - When two pirates are lurking in the same harbor, trouble is bound to break out!
Soviet era "Foxtrot" submarine moored in San Diego harbor, near the Midway, HMS Surprise, and the Star of India.
Monday, May 16, 2005
Tuesday, May 03, 2005
"This wide stairway you came down to get to Engine Room #3 used to be a narrow, steep ladder with no head clearance and only chains to hold onto........"
K likes it down here because he tells the visitors that he
was known to all sailors as "The Pride of The Pacific"
Note the 3 brass steam valve wheels - The best question in this tour was "Why do 3 people steer the ship from way down here?"
Sunday, April 17, 2005
The first MIDWAY mystery photo contest has begun!
To be eligible, you must be a current volunteer serving aboard MIDWAY.
Others are encouraged to submit their guesses but the prize will only be awarded to active MIDWAY volunteers.
Please use the email link on this page....NOT the comments section, unless you want everyone to see your answer.
The winner will be announced on 17 May, 2005.
The prize is a $35.00 gift certificate from THE FISH MARKET - our "next door neighbor on the waterfront". The certificate expires on 30 June, 2005.
I have always recommended their Manhattan clam chowder to our guests who ask me for the name of the best nearby family restaurant that's not too expensive. It's also a wonderful place for them to see MIDWAY from a unique perspective!
Enjoy the contest.........enjoy THE FISH MARKET........and GOOD LUCK!
To be eligible, you must be a current volunteer serving aboard MIDWAY.
Others are encouraged to submit their guesses but the prize will only be awarded to active MIDWAY volunteers.
Please use the email link on this page....NOT the comments section, unless you want everyone to see your answer.
The winner will be announced on 17 May, 2005.
The prize is a $35.00 gift certificate from THE FISH MARKET - our "next door neighbor on the waterfront". The certificate expires on 30 June, 2005.
I have always recommended their Manhattan clam chowder to our guests who ask me for the name of the best nearby family restaurant that's not too expensive. It's also a wonderful place for them to see MIDWAY from a unique perspective!
Enjoy the contest.........enjoy THE FISH MARKET........and GOOD LUCK!
Sunday, April 10, 2005
"What is it?"
What part of the standard Naval inventory is this, and where is it?
What part of the standard Naval inventory is this, and where is it?
Thursday, March 17, 2005
To enlarge a photo, click on it! With some browsers, you can enlarge the picture even more if you click on it again!
These guests get good advice to visit the island first before the lines get too long!
Docent explains Vulture's Row and briefs this group on what to expect when they enter the bridge.
Tom explains his career as a Naval Aviator to guests who enjoyed Midway so much that they had come aboard for the second day!
Tuesday, March 15, 2005
Tom points aft. The 3 triangles on the deck below his hand are all that remains of a 50 caliber machine gun mount. Two Holland America cruise ships in port that day!!
The man with the binoculars is an ex-Army officer who wished that the Army had something as remarkable as Midway to put on display!
An enthusiatic group of students leaves the island for a flight deck tour
Friday, January 21, 2005
Jerry, a retired Marine aviator and LSO, fields questions about carrier landings from guests on the "porch".
Vern, ex-Midway Air Boss during the 1975 evacuation of Saigon, briefs guests assembled on the "porch" before they enter PriFly
Thursday, January 13, 2005
Pat explaining the workings of the steam catapult as a line forms to visit PriFly
An S-3 in the pattern to land at NAS North Island. ("S-3 Hoover" - they really do sound like vacuum cleaners)
Thursday, January 06, 2005
"All I said was that her kid was too short to meet the height requirement for the island!!" (Seriously, these docents are participating a first aid class aboard MIDWAY) Anyone recognize them? (First names only, please)
Serious Docents prepare to save the dummies! Do you recognize your fellow Docents? (First names only, please)
Safety person speaks to a dummy as others watch.....how many of these people can you identify?? (First names only, please)
Learning how to repair broken Docents....can you identify these people? (First names only, please)
Tuesday, December 28, 2004
I jokingly offered this guest $100 if he could get from the flight deck to PriFly in less than a minute, and I offered him $250 if he could make it without needing bandages! His mom, who is nearly as tall, wanted him to accept the challenge to pay for his groceries! (He declined and went to the hangar deck where he could stand up straight.)
This leads up and out of the brig, but the escape hatch is not very large. If you're overweight you'd better be the last man up the ladder!
A former Marine, Denny points to an observation port looking into a brig cell. Later, these ports were fitted with closed circuit TV cameras.
From l - r "Chemical Alarm, General Alarm, Collision Alarm" in the secondary conn all the way forward.
Tuesday, December 21, 2004
The people who work together to make the Midway perform so well in her new role as the San Diego Aircraft Carrier Museum, and their families, were guests of the Midway Sunday, December 19 at a dinner hosted on the hangar deck, followed by an opportunity to see the harbor Parade of Lights from the flight deck
It was an evening of excellent food, lively camaraderie, and a wonderful opportunity for our families to see where we go during the day, and why we go there. For many of us, it was also our first opportunity to see the Parade of Lights.
Thank You MIDWAY!
Wonder if we'll see any more boats with palm trees?
It was an evening of excellent food, lively camaraderie, and a wonderful opportunity for our families to see where we go during the day, and why we go there. For many of us, it was also our first opportunity to see the Parade of Lights.
Thank You MIDWAY!
Wonder if we'll see any more boats with palm trees?
Candy canes, mermaids, sharks, whales, dolphins, palm trees, pretzels(?), followed by a boat drink in a hurricane glass!
I still can't get that Hawaiian Christmas song out of my head!! (ALA KA NEEKY MOKKA or something like that)
With Rudolph guiding this boat from the bow, the palm trees/antennas swayed in unison as the boat rocked in the wake of the one which preceeded it.......
Sunday, December 12, 2004
Saturday Docents preparing to begin their island watch. Brenda is close to earning her yellow cap!
Friday, December 10, 2004
Captain Chuck Smiley, Pirate Pete( painting), and soon.......Freddie the Frog!
Midway was homeported in Yokosuka and the word about danger from combustibles was put out in English and Japanese!
Wednesday, December 08, 2004
2" Steel Sandwich - Does anyone know why they welded 1" plates instead of using 2" steel?
Tuesday, December 07, 2004
Today is 7 December, 2004 and MIDWAY was the media star of San Diego again! There seemed to be as many yellow hats and red hats as there were guests! News crews had more "experts" than they could hope to interview. Did anyone see any MIDWAY related stories on TV?
To date there have been 2 attempts to identify the "Mystery Component" featured in a photograph below. Does anyone know what it is?
Look for more photos of our new aircraft, photos of yellow and red hats at work, ohotos of continuing onboard work-in-progres, and more. Remember, the content of this site changes almost every day. All posts to this site are stored in ARCHIVES on this page (on the right side of the page, below the "LINKS" section.
The Archive for each month may be accessed by clicking on the name of the month.
To date there have been 2 attempts to identify the "Mystery Component" featured in a photograph below. Does anyone know what it is?
Look for more photos of our new aircraft, photos of yellow and red hats at work, ohotos of continuing onboard work-in-progres, and more. Remember, the content of this site changes almost every day. All posts to this site are stored in ARCHIVES on this page (on the right side of the page, below the "LINKS" section.
The Archive for each month may be accessed by clicking on the name of the month.
Saturday, December 04, 2004
Monday, November 29, 2004
"Porsches surround F-4 on the flight deck
(Since access was prohibited - How was this photo taken!!???)
Friday, November 26, 2004
Wednesday, November 24, 2004
Monday, November 22, 2004
Saturday, November 20, 2004
This is our first "Mystery Component" of MIDWAY. There are no known prizes if you figure out what it is, but if you do, your name and explanation will be posted here!
Friday, November 19, 2004
"It says right here that we're supposed to have our hook in the "UP" position!"
Wednesday, October 13, 2004
