One Year Later, Perspective From Crew of USS Leyte Gulf Story Number: NNS020918-01Release Date: 9/13/2002 6:06:00 AM A A A By Journalist 1st Class Misty Trent, PACEN Norfolk ABOARD USS LEYTE GULF (NNS) -- Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, started out like any other day for the crew on board the Norfolk-based, guided-missile cruiser USS Leyte Gulf (CG 55). The ship was getting ready to depart on Sept. 20 for a regularly scheduled six-month deployment, and almost half of the 350 Sailors on board were on leave, spending their last few days with family and friends. Around 9:00 a.m., everything changed. Approximately 15 minutes after United Airlines Flight 175 hit the south tower of the World Trade Center, the Leyte Gulfs commanding officer, Capt. R. Cameron Ingram, gathered his senior leadership together. Although no orders had yet been passed to him, he instructed his officers and senior enlisted leaders to start making preparations to go to sea. Within 15 minutes, phones were ringing throughout the Norfolk area, recalling Sailors to their warship. I was on leave when the attacks happened, said Fire Controlman 2nd Class Stephen Mangum. After the second plane hit, I remember packing my bags to get back to the ship, because I knew they were going to call. Sure enough, about 30 minutes later my phone rang, . According to Command Master Chief Scott Kingsley, the biggest challenge was getting his Sailors through the intense security at the gates of Naval Station Norfolk. Sailors were running down the pier with their sea bags on their backs, jumping into the tugboats just to make it out to the ship, said Kingsley, a native of Anndale, Pa. By 1:30 that afternoon, the crew of Leyte Gulf had a mission, and they were on their way to New York City. The ship sailed north traveling 30 knots, arriving off the coast around midnight with approximately 60 percent of its crew on board. I was shocked by the events of that morning. However, I also felt it was my duty to respond and be ready to defend New York in the event of another attack, said Lt. Cmdr. Robert Poling III, the ships combat systems officer. The folks in New York City do not realize the amount of firepower and the dedication of the professionals who were on board that day, said Ensign James H. Stacey, Leyte Gulfs air defense and assistant operations officer. We were ready to do whatever was necessary to defend our nation. The Federal Aviation Administration had shut down all incoming and outgoing commercial flights nationwide that morning. Once on the scene, Leyte Gulfs crew was responsible for monitoring the international air corridor in to the city. According to Poling, It was eerie in that nothing was flying. You could sit there and watch the radar, and it was totally empty. The only aircraft in the air were the military patrols. I was scared, but I knew we were needed to make sure no more harm was done, said Fire Controlman 3rd Class Matthew L. Woodbury. We helped give the people of New York City a sense of security because we were there watching the skies. Leyte Gulf stayed on station until Sept. 14, when it returned to Norfolk. Six days later, with its crew intact, the ship sailed for Southwest Asia with the USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71) carrier battle group. The mission: Operation Enduring Freedom. During almost 180 days at sea, Leyte Gulf burned more than 5.8 million gallons of fuel. Almost 380 helicopter operations were flown from its flight deck, for a total of 1,100 hours of flight time. At the same time, more than 75 Sailors earned their enlisted surface and air warfare specialist qualifications. In addition, 42 Sailors re-enlisted while deployed, for a combined total of 194 years of service. Leyte Gulf returned to Norfolk from deployment in late March, departing for New York City again two months later under much happier circumstances, as participants in the 2002 New York Fleet Week celebration. The deployment itself was pretty rough. At one point we spent 70 days at sea straight. When we brought the flag back to New York for Fleet Week, it made it all worth it, said Electronics Technician 2nd Class James S. Krause. The people were so kind and thankful. It was my fourth time visiting New York, and I had never been treated so well. That was when I realized they knew what we had done for our country. One night I was walking down a street in the city and a young man stopped and saluted me. In that moment I knew that what I did made a difference, said Woodbury, a native of Bellevue, Neb. Returning to New York City for Fleet Week was a true awakening, said Lt. j.g. Julie Reed, first lieutenant in charge of deck division. It brought into perspective the reason why we had been deployed for Operation Enduring Freedom, and allowed us the opportunity to see and realize that our country was grateful and proud of our service. The Navy is playing an integral role in the global War on Terrorism. Since 9/11, more than 60,000 Sailors and Marines deployed to the Southwest Asia region on almost 80 ships, including half of the Navys carrier battle groups and a third of its amphibious ready groups. Navy pilots have flown more than 12,000 combat missions, and have dropped 5,000 precision-guided munitions. The Sailors on board Leyte Gulf are in their homeport now, one year after the attacks that killed more than 3,000 people from more than 80 different nations. The Honorable Gordon R. England, Secretary of the Navy, paid tribute to their efforts when he said, We can spend $5 billion for an aircraft carrier... but it is only when we put highly trained and motivated people on board that it takes on enormous value and is able to defend our nation from those who seek to destroy not only us, but our way of life and all we hold dear. For more news from Public Affairs Center Norfolk, go to their custom Navy NewsStand Web page at news.navy.mil/local/pacennorfolk. STORY COMMENTS Commenting Policy
Posted on: Fri, 12 Sep 2014 00:51:39 +0000
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