EssEff Fleet Week

Frisco is having its Fleet Week this week, coinciding nicely with the Italian Heritage Day Parade which apparently commemorates Columbus' discovery of America for white people when he steamed into San Francisco Bay....

I like ships, so I clicked on the ones shown. It looks like there's gonna be four.

HMCS Edmonton. A Canuckistanian coastal defence vessel of 55 meters, crew of 37. Geez, Canada, can ya spare it?

USS Green Bay (LPD 20). Gator Navy vessel, hauls Jarheads to war zones. 684 feet, 24,900 tons, 40,000 horsepower.

Interesting statistic:

Crew 360 (28 officers, 332 enlisted), three Marines

That oughta be enough Marines to keep them swab jockeys in line.

"Ten thousand gobs
laid down their swabs
to fight one sick Marine"

Heh. Just as an aside, I was reminded of that ditty the other night when I watched an old silent movie, "Tell It To The Marines" on TCM. Only movie Lon Chaney ever starred in without the makeup and costumery he was famous for. He didn't need any makeup either. Silent movie my ass, as an old Jarhead I could hear him loud and clear! As a hard-boiled Sergeant of Marines, he made Gunny Ermey look like a choir boy!

USCGC Boutwell (WHEC-719), a High Endurance Cutter, nice looking ship, homeported in Alameda CA across SF Bay! The Coasties have spared no effort to make Fleet Week a success!

In fairness, I should say that the Coast Guard works for a living and any effort from them is welcome.

SS Jeremiah O'Brien, a beautifully restored WWII Liberty Ship, tied to the dock as usual. Goes out a few times a year so they can dredge the coffee grounds out from under her.

O'Brien is quite an attraction in Frisco and has quite an extensive website. If you want to impress your date, you can even rent her!

I will close this now. I have admirably restrained myself from making Frisco/gay/semen seaman jokes and it hurts...