Sea Story Thursday, where I tell you a Navy related Story, just because.

How Sea Story Thursday was born:

My Uncle & Dad. That’s the plain and simple reason. While on leave they both kept bringing up stories I had told them over the past few years at sea. My Uncle told me that he loved to tell my stories to anyone who would listen. hmmmm… I’ve got plenty more where that came from, maybe I’ll make it a weekly rendition. Done!

This Sea Story actually happened just a few weeks ago during the 70th Anniversary Commemoration of the liberation for Allied Forces in France during World War II.

The flagship of 6th Fleet, the USS Mount Whitney, participated in a Naval Pass In Review which is like a parade on land, except its at sea with a bunch of ships. There were quite a few ships participating in this particular Naval Pass In Review. I’ll bore you for just a moment with the full list. And who exactly were we performing the Pass In Review for? None other than the President of France. The USS Mount Whitney was the only American ship participating.

Big Guns

Carrier Battle Group & Nuclear Projection:

Charles de Gaulle (R91), Nuclear Powered Aircraft Carrier
Forbin (D620), Forbin-class Anti-Air Destroyer
Jean Bart (D615), Cassard-class Anti-Aircraft Frigate
Jean de Vienne (D643),Georges Leygues-class Anti-Submarine Frigate
Aconit (F713), La Fayette-class multipurpose stealth Frigate
Meuse (A607), Durance-class Replenishment Oiler
Perle (S606), Rubis-class Nuclear Attack Submarine
2x Rafale M, Multirole fighter aircraft
2x Super Etendard Modernisés, Attack aircraft
1x E-2C Hawkeye, Airborne early warning and control
1x ATL2, Maritime patrol aircraft
1x NH90 NFH Caïman, Maritime helicopter
2x Rafale M, Multirole fighter aircraft
2x Mirage 2000N, Nuclear strike aircraft 

Amphibious Group:

Tonnerre (L9014) Mistral-class LHD, Amphibious Assault Ship, Force Projection & Command Vessel
Siroco (L9012) Foudre-class Landing Platform Dock
Chevalier Paul (D621), Forbin-class Anti-Air Destroyer
HMS Echo (H87), multi-role Hydrographic Survey Ship Royal Navy
USS Mount Whitney (LCC/JCC 20), Blue Ridge class command ship US Navy
EDA-R, fast landing craft/landing catamaran
1x NH90 NFH Caïman, Maritime helicopter
1x EC 665 Tigre, Attack helicopter
2x Rafale M, Multirole fighter aircraft 

Maritime Safety & Security:

Guépratte (F714), La Fayette-class multipurpose stealth Frigate
Commandant Birot (P796), D’Estienne d’Orves-class aviso/Offshore Patrol Vessel
Soummam (937), Training Ship Algerian Navy
Sultan Moulay Ismail (614) , SIGMA 9813 Corvette Royal Moroccan Navy
La Galite (P501), Combattante-3 class Fast Attack Craft Missile (FACM) Tunisian Navy
1x Faclon 50M, Maritime surveillance aircraft
1x ATL2, Maritime patrol aircraft
2x AS565MB Panther, Maritime helicopter
2x AS365F Dauphin, Utility helicopter

Mine Warfare:

Pluton (M622), Vulcain-class combat diver ship
Capricorne (M653), Eridan-class minehunter
HMS Quorn (M41), Hunt-class minehunter Royal Navy
HMS Ramsey (M110), Sandown-class minehunter Royal Navy

All of the information for the participants listed above can be found in this article, and you can also see some of the pictures they took of all of the different ships! Not only just from my little point of view.

So what happened exactly? We got all dressed up in our summer whites and we manned the rails of our ship to head in and out of a harbor near Theoule Sur Mer. All 25 ships lined up and went in like a big brigade. I am wondering what the fisherman were thinking of us all out there! I know I would have been a little concerned if I saw a whole bunch of ships lined up driving around in the harbor.

Hey look, it’s a warship

We happened to bring a LNO for the french Navy onboard named Alix and she and I became instant friends. She was on the bridge while we were manning the rails because she was translating all of the executive orders being given over the radio (all in french). Afterwards she and I snuck back up to the bow for a couple of quick pictures.

The exercise itself lasted a week and then it was back to Naples to shore duty!

It was actually quite an honor to be apart of this exercise because it gave me a moment to reflect on WWII. It has been 70 years since WWII ended and each year the veterans that have fought in these wars are dwindling more and more. Soon all that will be left is just stories. Which is why we must listen to these stories so they can live on.

This article appeared first on Dynamic Soarer.