Day (9/23/11) - USS Yorktown

Mike and I woke up to discover we'd slept all night in our clothes!  We were so exhausted that when we laid down to snuggle with the boys around 8 pm, we fell asleep and didn't wake up until 12 hours later! 

Since the weather forecast for the day was questionable we decided to visit the aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown.  It was interesting to learn about naval and aviation history, especially the significant role the Yorktown played in World War II, Vietnam, and the recovery of the Apollo 8 astronauts (the first men to reach the vicinity of the moon). 

For Mike, touring the ship reminded him of camping trips aboard the Yorktown that he took many years ago with the Boy Scouts.  It brought back fond memories of sleeping in the berthing areas where sailors once slept and playing hide-and-seek on the massive ship. 

Both boys were fascinated with the Yorktown, especially since Ryan recently received the Imaginext aircraft carrier for his birthday.  He and Gavin stage dog fights between their airplanes almost daily.  And, to make it more authentic, Mike fashioned an arresting cable (the wire that is caught by an airplane's tail hook to rapidly decelerate it upon landing) out of dental floss!  Seeing the crew's living and working areas on the Yorktown, including the flight deck, hangar bays, wardroom, and brig, should certainly help inform our imaginative play with the Fisher Price aircraft carrier at home.

The Yorktown is also home to the Congressional Medal of Honor museum which features several exhibits designed to help visitors better understand the medal's origin and distinctions as well to pay tribute to the honor, courage, and sacrifice of its recipients.   

Although it was impossible to get a good picture given the lighting in the museum, we were able to find the name of Granddaddy's great uncle, Alexander Archer Vandegrift, on the Wall of Honor.  According to Wikipedia, Vandegrift "was a General in the United States Marine Corps. He commanded the 1st Marine Division to victory in its first ground offensive of World War II — Battle of Guadalcanal.  For his actions during the Solomon Islands campaign, he received the Medal of Honor. Vandegrift later served as the 18th Commandant of the Marine Corps, and was the first U.S. Marine to hold the rank of four-star general while on active duty."

He is also credited with saving the Marine Corps.  Again, Wikipedia reports, "During his tenure as Commandant, the Marine Corps faced institutional threats from Army efforts to absorb the mission of the Marines. The post-war discussions on the restructuring of the American defense establishment opened the door to diminishing the mission and role of the Marine Corps in the new defense structure. Proponents of such cuts included President Harry Truman and General Dwight Eisenhower.  In this power struggle, the Marine Corps aligned itself with Congress. 
To cinch the support of Congress, Commandant Vandegrift delivered the famous "bended knee speech.  In it, he stated

'The Marine Corps...believes that it has earned this right—to have its future decided by the legislative body which created it—nothing more. Sentiment is not a valid consideration in determining questions of national security. We have pride in ourselves and in our past, but we do not rest our case on any presumed ground of gratitude owing us from the Nation. The bended knee is not a tradition of our Corps. If the Marine as a fighting man has not made a case for himself after 170 years of service, he must go. But I think you will agree with me that he has earned the right to depart with dignity and honor, not by subjugation to the status of uselessness and servility planned for him by the War Department.'^"

One day the boys will recognize and appreciate the significance of Vandegrift's heroism, including both his wartime and political efforts.

After a long morning on the aircraft, we stopped for lunch at Juanita Greenberg's in Mt. Pleasant because really, how can you not try a Mexican restaurant with that name?!  Then, we attempted to get out on the beach again, but less than a half hour after our arrival, a storm rolled in.  So, we drove around Sullivan's Island and Island of Palms trying to agree on which house we would buy if we won the lottery.  On our way back to the hotel, we saw the most amazing rainbow as we crossed the Isle of Palms Connector.  Despite their mnemonic similarities, I think the treasure at the end of this rainbow (Isle Of Palms) is much better than the one shown in an earlier post (International House Of Pancakes)!

Later, we enjoyed dinner at Virginia's on King Street.  I was hungry for some good Lowcountry cooking and this restaurant boasted true southern cuisine.  We wanted to give it a try, but we were a little worried when we walked in and saw how fancy it was.  Luckily, the boys behaved beautifully, like true southern gentlemen. 

After dinner, before returning to the hotel, we took a brief stroll through a downtown park.  The architecture in Charleston is unrivaled, especially the antebellum homes and grand cathedrals.  It was beautiful to see all the churches and their steeples basked in early evening sunlight.  I suppose that's why Charleston is called the Holy City of spires!