USS Mount Whitney Renders Honors to the Battles of Midway and Normandy

Courtesy Photo | Dressed in full-dress flags, USS Mount Whitney approaches Omaha Beach as her Sailors man the rails. The ship rendered honors to the fallen in remembrance of the 67th anniversary of the Battle of Midway and the 65th anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. Mount Whitney, the U.S. 6th Fleet flag ship, is in transit to the annual Baltic Operations exercise; the largest international exercise organized in the Baltic Sea. BALTOPS provides a basis for promoting mutual understanding and maritime interoperability between U.S. Navy, NATO, and non-NATO participants through a series of multilateral training exercises. Mount Whitney is homeported in Gaeta, Italy, and operates with a hybrid crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command civilian mariners.  

BAIE DE SEINE, FRANCE

05.28.2009

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet

BAIE DE SEINE, France — In transit to the annual Baltic Operations exercise in the Baltic Sea, USS Mount Whitney made a four-day visit to the waters off the coast of Normandy, May 23- 26, to celebrate the historical significance of the battles of Midway and Normandy.

"[This] turned out to be a wonderful opportunity to educate the crew," said Capt. Karl O. Thomas, Mount Whitney commanding officer. "With some proper planning, we determined we could really make this a special occasion for the crew and drive in close enough so they really felt the presence of Omaha Beach and the Normandy American Cemetery just beyond the coastal bluffs."

The Officer Wardroom began the commemoration by explaining the historical significance of the battles to the crew.

Mount Whitney Sailors manned the rails to render honors to the fallen as the ship, flying full dress flags, passed Omaha and Utah Beaches.

A moment of silence was given in honor to all those who sacrificed their lives for our country.

"I am sure many of us never thought we'd have the opportunity to sail along the same hallowed track... in the same historic waters... that many of our grandfathers, great uncles... these true American heroes sailed... nearly 65 years ago today," said Thomas.

The Battle of Normandy gave the Allies the foothold they needed in France and marked the beginning of the end for Hitler's Third Reich.

The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle and the most important of the Pacific campaign of World War II. It took place from June 4-7, 1942.

Before Midway, the Japanese had superiority in number of ships, but the United States lost just one aircraft carrier in the engagement while the Japanese fleet was virtually destroyed. This shift in the balance of power made the Battle of Midway the turning point of the Pacific war.

"The timing of our transit coincided perfectly with Memorial Day, Midway and D-Day," said Thomas. "The crew, especially the junior Sailors, really embraced the events and conducted a tremendous amount of research, putting together a first rate educational experience. Dressing the ship and manning the rails, the respect and tribute our Sailors paid to the heroes of WWII will be a memory that I'm sure they will cherish for the rest of their naval careers."

Following the commemoration, Mount Whitney continued her transit to BALTOPS, the largest international exercise organized in the Baltic Sea. BALTOPS promotes mutual understanding and maritime interoperability between U.S. Navy, NATO, and non-NATO participants through a series of multilateral training exercises. Mount Whitney, the U.S. 6th Fleet's flag ship, is homeported in Gaeta, Italy, and operates with a hybrid crew of U.S. Sailors and Military Sealift Command Civilian Mariners.

• Date Taken: 05.28.2009
• Date Posted: 05.28.2009 10:32
• Story ID: 34220
• Location: BAIE DE SEINE, FR