Hat Poll

Which ship would you like on a hat? Color?

  • TCS Tiger's Claw

    Votes: 26 42.6%
  • TCS Concordia

    Votes: 13 21.3%
  • TCS Victory

    Votes: 12 19.7%
  • BWS Intrepid

    Votes: 8 13.1%
  • TCS Midway

    Votes: 6 9.8%
  • TCS Cerberus

    Votes: 6 9.8%
  • TCS Tarawa

    Votes: 20 32.8%
  • TCS Princeton

    Votes: 3 4.9%
  • Navy

    Votes: 19 31.1%
  • Black

    Votes: 26 42.6%

  • Total voters
    61
Patches sound like an awesome idea because they will fit in an envelope:). I naively pictured myself standing in line at the post office just once or twice.

Everyone's hat has now been mailed except for Raptor48's which will go out early next week.
 
yeah. I could go for patches too!

also have you ever considered the idea of pins? like specifically campaign pins for the various theaters of operations 'ol bluehair himself completed.
 
yeah. I could go for patches too!

also have you ever considered the idea of pins? like specifically campaign pins for the various theaters of operations 'ol bluehair himself completed.

authentic looking pins would probably be quite expensive if they're to be more than cheap smooth buttons.
 
Patches sound like an awesome idea because they will fit in an envelope:).

I wonder if we could get a deal if we put several together with the help of our local artists? I'm sure a 'Claw, Concordia, Victory, Free Corps, Vega Campaign, etc would be popular with those who would want them.
 
I would totally be in for campaign ribbons. That would be a lot of fun to design, debate, etc.

There could be achievements for certain engagements, campaigns, service on ships, etc. Not a bad idea at all!
 
I found the perfect expanation for whenever someone ask me about my new hat-
wikipedia said:
USS Tarawa (LHA-1) is a United States Navy amphibious assault ship, the lead ship of her class, and the second ship to be named for Tarawa Atoll, site of a Marine landing during World War II. The first Tarawa was the USS Tarawa (CV-40). The Tarawa is scheduled to be decommissioned March 31, 2009, at Naval Base San Diego. [1]
Contents
[hide]

* 1 History
* 2 Missions
* 3 References
* 4 External links

[edit] History

She was laid down in November 1972 at Pascagoula, Mississippi, by Ingalls Shipbuilding, launched 1 December 1973, sponsored by Audrey B. Cushman, the wife of General Thomas J. Cushman, former Commandant of the Marine Corps; and commissioned on 29 May 1976, Capt. James H. Morris in command.

Tarawa is the first of five ships in a new class of general-purpose amphibious assault ships and combines in one ship type the functions previously performed by four different types: the amphibious assault ship (LPH), the amphibious transport dock (LPD), the amphibious cargo ship (LKA), and the dock landing ship (LSD). She is capable of landing elements of a Marine Corps battalion landing team and their supporting equipment by landing craft, by helicopters, or by a combination of both.

The ship departed Pascagoula on 7 July 1976 and set a course for the Panama Canal. She transited the canal on 16 July and, after a stop at Acapulco, Mexico, arrived at San Diego, California on 6 August. During the remainder of 1976, the amphibious assault ship conducted trials, tests, and shakedown in the southern California operating area.

During the first half of 1977, Tarawa was engaged in training exercises off the California coast. On 13 August, she entered Long Beach Naval Shipyard for post shakedown availability which was completed on 15 July 1978. Following four and one half months of intensive individual ship and amphibious refresher training with embarked marines, Tarawa ended 1978 in her home port of San Diego on Christmas stand down.

[edit] Missions

Her first deployment came in 1979, where she successfully experimented with AV-8 Harrier jets and later rescued 400 Vietnamese refugees adrift in the South China Sea.

After a second deployment in 1980, and in 1983, during her third deployment, Tarawa went to the Mediterranean to support the UN peacekeepers in Beirut, Lebanon. Several additional cruises followed.

In December 1990, Tarawa was the flagship of a thirteen-ship amphibious task force in support of Operation Desert Storm. She participated in the Sea Soldier IV landing exercise in January that was a deception maneuver suggesting an amphibious assault in Kuwait, and then on 24 February landed Marines in Saudi Arabia just south of the Kuwaiti border.

In May 1991, Tarawa went to Bangladesh in support of Operation Sea Angel, providing humanitarian assistance to victims of a cyclone, delivering rice and water purification equipment.

Her 1992 deployment included visits to Hong Kong, Singapore, the Persian Gulf, Somalia, and Australia.

In April 1996, following another complex overhaul at Long Beach Naval Shipyard, Tarawa left from San Diego on its ninth Western Pacific deployment. A U.S./Thailand amphibious training exercise in the Gulf of Thailand, and exercise Indigo Serpent (with the Royal Saudi Arabian Navy) and exercise Infinite Moonlight (the first-ever exercise between U.S. and Royal Jordanian Navy) in the Red Sea preceded Tarawa's visit to thePersian Gulf in support of Operation Southern Watch, enforcing the "no-fly zone" over southern Iraq. Tarawa was also part of Operation Desert Strike. Returning to San Diego in October 1996, Tarawa earned both the Federal Energy Conservation Award and the Secretary of the Navy Energy Conservation Award.
Activity hums around the USS Tarawa (LHA-1), as U.S. Marines go ashore in Kuwait.
Activity hums around the USS Tarawa (LHA-1), as U.S. Marines go ashore in Kuwait.

In mid October 2000, the Tarawa was passing through the Strait of Hormuz on her way into the Persian Gulf when the USS Cole was attacked. Upon news of the attack, the Tarawa came about and steamed full ahead to the Port of Aden in Yemen where she joined the USS Donald Cook, USS Hawes, and the British ship HMS Marlborough, already providing logistical support and harbor security, as the command ship in charge of force protection in what became "Operation Determined Response". Other US Naval ships involved were the Catawba, Camden, Anchorage, and the Duluth. The Tarawa remained with the Cole until she was secure aboard the Norwegian heavy-lift semi-submersible salvage ship MV Blue Marlin[ for passage to the US before returning to duty in the Persian Gulf.

Part of the film Rules of Engagement (2000) includes scenes of actor Samuel L. Jackson filmed aboard the Tarawa.

Tarawa deployed from mid 2005 to early 2006 took her to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. She transported the 13th Marine Expeditionary Unit. During this deployment, she visited Darwin, Australia, Dubai, UAE, Bahrain, Singapore, and Hong Kong.

She was deployed in Bangladesh once again as part of the Cyclone Sidr relief efforts with the Kearsarge. Code name for the mission was "Operations Sea Angel II" in recognition of the Tarawa's previous support to Bangladesh in 1991. These humanitarian assistance efforts were instrumental in the ship being awarded the 2007 Battle Efficiency Award.

Her latest deployment was in Nov. 07 to June 08, with the 11th Marine Expeditionary Unit, in the Middle East in Support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom. She returned to her home port, San Diego, CA, finishing a seven month deployment. She visited Singapore, Bahrain, Jebel Ali, U.A.E., Perth and Hobart, Australia and Hawaii.
 
I don't think pretending to have served your country is ever a perfect explanation for anything.

I find that telling people my grandfather served in the Navy, and made me a fan (of the Navy) is generally enough to keep people from believing that I serve myself.

It's pretty fantastic, actually. Usually the guys that ask are the old World War II vets and they always take the time to share some piece of their memory of the war when they hear about my Grandfather.
 
That was a joke, I stumbled across it while I was reading some stuff on wikipedia. I AM going to join the Navy as soon as I graduate high school. Going to try to get oin the Special Entry and Amphibious Landing teams. I just love the way that sounds...
 
There actually is a Wingnut who served on the USS Tarawa. If you search the front pages news you'll come across some pictures and stuff he sent in years ago.
 
For the record, some time during the 9 days I was on vacation, my hat arrived at my post office and waited patiently for my return.

It is amazing! and I'm still looking for a good place to put that bumper sticker!

Thanks!
 
OOh.... any of the Tarawa hats left?
I'd love to get a pair of them (one for me, one for my buddy).

Yeah, I know I'm fresh meat on the message board, but I have a ebay account on the same name, and can be found out on www.star-ranger.com if you need additional verification.
 
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