Countdown to Kickoff II: The Final 24 Days

[kingofnerf]

His son, Chase Elliott

 

[Swayin]

 

[Swayin]

The Grumman F9F Cougar was a jet fighter that served in the Navy through the 1950s, and was the swept-wing successor to the F9F Panther. Thrust was also increased with the installation of a newer, more powerful engine. The Navy considered the Cougar an updated version of the Panther, despite having a different official name, and thus Cougars started off from F9F-6. Grumman was awarded a contract for the development of a swept-wing fighter jet in 1951. The arrival of the MiG-15, which easily outclassed straight-wing fighters in the air war over North Korea, was a major factor.

Below: An F9F prepares to launch from the USS Essex in 1955.

 

[Swayin]

The McDonnell-Douglas C-9 Skytrain was the military version of its DC-9 airliner. It was produced as the C-9A Nightingale for the United States Air Force, and the C-9B Skytrain II for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The final flight of the C-9A Nightingale was in September 2005,[1] and the C-9C was retired in September 2011. The U.S. Navy retired its last C-9B in July 2014.[2] The two remaining C-9s in Marine service were retired in April 2017.

 

[Swayin]

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[Homebrewcock]

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Essex (CV-9)

USS Essex (CV/CVA/CVS-9) was an aircraft carrier and the lead ship of the 24-ship Essex class built for the United States Navy during World War II. She was the fourth US Navy ship to bear the name. Commissioned in December 1942, Essex participated in several campaigns in the Pacific Theater of Operations, earning the Presidential Unit Citation and 13 battle stars.

Decommissioned shortly after the end of the war, she was modernized and recommissioned in the early 1950s as an attack carrier (CVA), eventually becoming an antisubmarine aircraft carrier (CVS). In her second career, she served mainly in the Atlantic, playing a role in the Cuban Missile Crisis. She also participated in the Korean War, earning four battle stars and the Navy Unit Commendation. She was the primary recovery carrier for the Apollo 7 space mission.

Following her overhaul, Essex became the carrier for Air Group 15, the "Fabled Fifteen," commanded by the U.S. Navy's top ace of the war, David McCampbell. She then joined carriers Wasp and San Jacinto in TG 12.1 to strike Marcus Island on 19 to 20 May 1944, and Wake, on 23 May 1944. She deployed with TF 58 to support the occupation of the Marianas on 12 June to 10 August; sortied with TG 38.3 to lead an attack against the Palau Islands on 6 to 8 September, and Mindanao on 9 to 10 September with enemy shipping as the main target, and remained in the area to support landings on Peleliu. On 2 October, she weathered a typhoon and four days later departed with Task Force 38 (TF 38) for the Ryukyus.

For the remainder of 1944, she continued her frontline action, participating in strikes against Okinawa on 1 October, and Formosa from 1 to 14  October, covering the Leyte landings, taking part in the Battle of Leyte Gulf 24 to 25 October, and continuing the search for enemy fleet units until 30 October, when she returned to Ulithi, Caroline Islands, for replenishment.

She resumed the offensive and delivered attacks on Manila and the northern Philippine Islands during November. On 25 November, for the first time in her far-ranging operations and destruction to the enemy, Essex received damage. A kamikaze hit the port edge of her flight deck landing among planes gassed for takeoff causing extensive damage, killing 15, and wounding 44.

Following quick repairs, she operated with the task force off Leyte supporting the occupation of Mindoro 14 to 16 December 1944. She rode out Typhoon Cobra and made a special search for survivors afterward.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Essex_(CV-9)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Black Hawk (AD-9)

She served in the Aleutians during WWII.

Construction and commissioning

Black Hawk was launched in 1913 as SS Santa Catalina by William Cramp & Sons Ship and Engine Building Co., Philadelphia; purchased by the U.S. Navy on 3 December 1917; and commissioned 15 May 1918, Commander R. C. Bulmer in command.

Service history

Post World War I operations

Assigned as tender and flagship to the Mine Force, Black Hawk departed Boston in June 1918 to take station at Inverness, Scotland. She remained there until the end of World War I and then shifted her base to Kirkwall, Orkney Islands, for the North Sea mine sweep.

World War II

On 7 December 1941 Black Hawk was at Balikpapan, Borneo. She operated as a tender and repair ship at Java until 31 December 1941; at Darwin, Australia (January-3 February 1942); Java (3–20 February); and in Australian waters (26 February-29 May). Leaving Australia she steamed to Pearl Harbor, arriving 15 June 1942. She was assigned tender duty in Alaskan waters and arrived at Kodiak on 29 July 1942. Remaining there until 4 November 1942 she then returned to San Francisco, California, for repairs and overhaul.

Completing her overhaul 16 March 1943, Black Hawk returned to Alaskan waters, arriving 10 April 1943. Except for a short stay at Pearl Harbor (30 September 1943 – 1 February 1944), she remained at Adak until 21 March 1945. Following repairs at Alameda, California, she arrived at Pearl Harbor 30 May 1945; remained there until 11 September; and then proceeded to Okinawa. Black Hawk served in the Far East tending vessels at Okinawa and in China (specifically at Tsingtao) until 20 May 1946 when she headed home for the last time.

Decommissioned on 15 August 1946, she was transferred to Maritime Commission on 4 September 1947.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Black_Hawk_(AD-9)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Delta (AR-9)

She operated in the North African and Italian theatres during the WWII.

USS Delta (AK-29/AR-9) was the lead ship of her class of repair ships in the United States Navy during World War II. She was originally built as the merchant ship SS Hawaiian Packer before her requisition by the U.S. Navy in 1941. Before conversion to a repair ship, Delta briefly served as a U.S. Navy cargo ship.

World War II

Delta was built in 1941 as the Hawaiian Packer by Newport News Shipbuilding, Newport News, Virginia, one of four Type C3 ships ordered by the Matson Navigation Company. Launched on 2 April, she was acquired by the Navy on 4 June 1941; and commissioned as USS Delta (AK-29) on 16 June 1941, Commander C. D. Headee in command.

From 8 July 1941 to May 1942 Delta carried cargo from east coast ports to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Puerto Rico; Bermuda; Argentina; Newfoundland, Halifax, and Nova Scotia, Canada; and Reykjavík, Iceland. On 1 July 1942, Delta was reclassified as AR-9, and was placed in reserve commission for conversion to a fleet repair ship by Cramp Shipyard, Philadelphia.

Delta sailed from Philadelphia on 3 March 1943, and between March and June repaired amphibious ships and craft at Oran, Algeria. She served similarly at Bizerte, Tunisia, from June to March 1944, then at Palermo, Italy, and on 8 July sailed for Pozzuouli, Italy, to prepare landing craft for their return to the United States. Her final Mediterranean duty, from November to April 1945, was to tend destroyers at Oran.

She returned to Norfolk Naval Shipyard for overhaul on 27 April 1945, and on 15 June sailed for Pearl Harbor for a month of repair duty.

On 26 August, she arrived at Yokosuka Naval Base for general fleet repair work, including the assignment of preparing Nagato, the former Japanese battleship, for the atomic weapons tests of 1946 at Bikini. Delta served the Fleet at Shanghai from March through June 1946, and on 17 July arrived at Philadelphia, where she was decommissioned and placed in reserve on 5 March 1947.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Delta_(AR-9)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Dent (APD-9).  Formerly DD-116.

Service history

Dent escorted a convoy to Ireland between 19 September and 8 November 1918, and then carried out training at Guantanamo Bay. On 1 May 1919 she got underway from New York to serve on station off Trepassey Harbor, Newfoundland, during the historic first aerial crossing of the Atlantic, a feat accomplished by a Navy seaplane. She returned to Newport on the 24th, and on 20 June she joined the escort for the yacht Imperator, carrying the President of Brazil from New York to Newport.

Dent arrived at San Pedro, California, 6 August 1919 to join the Pacific Fleet. She cruised to Hawaii as escort for New York with the Secretary of the Navy embarked in August, then steamed to Seattle for a Fleet Review in September. She returned to San Diego 22 September and went into reserve. She was placed in active commission again 14 December 1920, and operated with 50 percent of her complement on gunnery and torpedo practice, and in fleet maneuvers. She made a cruise to South America from 7 January to 11 March 1921, visiting Valparaíso, Chile; Costa Rica; and various ports in Mexico. Dent was placed out of commission in reserve 7 June 1922.

Recommissioned 15 May 1930, Dent acted as plane guard for carrier operations, trained reservists, and sailed for a fleet problem in the Caribbean and a visit to the United States East Coast from April to November 1934. On 18 December, she entered the Rotating Reserve at San Diego and tested ordnance until returning to active commission 10 June 1935. Dent operated along the United States West Coast and in the Hawaiian Islands until the United States entered World War II. At San Diego on 7 December 1941, she got underway the next day to screen Saratoga in her high speed run to Pearl Harbor.

World War II

Returning to San Francisco 29 December 1941, Dent had duty with the Sound School at San Diego and operated along the U.S. West Coast on convoy duty until 27 April 1942 when she sailed for Alaskan waters. From 8 May she operated out of Dutch Harbor on convoy and patrol duty, escorting transports for the invasion of Adak 1 September. She returned to Seattle 30 January 1943 for repairs and conversion to a high-speed transport. She was reclassified APD-9, 7 March 1943.

Dent arrived at Noumea, New Caledonia 20 April 1943. She operated from this base and Espiritu Santo, landing troops in the assaults on New Georgia, Rendova, Vella Lavella, and Cape Torokina, Bougainville. After overhaul at Sydney, Australia, in November, she returned to Milne Bay, New Guinea on 17 December. While training at Cape Sudest 5 days later, she grounded on an uncharted shoal. Serious structural damage necessitated her return to Australia for repairs through January 1944.

Dent arrived at Nouméa 7 February 1944 and landed men of the 4th Marines on Emirau Island 20 March. From Milne Bay, New Guinea, she carried soldiers to the Aitape landings 22 April. Sailing from New Guinea 9 May, she returned to the Solomons to train an underwater demolition team for the invasion of the Marianas. She carried her team to Roi where they were transferred for transportation to Guam, then escorted Mazama to Saipan to carry emergency supplies of ammunition to the bombardment ships. Dent patrolled off Saipan and Tinian until early July when she escorted transports to Eniwetok and sailed for overhaul at San Diego, arriving 3 August.

From 8 November 1944 until the end of the war, Dent served with the Amphibious Training Force, Pacific Fleet, at San Diego.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Dent

 

[kingofnerf]

USS South Dakota (ACR-9)

The first USS South Dakota (ACR-9/CA-9), also referred to "Armored Cruiser No. 9", and later renamed Huron, was a United States Navy Pennsylvania-class armored cruiser.

South Dakota was laid down on 30 September 1902 by the Union Iron Works, San Francisco, California, she was launched on 21 July 1904; sponsored by Grace Herreid, daughter of Charles N. Herreid, Governor of South Dakota, and commissioned on 27 January 1908, Captain James T. Smith in command.

World War I

Transferred to the Atlantic after the United States entered World War I, South Dakota departed Bremerton on 12 April. She joined sister ships Pittsburgh, Pueblo, and Frederick at Colón, Panama, on 29 May; thence proceeded to the South Atlantic for patrol duty operating from Brazilian ports. On 2 November 1918, she escorted troop convoys from the east coast to the mid-Atlantic rendezvous point where British cruisers joined the convoy. Following the Armistice, South Dakota made two voyages from Brest, France, to New York, returning troops to the U.S.

Post-war

In the summer of 1919, South Dakota was ordered back to the Pacific to serve as flagship of the Asiatic Fleet, arriving at Manila on 27 October. South Dakota was renamed Huron---in order to free up her original name for use with the projected South Dakota-class battleship, South Dakota---on 7 June 1920 and was designated CA-9 on 17 July 1920. She served in the Asiatic Fleet for the next seven years, operating in Philippine waters during the winter and out of Shanghai and Chefoo during the summer. On 25 February 1925, she ran aground off Palawayan Island in the Netherlands East Indies; she was refloated the next day.

Ordered home, Huron departed Manila on 31 December 1926 and arrived at the Puget Sound Navy Yard on 3 March 1927. She was decommissioned on 17 June and remained in reserve until she was struck from the Naval Vessel Register on 15 November 1929. She was sold on 11 February 1930 for scrapping in accordance with the London Naval Treaty for the limitation and reduction of naval armament, for scrapping to Abe Goldberg and Co., Seattle, Wash.

Huron was stripped down to the waterline and then sold to the Powell River Company, Ltd. In August 1931, the ship was towed to Powell River, British Columbia, Canada, to serve as a floating breakwater for a large logging mill. She was preceded the previous year by the former cruiser Charleston. Huron was anchored into position and rainwater was periodically pumped out to ensure she remained afloat. On 18 February 1961, a storm flooded the hulk of the old cruiser, and she sank in 80 ft (24 m) of water, where she remains to this day.

Coincidentally, some of the iron for her hull came from Texada Island, merely 5 mi (4.3 nmi; 8.0 km) from her Powell River resting place.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_South_Dakota_(ACR-9)

 

[kingofnerf]

USS Towers (DDG-9)

USS Towers (DDG-9) was a Charles F. Adams-class guided missile destroyer of the United States Navy notable for action in the Vietnam War. The ship was named in honor of Admiral John Henry Towers.

Towers keel was laid down on 1 April 1958 at Seattle, Washington, by the Todd Pacific Shipyards; launched on 23 April 1959; sponsored by Mrs. Nathaniel Rotoreau, Jr.; and commissioned on 6 June 1961 at the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton, Washington, Comdr. L. D. Cummins in command.

Towers made a name for herself conducting artillery support for ground troops and Seach-and-Rescue (SAR) operations of downed pilots during the Vietnam War.

Departing San Diego on 4 June 1966, Towers steamed west, via Pearl Harbor, Guam, and Subic Bay, to Vietnam. She expended some 3,266 rounds of 5-inch ammunition between 2 and 17 July, off target areas which included the "Rung Sat Special Zone." Her target assessment included the destruction of 17 enemy buildings and damage to 118 more, the sinking of three sampans, the killing of 11 Viet Cong soldiers, and the destruction of a bridge.

The guided missile destroyer returned to Subic Bay for upkeep and further training in PT-boat countermeasures before she returned to the Gulf of Tonkin to take up her position on the northern SAR station on 1 August. For the next month, under the command of Stanley Thomas Counts, she deployed with USS Wiltsie (DD-716), keeping on the alert to spot downed pilots and to direct friendly helicopters to the rescue.

On 6 August 1966, Towers directed an HU-16 helicopter to the site of a downed aviator some 69 miles from the ship. The next day, Towers directed another HU-16 to a spot behind the enemy-held island of Cac Ba, where two Air Force men had bailed out. The helicopter successfully rescued them from behind communist lines. In the next two weeks, the ship participated in two more rescues—picking up two more Air Force pilots in one and a Navy flyer in the other.

Towers' most daring rescue came on the last day of her tour on the SARA station. On 31 August 1966, a Navy plane was hit by antiaircraft fire over Haiphong, and the pilot bailed out of his doomed aircraft directly over the enemy harbor. As he floated down under his parachute to face what seemed certain capture, Towers and King closed to within visual range of Haiphong harbor. Then King's helicopter sped in under the guidance of Towers' experienced controllers and picked up the pilot, whisking him out of danger from beneath the enemy's very nose.

Decommissioning and sinking exercise (Sinkex)

The ship was decommissioned 1 October 1990, and stricken from the Naval Vessel Register on 27 May 1992. Originally expected to be converted to a barge, the ship was sunk as a target in 2002.

The USS Tower's Captain's Gig is on display at Freedom Park in Omaha, Nebraska.

Towers received one Navy Unit Commendation, one Meritorious Unit Commendation, and four battle stars for her service in Vietnam.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Towers

 

[FurmanCock]

Single digits countdown.  Woot! Woot!

 

[Swayin]

I know Todd isn't everybody's cup of tea in the booth (I think he's great), but  watching him play when I was on campus sure was fun - and those two guys with him were BEASTS! Add in Eric Poole as the "possession guy" along with Sterl and Ira and it's easy to see why a guy as talented as Todd set so many records at Carolina.

And, hate to say it because it's such a trope at this point, but I loved our uniforms and helmets back then, too - I think the UA design template is pretty meh. In the grand scheme of things, or course, small potatoes.

 

[Swayin]

USS Essex (CV-9)



https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Essex_(CV-9)

My picture of the F9F shows is taking off from the Essex - had I remembered the Essex's designation it could have qualified as a two-fer!

 

[kingofnerf]

Someone in the comments section of the video said Tommy yelled, "Yes", 9 times in 9 seconds after Bennett scored to win the game.  True dat.

 

[kingofnerf]

#9 RB Quinton Lewis from Midway, GA (1981-84)





Rushing


 


 


 


 




Year


Att


Yds


Avg


TD




1982


52


206


4


2




1983


50


243


4.9


3




1984


97


572


5.9


4




Tot


199


1021


5.1


9




 


 


 


 


 




Receiving


 


 


 




Year


Rec


Yds


Avg


TD




1982


7


49


7


1




1983


5


19


3.8


0




1984


11


123


11.2


0




Tot


23


191


8.3


1

The Midway, Ga., native was one of a trio of running backs that included Kent Hagood and USC Hall of Famer Thomas Dendy that rushed for combined 1,823 yards in Coach Joe Morrison's veer offense, 598 of that total from Lewis.

"That was a very special year," Lewis said. "We had a lot of talented guys. We didn't have a lot of pros, but we had lots of good, solid guys. We played together, and really just had fun.

"It started with the coaching. Joe Mo really knew football inside and out, but what he and the other coaches knew how to do was teach us the game. He had us focused on one thing."

After graduation, Lewis joined the Army, and over his 20 years, he was based from Virginia, Texas and Georgia, including deployment to Iraq during Desert Storm. He took 18 months off after his retirement in 2006, and then began working in 2008 as a government contractor, before retiring for good last month.

Currently Lewis lives in Huntsville, Ala., and he hasn't found many birds of a feather in that state.

"A lot of the guys I worked with were Bama and Auburn fans," he said. "There ain't a lot of us Gamecock fans around here, so I carry the torch."

Over the years, Lewis has done his best to keep up with the Gamecocks, and he has watched a lot of the televised games.

https://www.thestate.com/sports/college/university-of-south-carolina/article18177686.html

Lewis also was a good passer, throwing a 41-yard TD pass to Chris Wade to push the Gamecocks over the Citadel 31-24 in the 1984 season opener.

Quinton Lewis threw a 41-yard scoring strike on a halfback option pass with just over a minute to play Saturday night to lift South Carolina to a 31-24 victory over The Citadel.

The Gamecocks had some anxious final seconds, however. The Citadel's Mike Lewis returned the ensuing kickoff 77 yards to the Gamecock 18. Three passes fell incomplete before defensive back Otis Morris intercepted a Robert Hill pass on fourth down to preserve the victory.

The Citadel, bidding for a major upset in the season opener for both teams, had tied the score 24-24 minutes earlier on a 26-yard field goal by Greg Davis.

South Carolina's winning march started at its own 17-yard line. On the game-winning play, Lewis took a pitch from quarterback Allen Mitchell and headed around left end, but pulled up and threw a strike to split end Chris Wade, who was standing alone at The Citadel 5-yard line.

https://www.upi.com/Archives/1984/09/08/Quinton-Lewis-threw-a-41-yard-scoring-strike-on-a/3279463464000/

 

[kingofnerf]

John Lennon - #9 Dream