@adrian Department: Engr Author: MM2 Sol The Bull Era: 1996 Date: 07/26/10 The bow of the ship on the inside still showed evidence of the incident you mentioned in 2001. We were told that the official cause was "going to fast in dense water". It was explained to us that since the water was cooler up there it was more dense, and because the IKE was moving at a high rate of speed the dense water caved the bow in. You can choose to accept their reality or subsitute your own.....

a weirdo or two Department: Ops Author: Anonymous Era: 1985 Date: 08/02/10 I was just trying to see if a few guys in my shop on the Ike had Facebook accounts. I found a guy with a bit of bad history. He was arrested by the VA police for child abuse and ABRUPTLY was gone from the ship and never came back. After he was gone I was looking through his cassettes in the shop when this 2nd class walks in. As I'm taking my pick of the arrested dude's cassettes the 2nd class says "What are you doing ? What the FUCK do you think you are doing ?" I said "The dude got popped for child abuse. He ain't coming back any time soon. The least of his problems is me acquiring some of his unclaimed cassette collection" Dude says "NO ... NO ! FUCK THAT. That isn't right. Put his shit back right NOW ... " I must have had this weak you-gotta-be-shitting-me confused grin on my face becuz he got even madder "Where do you get off just stealing someone's property ? And KNOCK the silly grin OFF YOUR FACE ! God, you DISGUST me !" Uh, I disgust HIM ???

Second Class Department: Rx Author: Peter Era: 1984 Date: 08/02/10 I'm guessing that after you left the work space that all of thoses casettes ended up in the 2nd class's posession. - That might have been the real cause of his anger... you had beaten him to them.

Just sayin hi. Department: Rx Author: H. Davis Era: 1988 Date: 08/03/10 I do remember that collision with the Spanish Freighter. I was tryin to avoid manning the rails and got caught. Was on my way from the cat-walk to the flight deck when I heard the collision alarm. Mr. Matthys I remember you!

Navy know how Department: Engr Author: Todd Era: 1986 Date: 08/04/10 During the Newport News yard period I was on leave headed to Ga. Some where around Smithfield Va. I had a slight fender bender. The no major damage so I proceeded home. About thirty minutes later my truck starts to over heat.One of my belts had cut a whole in the radiator hose. I pulled in to a closed down gas station in the middle of know where.I popped the hood and found the problem. With no way to call for help I wondered what to do. Walking around the parking lot I found a rubber strip that went between a bycycle rim and tube. I wrappped it around the hose and tied it off with the nylon string from my wind breaker.Scooped up puddled water with a jug I found. Started the truck and went all the way home . 700 miles

Navy know how prt .2 Department: Engr Author: Todd Era: 1986 Date: 08/08/10 As mentioned before I had a slight fender bender around Smithfield Va. Navy training on plugging and patching leaks really came into good use. About six months later again I had tken some leave and was headed to Ga. My Buddy Banjo(Kevin Robinson) was along for the ride. I was going to drop him off in Pacolet S.C. Around the area where the accident occured. I was telling him how the accident happened.Pulling up to the very same intesection.I told him there was a stop sign. But I had slowed down looked left and took off. Well the car in front of me had stopped.BAM I had hit the car. Sure enough it happened again Bam, Same intersection,same truck ,same trip home. Unfortunatly the clutch was busted and the truck had to be towed back to New port News.

creativity Department: Ops Author: Ron Era: 1986 Date: 08/23/10 I remember a lot of E-3 and below guys trying to come up with sad sack stories to get out of work / get permission from our chief to go home for the day. A couple other petty officers and I were all sitting around chewing the fat with the chief in his office one day (we all know Navy chiefs LOVE to tell stories) and it was funny to watch this near-constant parade of sailors come in and try and convince the chief that they should be let go. Eventually, one of the guys sitting in the office with me starting mocking them and said, "Hey chief ... my goldfish has herpes, can I go home ?". Chief calmly just said no and continued telling stories. The guy tried again, "Chief, my grandmother is coming to the airport but has no arms to carry her luggage. Can I go home ?" Chief chuckled and once again ... no.

self-inflicted Department: Ops Author: Ron Era: 1986 Date: 09/05/10 A bunch of sailors would put up a cash pot and once there was at least $20 in it, there was a guy in my division who would open-end a stapler and go WHAP WHAP WHAP WHAP down his forearm, stapling himself. Then he'd collect the kitty, pull out the staples, and go on his way.

Ladder Watch Department: Rx Author: Annonymous Era: 2007 Date: 09/06/10 i had been on the ike about 3 weeks, about a week give or take out of school of ship, and had just gotten my tld, didnt know a turbine from a torque wrench. the day before mcat, set of couse to be riddled with reactor drills, at about 1000, a medical emergency got called away cause some one else in reactor fell down a ladder, about 4 hours later, another one got called away, then another, ending at a grand total of 5 that day, all reactor, all falling down stairs, i thought i had the last laugh at my new department, who spent so much time learning to use reactors they forgot how to use stairs, until 2200 that night, when i was intercepted on the way to my rack, and stabbed with supervising the proper use of the rar ladderwells for the duration of drills that night, and the night after that