03 Level Department: Rx Author: Guns Era: 2007 Date: 02/15/07 I have no idea why nukes would be caught above the 2nd deck (or hangar bay for morning quarters). The only reason I can think of is the samples that the ELT's have to draw in the cat spaces that are hidden VERY well...

TIme capsule in a can Department: COM Author: IT3 Era: 2004 Date: 02/17/07 We were in the yards in NN getting the full overhaul in '04, and we're in the midst of one of our infamous 4 hr field days, and I'm on the top of a ladderwell, cleaning the overheads and I catch a glimpse of something on top of one of the lights....so I reach over & pull out this old beer can. I show it to my fellow field-dayer and we joke cause it looks old as hell, then we rub it off and find a date-1979-on it and we're really shocked...how many field days has this thing endured?? So we look inside and shake out some butts and a piece of paper with a tack number on it that DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE. So we looked at each other, stuffed the shit back in it, and stuffed it back up in the overhead. Obviously other people had done the same thing before, so we were maintaining history for posterity's sake...give somebody else a kick trying to find that tack number. My fiance is on cruise right now, so when they get back I'll get him to take me on board so I can see if it's still there.

Tiger Beer Can Department: Rx Author: Michael Greaney Era: 1988 Date: 02/19/07 In #2MMR behind the Hear-Here Booth and the angle iron was a Tiger Beer can that was signed by the watch station crew from 1978 or 1979. It was on the same level as the Main Engines (MMRLL?) Is that the can you found? As a Nuke I had to go up to the Bridge as my GQ watchstation. It seems that Talking and making your hands move were too much for the leehelmsman and they needed a nuke to do the talking. What a adventure that was to make it up there in time. I also had to go there for Sea and Anchor detail. So you may find a nuke up above 03 occasionally. Later, I'll tell the story of the day I drove Ol' Ike!

Yet Another Time Capsule Department: Engr Author: MM2 Sol The Bull Era: 1998 Date: 02/19/07 I too found a "time capsule" of sorts. Whine on the 98 med/gulf cruise we received a call that there was water in the vents in the AUX Boiler room. We found that a preheater on the 01 level was rusted and was the source of the water. We had to pull the heater. It was so rusted that we had to cut a hole in the side of the ship to get it out. I had to climb up from the MWB station up a vent to get to the outside of the heater. It was about 15 feet of vent that was 3 feet tall and about 8 feet wide. Up at the top I found potato chip bags dated 1984, and unopened milk carons dated 1982. I also found an empty pepsi can from the early 80's. This was all mixed with 25 years worth of filth and crap. If anyone presently on the ike wants to see and add to a time capsule, go all the way forward and find the trunk that goes straight down to the forward "sonar dome". Down there you will find signatures dating all the way back to the 70's, unless they were painted over in the yards.

Time Capsules Department: Rx Author: Peter Era: 1984 Date: 02/19/07 Not really a time capsule... but as I started to get short, whenever I would close out a void, I'd inscribe (as well as sign) something anti-Navy and/or anti-khaki on the inside cover before I sealed it up. Figured by the next time those voids were opened up I'd be long gone to the civilian world.

More like "marking my territory" Department: Rx Author: Charlie Era: 1984 Date: 02/20/07 I also left my marks in the voids as I closed them up. If anyone sees any Zippy Pinhead drawings in any of the RX Dept voids, odds are they are mine from the early 80's. Also, of course, my "Weird Scenes" inscription was still on No. 1 Ion Exchanger as of 2000.

IKE is BACK Department: Ops Author: LT Era: 2004 Date: 02/21/07 I had just checked on board and the ship was making its big move from Newport News to Norfolk. Everything had to be "secured for Sea" even though the ship was not even under her own power but being pushed by several tugs. I asked the LT that I was relieving what were his plans for the X-Ray machine in hte hangar bay. I'll never forget his serious response. He said and I qoute: "Just hide that thing in the hangar bay, throw a tarp on it and nobody will know." I could not believe what I was hearing. What makes it so damn funny is that he was serious.

Grunt and Sarge "Trash Time" Department: Ops Author: LT Era: 2005 Date: 02/21/07 As leader of the Force Protection Training Team, it was my duty to train the security forces to respond to all asymetric threats including a possible boarding from the fantail by enemy forces. Here's the kicker though. On this drill the CO (GRUNT) wanted to observe "his security team" in action. I walked him to the fantail along with the XO and OPSO. The XO had just called to "HOLD ALL TRASH on station" on the 1MC. As we opened the rear hatch, I felt my a lump in my throat as we all watched a sailor dump about 4 bags of aluminum soda cans into the water. The XO's face never looked so red in his life as the Captain looked him over from head to toe and chcukled "HOLD ALL TRASH on station huh?" The XO was pissed needless to say but moreover he was really embarrassed by the Captain. He furiously stampered to find the nearest 1MC and proceeded to verbally spank the department responsible. I had to cancel our drill and initiate a ship wide investigation into the matter at hand. I don't know how the drill would have went but I sure do know how to catch a "trash bandit, first hand!!!"

X-ray Machine In The Hangar Bay Department: Engr Author: MM2 Sol The Bull Era: 1996 Date: 02/21/07 When we left the yards in 97 that x-ray machine was broken after a few months the CO came on the 1MC and anounced that the wanted to say a special thank you to a couple of ET's that fixed it in their spare time. He said their names and division and everything. Needless to say they were marked men. The ABH1 was contributes on here might know better, but I never remember seeing it "secured for sea" it was always there. Hell, I do not think I ever saw much of anything secured for sea. It was funny that they made the biggest deal about it when we would leave the yards. As for dumping trash even when it was secured......uh who did not do it. How else are you going to get rid of all the illegal crap you do not want to get caught with. I can remember taking part in many midnight toss-and-runs from catwalk hatches.

LT Dan Department: Ops Author: Ron Eureka Era: 1987 Date: 02/22/07 During my final months on Ike, a LT moved in the apt. next to me, he was real laid back. I think he was in Deck. We usually left for work near the same time, once we both walked out our front doors simultaneously, and I saluted him. He said, "Don't salute me, I'm your damn neighbor." We carpooled a time or two, he took me up the officer's brow. Talk about a pool and a pond - the pond being the dirtbag treatment you usually got on the enlisted brow. I went into his apt. once, I think he was having problems with some electronics. I look around and there's a bunch of small holes in the drywall. Seems he enjoyed archery and if he couldn't get out to practice, well, he just set his crossbow on low power and let loose. After I left Ike and it had hit that tanker, I saw the story in the paper, and the accompanying AP picture showed a guy looking out from the gaping hole in the side of the ship. It was LT Dan. I'm sure you can find that pic out on the net somewhere.