All 82 Of Us!

[yep, click to enlarge]

If You've Seen the Movie "Glory"

The actual site of the final battle for Battery Wagner, led by the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry and Col. Shaw, was on the low island you see on the horizon in this picture, just behind Park Ranger Donell and the Pack 3 Cubs working on raising one of the five historic Fort Sumter flags (click the image to see a larger version)

More Photos! (And more to come)

(Remember, click the image for a larger version; more will show up over the next week, but i'm a slow uploader)

Driving across the Ravenel Bridge, the largest cable stay type bridge in the world, is a unique experience


After you cross the Cooper River from the peninsula that leads to Charleston, SC you enter Mount Pleasant and immediately turn to enter Patriots Point, which is more than "just" a WWII aircraft carrier


The arm of Charleston Harbor that reached past the berth of the USS Yorktown was a steady parade of massive cargo container ships, cruise ships (a Norwegian Lines vessel was in while we were there), and a flotilla of small sailboats from the College of Charleston


So, the guys bunkroom is, as we've seen, quite snug . . .


. . .while the Ladies' Accomodations are clearly in what were the officers' quarters


Trust me, the guys who have slept on board are fascinated by these photos; we would have taken photos in their restroom area, but there wasn't room for the camera so we couldn't do it


These showers & sinks may not look too unusual to you, but from the point of view of the guys, it's hard to believe that's on the same ship; if you wanted to change your mind while washing your hands, it was necessary to step out onto the catwalk to do so, then re-enter the bunk and slide sideways back to the "head," the Navy term for a restroom.


Moms, do these shots make you want to go and stay on board in 2010?
Nah, didn't think so; but hey, you go for the amazing experience, not the comfy beds


(Out at Fort Sumter) "Um, guys . . . guys, the rope . . . guys?"


The Park Ranger helps us all out!


Back on board "The Fighting Lady," Wolf and Webelos Carlson brothers inspect the flight deck, and find all in order; behind them is "the island" where the ship's bridge and command center is located

Pack 3 Leads Chapel Aboard Yorktown!

Thanks to Webelos Scouts Chris Carlson and Chris Gill (and Chris' mom, Joyce Meredith on the keyboard) who assisted with the Sunday morning chapel service in the Smokey Stover Theater aboard the USS Yorktown; for more info on the subject of the homily, click http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Four_Chaplains.

The theater is actually the forward elevator bay, with the platform permanently fixed up above flush with the flight deck. We watched "Tora, Tora, Tora!" there Friday night, and "The Fighting Lady" Saturday night, which is when we learned who Smokey Stover was. It's a very special place on a very special ship. We were honored to get the chance to offer worship for 250 of our fellow Scouts and family members -- then those of us who hadn't already had to leave bolted for our cars and started the 12 hour drive back to Licking County, Ohio.

Pack 3 & Scouting Friends Raise Fort Sumter's Flags

(Gotta give you the full size version of this one -- click on the picture to see the large format)

Photos are coming in!

View from the Fort Sumter boat, heading around the bow of the USS Yorktown


Out on Fort Sumter in Charleston (SC) Harbor, Pack 3 helps raise the five historic flags


Tiger Ludwig shows off the fancy lodgings, in a gallery under the flight deck suspended over the hangar deck


Looking up from the Patriots Point dock at the fantail, where many of us enjoyed a sunny lunch on Saturday

Getting excited . . .