Navy says buh-bye

[thumbelina]

Secretary of the Navy Donald C. Winter vetoed plans to commission the Makin Island, the Navy's newest and most powerful warship, in San Francisco in 2008 because of a perception that the city is anti-military.

Retired Marine Corps Maj. Gen. J. Michael Myatt, chairman of a high-powered committee that was to support a commissioning ceremony for the Makin Island, said he has been informed that the ship would not be commissioned in San Francisco, as scheduled, but in San Diego.

Myatt said he had been told that the Navy was concerned about San Francisco's refusal to provide a homeport for the retired battleship Iowa, which would be turned into a museum, and for the city school board's decision to abolish junior ROTC training in San Francisco high schools.

Link & H/T

[namvet]

shame on them. for years there were many military stations in the san fran area. mare island a base my ship worked from was originally a sub base during WW11. hunters point, a major air base, port chicago. these an many others of course were closed down years ago. it does not say where it was going to be commissioned or home ported. and fruit cake city is NO place for a fine lady like the Iowa either. they'll find an approiate place for her. this new ship is really a marine bird farm. many like her are named after bloody batttles. the iwo jima. tarawa. saipan. Guadacanal and so on.
the makin island is named after a famous pacific WW11 battle. the marines had to take it to draw attention from the main target. bloody Tarawa. history:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Makin
im very glad they got the Missouri and the other Iowa class out of politcal harms way.

[SparseMatrix]

Let San Fransisco protect itself. Just build a firewall around the city and watch it burn.

[namvet]

the Iowa could flattened sanfran. that's what she was designed for.

[DoubleU]

I am surprised the Navy would leave, I always thought San Fran loved its semen.

[namvet]

I am surprised the Navy would leave, I always thought San Fran loved its semen.

most if not all bases have been closed for cuts. it was always a sea faring town. a major port of entry. must have been those damned dirty hippies from the 60's. thats a ton of history and tradition left behind. im glad to see the USN get out.

[Spirit of Ronald Reagan]

I am surprised the Navy would leave, I always thought San Fran loved its semen.

Apparently they found another supplier.

[thumbelina]

The annual aerial show by the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angels — a San Francisco tradition dating back to 1981 that pumps millions into the local economy — is running into opposition from three local peace advocacy groups that are calling for a permanent halt to the popular Fleet Week flyover.

CodePink, Global Exchange and Veterans for Peace, Chapter 69, are working with Supervisor Chris Daly on a Board of Supervisors resolution to address concerns over the Blue Angels.

Daly acknowledged he is considering a call to halt the flyovers because, he said, “they seem dangerous and unnecessary.” Daly said he plans on introducing the resolution as early as Tuesday, but is still drafting the language. A resolution is not legally binding, but states a board position.

Story

[Sarah]

Those nuts in SF sure do love to hate the military. They should be ashamed of themselves.

[namvet]

a final flyby with real bombs ????