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FROM THE EDITOR

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6Naval Ghost Stories

Breast Cancer Awareness

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Another week is in the books, Lincoln Nation, and I think we’re starting to get used to being in port, day in and day out. And as we grow accustomed to seeing contractors dismantling our favorite nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, it’s hard to believe we felt that last deployment might never end.

As our at-sea period fades into memory, the calendar marches through fall, and winter is in our sights. Even with the colder seasons in full swing, the Hampton Roads area offers a wide variety of interesting activites for you and your family to enjoy. Check out some of our suggestions on page 4.

Nothing says fall quite like every young Sailor’s favorite holiday, Halloween. Before you finalize plans for your haunted evening, make sure you read up on some Navy ghost stories. Quite a few paranormal activities have affected Sailors over the years, and you might just want to attend your next holiday party as a specter from the briny deep.

Continuing the list of October events, a group of Abe’s finest participated in a 5k fun run in Virginia Beach for the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Bravo Zulu, shipmates!

Story by MCSA Michael Raney

The United States Navy Day was originally celebrated on October 27, 1922 by the Navy League of

the United States. Although it is not a national

holiday, Navy Day received a good deal of support in a letter written to Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby by President Warren Harding.

“From our earliest national beginnings, the Navy has always been, and deserves to be, an object of special pride to the American people,” Harding wrote. “Its record is indeed one to inspire such sentiments, and I am very sure that such a commemoration as is planned will be a timely reminder.”

The date for Navy Day was selected to honor the birthdate of President Theodore Roosevelt, who was an avid supporter of the U.S. Navy. Roosevelt had been Assistant Secretary of the Navy and supported a strong Navy as well as the idea of Navy Day.

Additionally, October 27 is the anniversary of a 1775 report issued by a special committee of the Continental Congress favoring the purchase of merchant shops as the foundation of an American Navy.

Happy Navy Day, shipmates!

What is Navy Day?

Things To Do In Hampton roads

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Located at 221 High St. in Portsmouth, the Children's Museum of Virginia offers many hands-on activities from a city bus to a collection of giant musical instruments. This museum is sure to be fun for the whole family.

The Hampton Roads coastal areas are dotted with historical-- and sometimes still operating-- lighthouses. One noteworthy lighthouse--the oldest government-built lighthouse in America--is located at Fort Story in Virginia Beach. Check it out!

The Virginia Zoo, located at 3500 Granby Street in Norfolk, is open daily from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. The zoo boasts an impressive collection of animals, including a rhinocerus, snakes, lions and monkeys, just to name a few. The zoo also features "the Norfolk Southern Express," a train that winds through the park. In the halloween spirit, the zoo is gearing up for its haunting October event. Oct. 27, the zoo is hosting Zoo Boo, an event that will kick off

The Virginia zoo

Children’s museum of Virginia

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at 10 a.m. with family fun day, and last until 3 p.m. with animal pumpkin smashing, costume contests, trick or treat candy stations and more. Later, at 6 p.m., prepare to be scared as Fright Night starts with the Train of Terror and Haunted Hay rides. Admission to the zoo is $10 with a valid military I.D., $9 for children ages two to eleven, and $10 for senior citizens ages 62 and older. Take the whole family and have a holiday blast!

Story by MCSN Zachary Anderson

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Children’s museum of

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The Hampton Roads area is also home to a popular amusement park-- Busch Gardens of Williamsburg. From its newest rollercoaster, the Verbolten, to a Sesame Street-themed area for the kids, there are thrills to be found for all ages. Busch Gardens’ popular “Salute to Heroes” program allows active duty military members and their dependents one free admission per year. Take advantage of this wonderful offer, and have a great time just a short drive north from Newport News. And did we mention that you can get in free? We did? Well, what are you waiting for?

Located at 206 High Street in Portsmouth, the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame and Museum displays noteworthy Virgina athletics from high school, college, the olympics, Virginia’s greatest sports moments and more. There are more than 45 native Virginian hall of famers honored in the museum. The museum also offers interactive displays for guests to test their skills in basketball, baseball, football, soccer and auto racing.

With four locations in the Hampton Roads area, the Cinema Cafe offers a unique movie viewing experience. While viewing your movie, simply push a button, and presto! A waiter will come to your seat to take your order from a full menu of tasty dinner options. At $4.75 for military admission and a reasonably priced menu, the Cinema Cafe is an inexpensive way to see all the current blockbuster hits.

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Colonial Williamsburg, the world's largest living history museum, has hundreds of restored and reconstructed colonial-era buildings

and a vast field of costumed interpreters. With a host of tours offered daily, Colonial Williamsburg is a great place to visit on a weekend to take advantage of the rich history the state of Virginia has to offer and have some fun along the way.

6 VOLUME 24 , ISSUE 29

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

Among more than 8,000 local breast cancer sur-vivors, volunteers, businesses and community members, Lincoln Sailors turned out to show

their support for breast cancer awareness at a running event in Virginia Beach, Oct. 13.

The Breast Cancer Awareness 5K Run event, held in support of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure Founda-tion, brought in an estimated $450,000 for the cause--more than 85 percent of the fundraising target--by the time the race started.

“Being able to come close to reaching our numbers is very exciting for us,” said Grace Person, the organization’s treasurer. “We have never seen a turn out like this before. I am a twelve-year survivor myself, and seeing all these people out here today, I can see that we are doing the right thing by putting this event on.”

The local volunteer-based organization, started in 1999 by four women, has given more than $6 million

to help under- and uninsured women and men get tested and educated about breast cancer. Tests have shown that

1 in 8 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer. One in 40 men will also be diagnosed with the disease.

“I had no idea that men could get breast cancer,” said Machinist’s Mate Fireman Peter Stitzel. “This organization

has done a really good job of making the public aware of that.” Sharon Laderberg, the Susan G. Komen executive director,

said the event continues to impress her, year in and year out. “It is amazing to have people come out and race for their mother,

for their sisters,” Laderberg said. “There is not a person I know who doesn’t have someone in their family or someone they know that has breast

cancer, so this really does affect us all. Every year this event gets bigger and bigger--this year, we have the most participants we have ever had.”Aviation Maintenance Administrationman Airman Chelsea Murphy said it is

important for Sailors to be involved in their local community. “This event was not only a blast, it was a good chance for me to volunteer and show

support for the local Hampton Roads community,” Murphy said.

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8 VOLUME 24 , ISSUE 29Story and Photos By: SN Phylicia Sorenson

In preparation for Halloween, aside from costume parties, trick or treating and scary movie

marathons, you may wish to examine some of the unexplained phenomena associated with the Navy.

Welcome to the world of paranormal naval stories--read on at your own risk!

This installment (the first of two for the haunting season) will delve into the mysterious history of the Fletcher-class destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD 537). Named in honor of the five Sullivan brothers (George, Francis, Joseph, Madison and Albert) who lost their lives during the Battle of Guadalcanal, Nov. 13, 1942, when their ship, USS Juneau (CL 52) was sunk by a Japanese submarine. Commemorating the greatest military loss by any one American family during World War II, The Sullivans was the first ship commissioned for more than one person.

After service in both World War II and the Korean War, The Sullivans was decommissioned and opened to the public as a memorial for public tours. The motto of the ship and its crew was “We Stick Together”…maybe even into the afterlife.

George, Francis, Joseph,

Madison and Albert Sullivan are said to be among the several haunts on a ship that now carries not only their name, but maybe their ghosts.

Eddie Kirkwood, the night watchman whose responsibilities include security watch, lock up and painting guide lines on The Sullivans, has been working at the Buffalo Naval Park (home to The Sullivans) for nearly twenty years. He claims to have witnessed numerous incidents that can only be explained as the work of supernatural forces.

Once, Kirkwood set a can of paint down and it suddenly flew across the room, splashing paint all over the wall.

“I’m looking around, trying to think ‘What happened here?’ so when I couldn’t come up with anything, that’s when I took off and ran home,” said Kirkwood.

In 1989, a worker on the ship, Danny Santiago, had gone below deck to check fire extinguishers. Out of the dark, a burnt, bloody face atop half a body appeared and began to float toward him. Needless to say, Santiago quit his job the following morning.

Kirkwood later had another experience that cemented his already peaking suspicions.

“I was working a party one evening, and I saw everybody on the fantail looking in my direction,” said Kirkwood. “They saw the radar spinning and thanked me for putting on a fantastic show for them, but I had already turned the circuit breaker off.”

T h e s u p e r n a t u r a l spookiness goes back even further in the ship’s history. The Sullivans was struck (meaning it was about to be fully decomissioned) Dec. 1, 1974, at the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. Sitting in the yard, routine checks of the ship were accompanied by strange occurrences. Electricians working on The Sullivans claim to have had their ankles grabbed and seen shadows walking the ship.

Other workers at the shipyard have claimed that lights would flicker on and off when the ship had long been without power. Also, tool boxes and various objects would occasionally go missing.

Story by MC3 Zacharay S. Welch

Story and Photos By: SN Phylicia Sorenson

John Branning, chief engineer at the Naval Park, said he has been around for visits from psychics, mediums and ghost hunters.

“They come in groups and take pictures and electronic voice phenomena (EVP) recordings,” said Branning. “Every time a person comes on board with a digital camera, their batteries have died.”

Whether it’s the spirits of the five Sullivan brothers or some lost souls searching for a way out, there is a general concensus that something out of this world maintains a very dominant presence aboard The Sullivans.

Lincoln Sailors joined together for a celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Oct. 12.

Lincoln hosted the event to celebrate and recognize the contributions of Hispanic Americans in the U.S. Navy.

“The Navy is a melting pot of cultures,” said Aviation Boatswain’s Mate First Class Xavier Garcia, who was born and raised in Puerto Rico. “There is so much that we can learn

from all the different people from different backgrounds that we have in the Navy.”

The celebration featured presentations focusing on different Hispanic countries from the ship’s various departments, followed by a speech from the commanding officer, Capt. Karl O. Thomas.

“This is a great time to take a break from our normal routine and to appreciate the diversity we have

aboard our ship,” said Thomas.The speech was followed by a

cake cutting, and the Sailors shared stories of their heritage.

“I love to educate other Sailors about Hispanic heritage,” said Garcia. “Sometimes I walk around my workspace and just talk to my Sailors about what it means to be Hispanic. It makes me feel great that the command is celebrating this month with the Sailors.”

Celebrate Hispanic Heritage

LincoLn SaiLorS

Story and Photo by MCSN Zachary Anderson

For moviegoers who saw the 2009 hit film “Taken,” starring Liam Neeson, it should come as no surprise that the second installment delivers more of the same simple action and plot design of the first

film. “Taken 2” is indeed a solid action thriller cut from the same cloth.However, fans who were hoping for more character development and

creative plot design may be disappointed. Having killed numerous criminals in the previous film, Bryan Mills

(Neeson) must now face the wrath of the slain kidnappers’ family members. The movie opens with Mills in a much healthier relationship with his ex-wife Lenore (Famke Janssen) and daughter Kim (Maggie Grace). Things get interesting when Mills is hired as security for a prominent businessman in Istanbul, Turkey, where his daughter and ex- wife pay him a surprise visit.

Little did his family know (though they would soon find out), there was a long line of angry people looking to pay the former covert operative a surprise visit. Mills, as you might expect, laid out the welcoming mat. As Mills and Lenore are the ones who are kidnapped in this chapter, this time around Kim has to lend Dad a hand in settling this series of blood feuds.

Keeping in mind that “Taken 2” is a sequel, it lends itself to a cookie-cutter standard of filmmaking that requires flashbacks and impressive, though predictable, action sequences. This approach will come across as satisfactory for some and lazy for others.

Are there exhilarating car chases? Yes. Are there great fight scenes? Yes. For those who enjoy the formulaic action mentioned above, you should go see “Taken 2.” The movie won’t disappoint you if you’ll be happy with more of what you got the first time around.

3 out of 5

Story by MC3 Jeremiah Mills