Richmond Hosts Memorable Final Visit for Tornado Crew

Sea Power, Nov 2004 by Atkinson, Peter E

From the "Ghost Fleet" and the movie production with its ancient sailing ships to the pleasure boat in distress and a welcome from Jimmy Dean in Richmond, Va., the USS Tornado'?, final visit as a Navy coastal patrol vessel is one its crew is not likely to forget.

The Richmond, Va., Council hosted the visit as a show of appreciation to the Tornado, which was transferred to the Coast Guard in September. Its 28member crew subsequently transferred to another coast patrol vessel, USS Whirlwind.

The visit offered a rare chance for council members - and the community - to see one of the council's four adopted ships in their own backyard, and gave the Tornado crew the opportunity to enjoy a leisurely cruise up the James River before docking at the Intermediate Terminal near downtown Richmond. There, the crew - which had returned from a six-month deployment aboard the USS Chinook in the Persian Gulf earlier this year - and some local Navy recruits were treated to a barbecue by the council and a gathering of well-wishers.

"It was a good all-around trip for them," said council President Joseph A. Moschetti. "It was a chance for them to unwind and enjoy themselves, and it was a fun way for us to say thanks to them. They already want to know if they can come back with the Whirlwind, which would be great, because we don't get to do these very often."

The James River is too shallow in Richmond to accommodate the council's other adopted ships - USCGC Northland, the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy and the dock landing ship USS Carter Hall. The Tornado visited once previously, two years ago.

Traveling from Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek in Norfolk, Va., the crew, a group of Richmond Navy Leaguers and Sea Cadets cruised for seven hours up the James in midAugust, passing the Maritime Administration's "Ghost Fleet" of ships moored for long-term storage near Fort Eustis, and a trio of nthcentury-style sailing ships being used in the film "The New World." The movie, which was being shot in and around the river over the summer, documents the settling of Jamestown.

Along the way, the Tornado helped render assistance to a family whose boat was adrift after its engine failed, hailing a Game & Inland Fisheries officer to give the boat a tow to get the engine repaired. As it turned out, the boat's owner was a one-time Sea Cadet, Moschetti said.

Upon reaching Richmond, the Tornado was greeted by about 200 Navy Leaguers and area residents who lined the terminal dock. Among them was entertainer and breakfast food entrepreneur Jimmy Dean, whose home is located on the James River, in Henrico County.

"When the Tornado made its first trip to Richmond in August 2002, I pointed out Jimmy's house," Moschetti said. "The first question that was asked when we started planning this trip was, 'Do you think we can meet Jimmy Dean?' A phone call was made, and Jimmy and [his wife] Donna took part in welcoming the ship and crew to Richmond. He spent a lot of time with the crew talking with them and taking pictures."

The event was several months in the making for the Richmond Council, which had just the one previous visit to go by for planning purposes. But with coordination among membership for the reception and accommodating crew members for the night, before the return trip the next day, and good rapport among the council, the city and the dock master, the visit went off without a hitch.

When it comes to successful ship visits, experience definitely comes in handy.

"The more you do it, the better you get," said Faye Eson, Santa Barbara, Calif., Council vice president for public affairs. "Once you come up with a model that works, stick with it. We have a good template we follow."

The Santa Barbara Council has hosted nearly 20 ship visits during the last several years, including USCGC Aspen, the attack submarine USS Greeneville and the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln. The USS Ronald Reagan, which the council has adopted, is scheduled to visit in early December.

"We have done it enough so we know what sailors like and how to educate the community and get them involved," Eson said. "They key is you always want the sailors to feel welcome and make sure they have fun."

Along with arranging for crews to participate in athletic events with local teams or inviting them to special events such as the annual Harbor & Seafood Festival in Santa Barbara, the council encourages community members to "adopt" a sailor by hosting him or her in their home or taking them to lunch or dinner and local businesses to offer discounts to show gratitude for their service.

The Pacific Central Region, which comprises more than 20 councils in Central and Northern California and Nevada, has a region-wide greeting program for ships visiting the area. Individuals from various councils pool their efforts to ensure the ships' crews feel welcome and are able to enjoy themselves while ashore, providing items such as maps, newspapers, golf balls, city guides, entertainment brochures and discount coupons for distribution to the crew, said Santa Clara Valley Council member and San Francisco Area President Michele H. Lockwood.