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Community Corner

A Three Hour Tour, a Three Hour Tour...of a Carrier

As part of Navy Week, the public's been invited to visit USS Abraham Lincoln but it's a good long wait yet roomy once you're aboard.

It’s only 10 a.m. on a Thursday during Navy Week and there is already a two-hour wait to embark on the USS Abraham Lincoln as part of the free self-guided tours put on by the Port of Los Angeles and the Navy.

The free tours attracted a large number of families and proud Americans across the board. This week, the public has the chance to explore the following ships: USS Lincoln, USS Princeton, USS Chafee, and USS Champion.

The tours began Tuesday and will go on until Sunday, July 31.

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John Lopez, a resident of Hacienda Heights on his way to lunch in Belmont Shore after the tour, brought along his 6-year-old grandson to see the USS Lincoln, because neither had ever been on a boat before. “I wanted to show him what this is all about. He’ll never forget this experience,” Lopez said.

Once inside the USS Lincoln, one could walk around on a level below the flight deck. Sailors were positioned at various spots to explain the different equipment on display. The public could, for example, ask a sailor about fire-fighting gear, about the Hornet strike fighter jet engine, and about ammunition.

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Visitors who wanted to explore the flight deck had to brace themselves for a mini-ride on the platform elevator that carries aircraft. The sailors told everyone on the platform to have a wide stance and to prepare for “a little jump.”

Within seconds, everyone was on the 4.5-acre flight deck.

Various aircraft were parked on the flight deck, such as a Hornet, part of the Strike Fighter Squadron VFA-151 and a helicopter, part of the “Saberhawks” squadron. The naval aviators on the flight deck captivated the attention of civilians by going into depth about their experiences with the aircraft. Children and adults took pictures with the sailors.

Navy Week ends Sunday and with the end of Navy Week comes the end of the tours.

Visit http://www.portoflosangeles.org/pdf/Navy_Week_LA-Flier_Final.pdf for a schedule of the upcoming tours.

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