Today I received the confirmation of my new sets of orders.
I'll be attaching to the LHD 1 "USS WASP" based out of Norfolk, Virginia. The first and flag-ship of the Wasp-Class amphibious cruisers.
I'm definitely excited by this, and I'll be finally coming back to the mainland, even if only to be attached to a ship. I'll be closer to my cousins, aunts, uncles, newborn niece, and older brother.
Part of a fine tradition... My grandfather served briefly on the Wasp as CV-7 before it was lost in '42, then they moved to the Hornet CV-12, then his unit was redesignated VB-17 and assigned to the Bunker Hill CV-17 in late '43, then back to the Wasp CV-18 for a brief stint in '45.
This picture was of VB-17, when they were leaving California, they got new planes, SB2C Helldivers to replace the old SBD Dauntless'. The plane designated 17-B-3 was the squadron leader, LtCmdr. James "Moe" Vose, the man in the backseat manning the twin .30cals was my grandfather, SCPO William E. Stucker.
