Salvaging The Grounded Ship
Whidbey remained aground off the east coast of Yap, with no hope in sight until the afternoon of Christmas Day, when USS Tawakoni hove in sight at 1229. After spending the afternoon in trying to pull Whidbey off the reef, Tawakoni secured salvage operations that evening, but resumed them the next morning. Ultimately, Tawakoni succeeded in her task, towing Whidbey approximately 22 feet (6.7 m) and moving her astern on the 27th. On the 28th, the fleet tug set out for Guam at 1836 with the crippled auxiliary in tow. The little convoy arrived safely at Guam on the afternoon of the 31st.
Once repaired, Whidbey received a new task—a humanitarian mission. In an effort to look into the health and welfare of the inhabitants of all of the populated islands within the two and one-half million square miles of the Trust Territory, the Navy began a medical survey of those isles in 1948.
Read more about this topic: USS Whidbey (AG-141)
Famous quotes containing the words grounded and/or ship:
“I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
—Bible: New Testament, Ephesians 3:16-19.
“The human heart is like a ship on a stormy sea driven about by winds blowing from all four corners of heaven.”
—Martin Luther (1483–1546)