Sunday, August 15, 2010

If History happens and no one remembers, did it ever really happen?

My wife and I ate lunch yesterday on the cuise ship MS Rotterdam of the Holland America line. She was docked at Pier 91 in Seattle, former site of US Navy Base Seattle. While I was there, I shot some photos of the USS Green Bay LPD-20 getting under way and heading north. It was a hazy day, so the first shot is much hazier than we'd all prefer, but just imagine it clear in your mind:



As she headed west she became less back lit and stood out in better detail:



However, as I researched to provide some extra information in this post, it became apparent that Navy Base Seattle has been largely forgotten; The first two hits were from images I sent to Navsource some time ago, such as their LST-817 page showing the ship loading for the invasion of Okinawa.

In fact, it's not until you start looking for Smith Cove that you really start finding information out, such as that the house I shot below is known as the Admiral's House:



Looking South from the "Lido Deck" (deck 8) stern, we had a great view of the bulk carrier Tian Du Feng loading grain at the Port of Seattle 'Bulk Marine Terminal':



Other than my wife's iPod disappearing aboard ship, it was a pleasurable morning.

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