USS Constellation CV-64 bound for San Diego

By Nathan McLaughlin: Months prior to Sept. 11, 2001, I deployed out of San Diego, Calif., to the Middle East to support various military programs. I was able to invite my dad to meet me and the ship in Hawaii on the way home, called a Tiger Cruise. My father, among many other parents, arrived by a Navy-chartered flight from North Island Naval Base to Honolulu, Hawaii. He arrived on Sept. 7, 2001. After touring around the island for two days, we set sail eastbound and down for San Diego.

I was working my normal watch duties on Sept. 11, 2001, out in the Pacific Ocean between Hawaii and San Diego and realized what had happened. The ship decided to load back on all the ordinance in the event we were directed to turn around and head back to the Middle East, considering we were the "Ready Carrier." All the USO shows were cancelled.

We did nothing but operate as though we were preparing for war. TVs were all tuned to the news, and we were planning for an attack on our ship from Al Qaeda. We were scheduled to pull into port on Sept. 15, 2001, but we sailed faster to surprise everyone and got into town the prior night so that we could deter any potential attack.

It was strange not being greeted by anyone at all. There were no balloons and parties, nor dress whites and parades. I walked off the ship with my dad and prepared to go back to fight a war.

I will never forget having my dad on board the ship on that day; it's something to be proud of.  If you asked my dad, he would have wanted to sail with the ship all the way back to the Middle East and take care of business.