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Crewmen of USS Louisville enjoy Saipan trip
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Posted on Oct 30 2005
Crewmembers of Los Angeles class attack submarine USS Louisville enjoyed their first trip to Saipan, according to its commander David W. Kirk.
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce and Triple J Five Star Wholesale Foods gave Kirk and some of his 140 crewmen a special island-style dinner Friday night at the Pacific Islands Club.
The commander said the side trip was purely for recreation. The USS Louisville arrived last Wednesday with the Military Veterans Affairs Office and the Marianas Visitors Authority giving Kirk and his crewmembers a full tropical island welcome.
“It’s my first time on the island,” said Kirk, adding that it is also his crewmen’s first to be in the Northern Mariana Islands. “This is a well-deserved liberty [call] for my men.”
Kirk said he found the diving spots in the CNMI “tremendously fantastic” and simply one of the best diving areas he has seen in the world. Kirk, who has been diving since 1986, said the Grotto has a well-deserved reputation as one of the best diving area in the world.
Chamber president Alex Sablan presented a plaque of appreciation to the USS Louisville crew at the PIC Seaside Grill. Associate Judge David Wiseman, MVAO executive officer Ruth Coleman, Triple J Five Star Wholesale Foods, and Coca-Cola Beverage Co. Micronesia sales and marketing director Kathryn Barry also welcomed the visiting sailors.
Kirk in return presented a plaque of appreciation for the hospitality given to them by the Chamber and the sponsors.
USS Louisville docked on Saipan after its five-and-a-half month deployment to the Western Pacific. The ship’s homeport is in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Kirk and crew will set sail this morning.
USS Louisville is the 37th Los Angeles class attack submarine and the 21st ship in that class built by Electric Boat. The submarine is the fourth ship in the Navy to bear the name. (Marconi Calindas)
