This morning we visited the USS Spruance which is in San Francisco for Fleet Week. The ships gunnery officer, she’s the one in charge of the 5-inch gun behind Peabody, guided us through the ship which is the Navy’s newest guided missile destroyer. Most of the crew was on shore leave which gave us the opportunity to visit the Combat Information Center, the heart of the Spruance’s operations. It’s tight and dark with seat-belted chairs and monitors everywhere. Two big screens provide a video feed from the deck. It reminded us of the screen from Star Trek’s Enterprise. The mess hall holds the bell from the original Spruance, a destroyer that served from 1973-2005. Babies born to crew members can be baptized in the bell. We’ll be looking out for the Spruance as she raises anchor and heads out under the Golden Gate Bridge tomorrow. And if you wondered what the proper procedures for abandoning ship are, read this ship’s sign.
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