MAY 18, 21 .. YUMA, ARIZONA .. ARMED FORCES PARK

 I am proud that in my immediate family (my father, myself, my two sons) we have served in five of the United States Armed Services.

My father served in the U.S. Coast Guard. I served in the U.S. Marine Corps (enlisted) and the U.S. Navy (commissioned officer), my eldest son served in the U.S. Army and my youngest son served in the U.S. Air Force.

Patti's father and older brother also served in the U.S. Merchant Marine and the U.S. Navy.

As a result, when I am traveling, both here in the United States as well as when I am out of the country, I seek out and visit local memorials to armed services veterans and pay my respects to those who served.

So, when Patti and I visit Yuma, we also visit the Yuma Armed Forces Park.

It is a very pleasant memorial.

The below two photos look back at the above area from across the park. The gray benches (above and below) will orient you to the three photos.

Since I have lived in Yuma, I have considered having a plaque with my name and service dated placed in the Yuma Armed Forces Park. 

With Reverence To Those Who Served ..

Cap and Patti

APR 30, 21 .. YUMA, ARIZONA .. YUMA ARMED FORCES PARK

I am very proud of the fact that, beginning with my father who served in the United States Coast Guard, continuing with myself who served as an enlisted member of the United States Marine Corps and later as a commissioned officer in the United States Navy as a member of the Seabees, then down to my eldest son who served in the United States Army and finally my youngest son who served in the United States Air Force, three generations of my family served honorably in the United States Armed Forces.

As a result, even when outside of the United States, I seek out and visit Military Memorials.

I lived briefly here in Yuma, Arizona, back in late 1963 into early 1964, so visiting the Yuma Armed Forces Park is very special for me.

Finally, I must add that both Patti's father and her eldest brother served honorably in the United States Navy.

Looking back at the above entrance area from within the Park.

Into the Park we now walk.

A beautiful late Spring afternoon here in Yuma, Arizona. 

We salute all who served our nation.

Cap and Patti

OCT 10, 19 .. VLADIVOSTOK .. THE S-56 SUBMARINE MUSEUM

Mentally, I have had this post 'on-my-mind' for over a week.

Can any of you guess what song has been running around and around and around again in my head?

Hint : The Beatles 1966

In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines
So we sailed up to the sun
'Til we found a sea of green
And we lived beneath the waves
In our yellow submarine

We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine
We all live in a yellow submarine
Yellow submarine, yellow submarine

It is hard to single out any attraction in Vladivostok as being very important because our tastes vary so much. As one 'for instance', if you are religious then the churches are of great importance to you. Maybe you would not be interested in a submarine.

So I will quietly point out that Trip Advisor has the S-56 Submarine Museum in its top 10 attractions in Vladivostok.

One of the first attractions that my friend Aleksey suggested to me, as to what I might like to see, was the submarine.

Vladivostok is an ocean port. So having a naval vessel as an attraction certainly fits.

THE S-56 SUBMARINE MUSEUM

If you have read my most recent post about the Vladivostok World War II Memorial (please see the below link)..

http://bobbacaps.blogspot.com/2019/10/oct-7-19-vladivostok-world-war-ii.html

 Then you are already familiar with the S-56 Submarine.

In the next two photos below, do you see the two small buildings that are attached to the submarine?

The farthest building (on the left in the above photo) is the entrance into the submarine. The closest one (see the below photo) is the exit out from the submarine if you choose to take a walk through it.

In the Russian Cyrillic alphabet, the letter 'C' pronounces as 'S'. So C-56 sounds as S-56.

Saturday August 31st was the first really sunny day in Vladivostok in over a week. So my host Aleksey, my hostess Olesya, and I took-off-running about 10AM in the morning so that they could show me all of the Vladivostok attractions that we could fit into the six or so hours that were available to us to sight-see.

By the time we got to the S-56 Submarine I was tired. Olesya asked me if I wanted to go inside the submarine and I sort of 'sighed' and I said, "I don't think so." 

Then thankfully I had the presence-of-mind to ask Olesya, "Would YOU like to go inside?" She shyly replied, "I've never been inside of it!"

Those were the magic words that I needed to hear. After all that Olesya did for me over the two weeks that I was in Vladivostok, the very least that I could do was to treat her to a visit inside of the S-56 Submarine.

THE REST OF THIS STORY

When we got to the ticket counter, Olesya was doing all of the talking in Russian, smiling she turned to me and said.. 

"I get to go for free because I'm your translator!"

Somebody up there sure seems to like me! I am oh-so-happy that we went inside.

The interior of the S-56 Submarine was absolutely immaculate.

The above and below photos give you an idea of the complexity of a submarine.

A very pleasant gift shop at the exit.

It is interesting to note the below plaque shows the crew of the C-55 (not the C-56).

Wow huh?

And?

I think that this will be my final post showing photos of my two week visit to Vladivostok.

How sweet was my visit to Vladivostok. I truly am living a blessed life.

Cap and Patti 

OCT 7, 19 .. VLADIVOSTOK .. WORLD WAR II MEMORIAL

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

Here in Vladivostok, which came first, the S-56 Submarine Museum or the World War II Memorial?

Both of these two memorials certainly embrace WWII. Both are in the same location and both are totally intertwined with one another.

So while I will show several photos of the submarine, my focus in this post will be on the World War II Memorial. I will soon do a post about the submarine.

Now you will see what I mean about them being intertwined.

In the first photo below, on the left is the S-56 Submarine. On the right (where you see 1945) is the World War II Memorial. Up to the right and behind the submarine, you can see the memorial plaques to those who served and died in service to their country.

To the right in the below photo, behind the submarine, are the WWII Memorial Plaques.

Again, this time to the left of the submarine and in the distant background, you see the Memorial Plaques of the WWII Memorial.

Now we will focus on the World War II Memorial.

You enter this end of the memorial by walking past the 'eternal flame'. The 'eternal flame' is in the center of the star.

Below, we are looking straight ahead at the WWII Memorial. Again, in the above and below photos you see the 'eternal flame'.

A close up photo of the anti-aircraft gun you see to the left of 1945 in the above photo.

The 'eternal flame'.

Throughout Russian Siberia, every major WWII Memorial that I visited, an 'eternal flame' was ever present.

1941 - 1945. The years WWII ravaged Russia.

In the background of the above five photos, you can see a beautiful Chapel. Several times during my visit, its bells rang out.

In the background of these two photos, behind the chapel, you can see the Golden Horn Bay Bridge.

Beautiful stone work. 

The plaque you see on the sides of the above two photos.

Photos of the Memorial Wall.

My personal commemorative ribbon was so proud to be here with me.

It has been..

An honor..

A pleasure..

To share my visit to the Vladivostok World War II Memorial with you.

Cap