USS Cole: Visible Symbol of American Resilience

Photography by Mike's America.

This past weekend, the USS Cole visited nearby Savannah, Georgia.

Readers may recall that the Cole was attacked by Al Queda terrorists in Yemen, killing seventeen sailors and injuring more than thirty. The attack occured in October 2000, in a chain of ever more deadly attacks which led to September 11th.

The attack occured while Bill Clinton, the great peacemaker between Israel and Palestine, was still in office and well before George Bush liberated Iraq. Muther Sheehan might prefer you not focus on that historical context.

The Savannah paper displayed a rather unfortunate photograph, showing a salute to the USS Cole from a Confederate cannon as it passed Old Fort Jackson. The image, while appealing on a visual level, superimposes the blast from the cannon too close for my taste to the area of the Cole damaged by that terrorist attack. More photos on the Cole recovery here.

Since Al Queda failed to sink the Cole and kill many more Americans, it remains a target. Considering that reality, the ship was docked in Savannah more than five hundred feet from any public access and patroled on the water by boats. I would have put it front and center on famous River Street and conducted tours.

But this is the world we live in.

I was able to greet a few of the Cole's crew and extend the thanks of Mike's America readers grateful for the service and sacrifice that these sailors embody. No doubt they enjoyed the hospitality of Savannah.

Sailor Perez, pictured above, is from the Engineering Department of the Cole. If you look at the photos of Cole damage following the attack, you understand that his department took the biggest hit from the terrorist attack.

God bless the USS Cole and all you sail on her. Mike's America supports you, and your mission. We here are committed to making sure you have the tools and political support to do your job to make this nation safer and more free!

Long may she sail!