| Navy League of the United States, Barcelona, Spain Council |
P.O. Box 5126, 08080, Barcelona, Spain Email: barcelonanlus@gmail.com |
| Consul General of the United States in Barcelona Welcomes the USS JFK |
| "En primer lugar, quisiera agradecer a las autoridades españolas por haber hecho posible que la visita del portaaviones John Fitzgerald Kennedy a Tarragona sea un verdadero éxito. El Consulado y la Misión diplomática en España quieren expresar su gratitud especialmente al Capitán Adolfo Contreras de Comandancia Naval, a Joan Miquel Nadal, Alcalde de Tarragona y al Teniente de Alcalde, Albert Vallvé. Todos ellos son unos magníficos anfitriones. Así, que no sorprende que el "Big John" haga su cuarta visita a Tarragona en los últimos siete años. Los catalanes de Tarragona tienen una ciudad espléndida, muy acogedora y llena de tradición, que ha tenido una especial afinidad con el JFK. Y a su vez, este maravilloso barco y su tripulación han devuelto su agradecimiento escogiendo a Tarragona casi como su segundo puerto. De más está decir que el Consulado y nuestra Embajada en Madrid están también agradecidos al Almirante McCullogh y al Capitán FitzPatrick y su personal, particularmente a la Teniente de Navío Leslie Hull-Ryde, por todo el esfuerzo que han realizado al hacer posible esta recepción. Ayer por la mañana el Almirante y el Capitán me recibieron en la sala de oficiales, un espacio impregnado de tradición y dedicado a la memoria del Presidente Kennedy, un líder en los Estados Unidos, cuyo juvenil entusiasmo, vigor y energía están reflejados en la tripulación del JFK - una tripulación llena de hombres y mujeres jóvenes que representan lo mejor de los Estados Unidos. Nuestro equipo en España y yo estamos muy orgullosos de estar asociados a ellos. La visita de JFK muestra una verdad muy importante, y es que las relaciones entre los Estados Unidos y España son sólidas y duraderas. A pesar de los desacuerdos puntuales, somos amigos que compartimos unos valores comunes y un compromiso con la paz y el deseo de un mundo mejor para nosotros mismos y nuestros hijos. Muchas gracias por venir esta noche y que Dios bendiga a Cataluña, España y a los Estados Unidos de América." |
| USS John F. Kennedy - The "Big John" Docks At Tarragona |
| The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier, USS John F. Kennedy, docked in Tarragona November 29-December 4, 2004, and was welcomed by the Navy League of the U.S., Barcelona Council. This is the fourth visit (during the past seven years) the USS John F. Kennedy has made to Tarragona, considering this port almost as their second home port. The vessel and its crew form the centerpiece of the USS John F. Kennedy Strike Group, consisting of an airwing, two cruisers, four destroyers, two attack submarines and a fast combat support ship. More than 5,000 sailors call the carrier home. As a self-contained city, Kennedy has the same amenities as any U.S. city with a comparable population. It has a daily newspaper, radio and television stations, fire department, library, hospital, two general stores, a barbershop and a post office - with its own zip code. U.S. Consul General in Barcelona, Juan Alsace, toasted the crew of the vessel (side bar) during a reception hosted aboard the vessel by the U.S. Consulate on December 1st. Mr. Alsace started the event with an expression of gratitude to the Spanish and Catalan authorities for making the JFK's visit possible. He told of his meeting that morning within the confines of the officers' quarters, in a room filled with momentos of tradition dedicated to the memory of President John F. Kennedy, how the spirit of this youthful, vigorous and energetic leader was embodied by the crew of the ship that bears his name. |
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| On board these floating mobile airports seven different types of aircraft land and launch. During flight operations, the flight deck vibrates with intense activity. The crew and equipment work as a well-rehearsed, carefully choreographed team. The various functions of the flight deck crew are identified by the colors they wear: yellow for deck officers, catapult officers and aircraft directors; purple for fuel handlers; green for catapult and arresting gear crews; red for crash and salvage teams and ordnance personnel; and white for quality assurance or safety personnel. Support facilities are essential to the operational success of a carrier. A carrier includes several specialized shops – electronic shops for communications, avionics and navigation equipment and repair shops to maintain all types of machinery. Behind all these shops and services are the seamen, airmen, petty officers, chief petty officers and officers, who, through professionalism and commitment, make it all happen. |
| The ship's seal based on the coat of arms of the Kennedy and Fitzgerald families. These ancient symbols represent the stability that stems from tradition. Modern symbols have been incorporated to show the progress that stems from innovations. Both stability and progress were notable characteristics of the policies of President John F. Kennedy, and are essential to the continued accomplishment of their mission. The black shield with three gold helmets are the traditional coat of arms of the O'Kennedy of the Ormonde. The helmets represent the original Gaelic word from Kennedy, Ceinneide, which means, "helmeted head." The red and white borders are the colors of Fitzgerald of Desmond. |
| Big John serves as one of the United States' most flexible tools of diplomacy. When a crisis erupts anywhere in the world and threatens U.S. interests, a carrier strike group is generally less than 48 hours away. It serves as a highly visible deterrent to would-be aggressors. If deterrence should fail, then the carrier and its strike group offer the most versatile and powerful weapons systems in the world. |
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| USS JOHN F. KENNEDY - CV67 - "Big John" |
| Above the shield is the single helmet crowned with a wreath of the Kennedy colors: black and gold, flanked by the red and white mantel in Fitzgerald colors, symbolic of courage. The crest of the coat of arms is a mailed forearm, holding a sheaf of arrows and framed by olive branches, symbolizing power and peace. The bottlenose dolphins holding the banner at the bottom are traditional symbols of the sea and seaman. They represent freedom to roam the seas, freedom essential to progress in the world community. Dolphins are friends of man, but deadly enemies of aggressors. The shamrock-shaped banner symbolizes good luck, President Kennedy's Irish ancestry and our ties with Ireland. Written on the banner in Latin is the ship's motto, Date Nolite Rogare, which means "Give, be unwilling to ask." The phrase represents the spirit of President Kennedy's inaugural address and specifically the famous line: "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country..." The wings are symbols not only of Kennedy's air power, but also of progress and the freedom to roam the skies. Stars representing the 50 states surround the shield. A 51st star, the topmost in the seal, represents the high state of readiness sought by Kennedy. When Kennedy receives the Navy "E" for efficiency, this top star will be gold in color. |
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| Mr. Alsace went on to tell the audience how the visit of the USS JFK demonstrates an important truth -- that despite occasional discords, the friendship between the United States and Spain is based on shared values and a commitment to Peace, with a desire for a better world for ourselves and for our children, and that the ties between our two countries remain strong and lasting. God bless Catalunya, Spain, and the U.S.A. The following day, a personalized tour of the vessel was given to the Council and our special guests, a group of students from the American School in Barcelona. They were able to experience first-hand what life is like aboard a floating city and the structure of the naval environment. Our thanks to Ms. Ettie Zilber, Director of ASB, for bringing her students all the way to Tarragona! |
| More photos on our Council Photo Album |
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| The American School in Barcelona on a field trip to the USS John F. Kennedy during its port call in Tarragona. |
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