Slight Boasting Time

[Vince Brennan]

Pardon me while I qvell a moment, but one of my bellropes has just been chosen for permanent attachment to the ship's bell of the USS NICHOLAS (DD/DDE 449) (http://www.ussnicholas.org/index.html). The NICHOLAS was named for the first Commandant of the U. S. Marine Corps and the bell was used by the Marines at their headquarters at "8th and Eye" in Washington, DC, from her decommissioning in 1970 until the bell developed a hairline crack in 1997. The bell is being repaired and will be permanently mounted at the Marine HQ as an indoor display to honour the first Commandant, the ship and the men who "went in harm's way" aboard her thru three wars. When decommissioned, NICHOLAS was the most decorated ship in the U. S. Navy with thirty battle stars.

Quite an honour for me!

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/12inchNicholas/100_4202-mod-L.jpg

(Slight curvature IS due to the camera, indeed. Thanks, Pete!)

[StevenBauer]

A well deserved honor. :)


Steven

[J. Dillon]

Congratulations indeed Vince. :D That is an honor. I think ya should be invited to go down to DC and sprinkle a little salt and champagne on it.;)

JD

[Vince Brennan]

I have been invited to attend the ceremony and only "automotive incapacitance" will prevent me.

Thanks to all. It's nice being recognized in this way.

[jimmy lee]

Congratulations! Vince. Well done Mate.

[Hwyl]

Da iawn

[Hwyl]

Da iawn

[S/V Laura Ellen]

Congratulations Vince!

[davidagage]

An honour indeed, well done Vince!

[Mrleft8]

....And I can say "I knew him when..." :D

[C. Ross]

Congratulations Vince!

[ChrisBen]

Congrats Vince, quite the honor indeed.

[The Bigfella]

Fabulous. Well done Vince.

[Lew Barrett]

Nice bell rope, Vince! They did well in selecting it.

[paladin]

Congrats, Sir....

[Bill R]

Congratulations!

[Canoez]

Vince,

Congratulations! A well-earned honor.

[Gary Bergman]

Attaboy, mate!..nice work..

[Robbie 2]

Congratulations....nice looking workmanship.

[rbgarr]

Made in America!

[Russ Manheimer]

Thanks for letting us know; great job Vince. We're all proud of you.

Russ

[Nanoose]

Congratulations, and beautiful work, Vince. Wonderful.

[htom]

Congratulations, and well done, indeed.

[Vince Brennan]

Thanks to all and especially thanks to Scot for the "sticky"... I feel as honoured by that as by the selection!

[Jim Ledger]

Well deserved, Vince. Congratulations.

[Hughman]

Kudos, Vince! Well deserved. :)

[Phil Heffernan]

Thanks for letting us know; great job Vince. We're all proud of you.

Russ

Ya, what he said!

PH;)

[Concordia...41]

Yes sir! Amen to all of the above! Congratulations!

- Margo & Sarah :)

[FSS172]

Yes, congratulations. And thanks, too, for teaching me a new word. Your 'qvellage' is quite justified. Way to go!

[Nanoose]

Bravo Zulu indeed...

Dave

[rufustr]

Very special.

Congratulations.

Rufus.

[Captain Blight]

That's cool. That's really really cool. Good for you.

[Ed Harrow]

Congrats, Vince, that's quite an honor IMOO.

[Larks]

Congratulations Vince. BTW, I kept hearing this song while reading through this thread: "You can ring my bae..ae.ell, you can ring my bell, my bell, ring my bell!!!" Probably written with a different intent in mind but if the rope fits, hey.....

[Kasey]

That's a real purty ringer, Vince - I hope you're able to get pictures of it when you go to see them put up the bell.

Very nice - Thank you for letting us be a part of it.

[Vince Brennan]

Replacement:http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/12inchNicholas/Replacement/100_4226.jpg

Since USPS seems to have lost the first one in Albany somewhere....

A lotta good tracking numbers are when they don't scan the packages except for origin and destination offices!

[Hwyl]

Replacement:

Since USPS seems to have lost the first one in Albany somewhere....


I expect and hope it wll turn up in my mail box.

[The Bigfella]

Since USPS seems to have lost the first one in Albany somewhere....

I'll put in a good word for them. I buy a lot of car parts from the US - one $600 shipment had my normal address on it, correct all the way down to the state level, but instead of Australia, the supplier put "Namibia" on it. Would you believe it eventually got here! My last order went in to the US supplier last Wednesday and was here on Monday morning (Sunday US time). Good old USPS.

[WX]

I dips me lid mate:D Looks good.

[Andrew Craig-Bennett]

Magnificent, and a great honour.

[PeterSibley]

Well done Vince , beautiful work !

[Vince Brennan]

Upshot of ceremony... quite nice, with most of the surviving crew at hand to witness it.

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/12inchNicholas/Replacement/100_4285-med.jpg

Mounting the bellrope with Dave McComb (Pres. of Destroyer History Foundation)

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/12inchNicholas/Replacement/100_4286-med.jpg

(OK, where did I put that marlinspike?)

http://www.frayedknotarts.com/images/bellropes/12inchNicholas/Replacement/composite-L.jpg
Composite of bell and rope.

The Marines were greatly gratified.

[J. Dillon]

Vince , Looks great but who struck the first note ?;)

JD

[Hwyl]

Nice job. (not so sure about the attire)

[Spin_Drift]

Beautiful bellrope.

Congratulations, it is quite an honor...:)

[Vince Brennan]

Nice job. (not so sure about the attire)

First time I've worn a noose since 1992. Suit has shrunk considerably. Funny how that happens when they hang a long time. Used to fit nicely.

Ah well.

[J. Dillon]

Vince, I hope ya tightened that shackle or applied some kind of "lock tite" to it ?;) Otherwise it the bell rope might "wander " off.:(

JD

[Vince Brennan]

Vince, I hope ya tightened that shackle or applied some kind of "lock tite" to it ?;) Otherwise it the bell rope might "wander " off.:(

JD

Spent about ten minutes with the Gunny Sgt and the P.A.O. explaining that they needed to mouse the pin to prevent the bellrope going "U.A." on them and was assured it will be done. Plan on "goosing" them again this week to remind them both.

One funny story from the day...

The First Gunnery Officer on board the Nicholas (an Academy graduate in 1941, I think) is now in his '90's and had a hard time getting around down at the ceremony, but at one point, surrounded by the new Commanding Officer of Marine Barracks and a small shoal of other high-ranking Marines and other dignitaries, he rather loudly enquired, "Does the Navy still call these guys (the Marines) 'Sea-going Bellhops'?"

Now, most Marines have fairly red necks from the sun to start with, but you could see the red line heading upwards on just about every leathery neck there for a minute! They were quite nice about it and while the P.A.O. just gently informed him that Marines no longer answered to such sobriquets, the Gunny and Corporal of the Guard managed to get the bayonet away from the other Marine, so he was safe.