thedrifter
11-09-08, 07:03 AM
Fallsnewspress.com
Veteran makes triumphant return to the Intrepid
by Mike Lesko
Stow Sentry Associate Editor
Stow -- The legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, which was in its heyday during World War II, returned to the spotlight Oct. 2.
The vessel, which survived five kamikaze attacks -- more than any other aircraft carrier in U.S. history -- was majestically towed along the Hudson River -- past the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center site -- after a $115 million makeover.
Stow's Dick Munnings, who served on the vessel for two years in the mid-1950s, was on board that day along with about 250 other veterans.
"I went to the front of the ship, closed my eyes and felt like I was 19 again," he said. "Back then, I saw half the world, and it didn't cost me a dime."
His wife, Nydia, was on a ship that followed the Intrepid down the river as people cheered.
"It really was a great New York welcome," she said.
The aircraft carrier, which was first launched in 1943, was reopened to the public Nov. 8 in Manhattan.
Years ago, it picked up astronauts who landed in the water after their flights. It was the vessel that unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate John McCain flew off of before he was captured as a prisoner of war.
"It has a lot of history," Munnings said.
Munnings, who became a corporal in the U.S. Marines, was there from 1954 to 1956 to witness part of that history. He spent one of those years serving in the Mediterranean Sea area.
A monstrous vessel
When Munnings served on the vessel, there were 3,000 sailors and 82 Marines on board. He was fortunate that he did not have to serve during war time.
"The first time I saw the Intrepid, I said, 'It's huge. I'll never find my way around.'"
As he spoke, Munnings held in his hands a photograph of the monstrous 38,900-ton vessel. More than five decades earlier, he had sent the photo to his parents.
On the back of the picture, he wrote: "Mom and Dad, I will have a lot of walking to do."
Munnings was a special weapons guard aboard the Intrepid.
"We had a lot of duties on the ship," he said. "We used leftover coffee grounds to shine the floors of the ship underneath the buffers."
Munnings, 73, had memorable experiences.
He was one of six Marines kicked out of a bullfight in Spain.
"The bull was half dead before they started, so we olayed the bull and booed the matador," he said. "That was a no-no."
Munnings was talented enough to play basketball on the vessel's team.
"Every time we hit a port in the Mediterranean, we played teams in Europe," he said.
He was on board the Intrepid off the coast of Monaco when famed movie actress Grace Kelly was married there.
Munnings said the limit for serving on the vessel was two years.
"It was heartbreaking when it was all over," he said. "I really didn't want to get off."
'A whole new lifestyle'
Munnings grew up in Cleveland and attended East High School. At age 19, he volunteered to join the Marines, which is how he met his future wife, Nydia Acevedo, who grew up in the Bronx.
After signing up, he trained in Paris Island, S.C.
"They told us to duck walk to the bus," he said. "A drill instructor said to us, 'Your soul belongs to God. But for the next 13 weeks, your rear end belongs to me.
"I said, 'What did I do to deserve this?'" he said. "It was a whole new lifestyle, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. A young boy became a man. I'm very proud that I was a Marine."
His wife added, "The Marines did a great job. I never have to clean up after him."
He and Nydia got married 52 years ago and have three grown children -- Mark, who lives in Willowick, Linda House, who resides in Stow, and Kevin, who is in Fort Myers, Fla. -- and seven grandchildren.
They lived in Euclid from 1960 to 2000 and moved to Stow eight years ago.
As a young man, Munnings loved to play softball.
"He promised me diamonds," wife Nydia said with a smile. "I didn't know they would be softball diamonds."
Munnings, who worked as a truck driver for East Ohio Gas, is retired today, but memories of his days on the Intrepid are never far away.
He held up a copy of the New York Daily News, in which he was featured in an article about his journey to New York last month to board the Intrepid one more time.
"It was a great feeling," he said.
E-mail: mlesko@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3917
Ellie
Veteran makes triumphant return to the Intrepid
by Mike Lesko
Stow Sentry Associate Editor
Stow -- The legendary aircraft carrier Intrepid, which was in its heyday during World War II, returned to the spotlight Oct. 2.
The vessel, which survived five kamikaze attacks -- more than any other aircraft carrier in U.S. history -- was majestically towed along the Hudson River -- past the Statue of Liberty and the World Trade Center site -- after a $115 million makeover.
Stow's Dick Munnings, who served on the vessel for two years in the mid-1950s, was on board that day along with about 250 other veterans.
"I went to the front of the ship, closed my eyes and felt like I was 19 again," he said. "Back then, I saw half the world, and it didn't cost me a dime."
His wife, Nydia, was on a ship that followed the Intrepid down the river as people cheered.
"It really was a great New York welcome," she said.
The aircraft carrier, which was first launched in 1943, was reopened to the public Nov. 8 in Manhattan.
Years ago, it picked up astronauts who landed in the water after their flights. It was the vessel that unsuccessful U.S. presidential candidate John McCain flew off of before he was captured as a prisoner of war.
"It has a lot of history," Munnings said.
Munnings, who became a corporal in the U.S. Marines, was there from 1954 to 1956 to witness part of that history. He spent one of those years serving in the Mediterranean Sea area.
A monstrous vessel
When Munnings served on the vessel, there were 3,000 sailors and 82 Marines on board. He was fortunate that he did not have to serve during war time.
"The first time I saw the Intrepid, I said, 'It's huge. I'll never find my way around.'"
As he spoke, Munnings held in his hands a photograph of the monstrous 38,900-ton vessel. More than five decades earlier, he had sent the photo to his parents.
On the back of the picture, he wrote: "Mom and Dad, I will have a lot of walking to do."
Munnings was a special weapons guard aboard the Intrepid.
"We had a lot of duties on the ship," he said. "We used leftover coffee grounds to shine the floors of the ship underneath the buffers."
Munnings, 73, had memorable experiences.
He was one of six Marines kicked out of a bullfight in Spain.
"The bull was half dead before they started, so we olayed the bull and booed the matador," he said. "That was a no-no."
Munnings was talented enough to play basketball on the vessel's team.
"Every time we hit a port in the Mediterranean, we played teams in Europe," he said.
He was on board the Intrepid off the coast of Monaco when famed movie actress Grace Kelly was married there.
Munnings said the limit for serving on the vessel was two years.
"It was heartbreaking when it was all over," he said. "I really didn't want to get off."
'A whole new lifestyle'
Munnings grew up in Cleveland and attended East High School. At age 19, he volunteered to join the Marines, which is how he met his future wife, Nydia Acevedo, who grew up in the Bronx.
After signing up, he trained in Paris Island, S.C.
"They told us to duck walk to the bus," he said. "A drill instructor said to us, 'Your soul belongs to God. But for the next 13 weeks, your rear end belongs to me.
"I said, 'What did I do to deserve this?'" he said. "It was a whole new lifestyle, but it was the best thing that ever happened to me. A young boy became a man. I'm very proud that I was a Marine."
His wife added, "The Marines did a great job. I never have to clean up after him."
He and Nydia got married 52 years ago and have three grown children -- Mark, who lives in Willowick, Linda House, who resides in Stow, and Kevin, who is in Fort Myers, Fla. -- and seven grandchildren.
They lived in Euclid from 1960 to 2000 and moved to Stow eight years ago.
As a young man, Munnings loved to play softball.
"He promised me diamonds," wife Nydia said with a smile. "I didn't know they would be softball diamonds."
Munnings, who worked as a truck driver for East Ohio Gas, is retired today, but memories of his days on the Intrepid are never far away.
He held up a copy of the New York Daily News, in which he was featured in an article about his journey to New York last month to board the Intrepid one more time.
"It was a great feeling," he said.
E-mail: mlesko@recordpub.com
Phone: 330-686-3917
Ellie