 GUESTBOOK
COMMENTS FOR
ALL OTHER
OAKLAND
VISITORS
 MY CHOICE of
BEST SITES!!!
Yours is packed with
education and I love it!
I was getting an
avalanche of requests from really nice people wanting an award
button.
(Kinda has me little frazzled out...so, last night, I decided to give
the Veterans for a
Change button to anyone who wants one.) I will
continue to link
all sites who email me that they took a button...but I am changing some pages in my homepage. It is so nice to get all this nice, encouraging email...... For my special butterfly kiss award...I picked the monarch butterfly because that is (my homestate) Illinois' state butterfly. I also like it's migration history. It is pretty too. Giving it from my heart to people who have such lovely sites that touch my heart. You have a wonderful, unique and refreshing site. Please accept this butterfly kiss award. I am giving this ONLY to VERY SELECT sites. You do like butterfly kisses? don't you? hee hee! The quote on the bottom of the .jpg is one of mine. I used this quote each of the past 7 years on my camp fliers when I had "Critter Camp" at my rural home for little children ages 3 to 8...... I LOVE NATURE with a passion! I have given and received a few butterfly kisses in my lifetime. It's these "small" joys in life ~ like butterfly kisses ~ that one needs to always remember, cherish and share. Enjoy PAUL! Your friend... Laura Veterans for a Change Wow, What a site. Those
gun cruisers
were something else. I remember the Little Rock, Boston and the
Springfield but the gun cruisers are gone now. I am a
retired Tin Can Sailor but these beauties have a special place in any sailors heart. Bravo Zulu!! JohnC. Benware MMCS(SW) U.S. Navy(Retired) Hey ol' timer,
I stumbled across your page and I can appreciate the personal touch. Some of those (Navy) medals you have displayed look just like the one my grandpa gave to me. I'm always interested in hearing first hand stories from gentlemen from that particular era, and never tired of the stories my grandpa told me throughout the years. I'm grateful for the sacrifices made by your generation for the benefit of mine, and though no one really sees the correalation between those events and their impact on events today, I see the affects everyday. U.S Navy (well, Naval history in general) has always appealled to me, and I'll fondly carry on the memories and stories of my grandpa's 21 years of naval service; from Pearl Harbor on board the CA New Orleans, through VJ-Day on CV Essex, to the Korean War On CV Bon Homme Richard. It is essential that the experiences from your generation be passed along, and your web site is just the right vehicle, keep it up! Quinn Bracken, (Proud grandson of CWO C.S. Bracken, 1920-92) You have a wonderfully designed web page and look forward to seeing future updates you may have. I was a GMG2 by the time I got out of the Navy, My wife is an RM2 and is still active duty. Take care and best wishes! Beau Champion Paul, from one Gunners
Mate to another, you have an outstanding site here. You must
put a heck of a lot of time in just maintaining it, let alone what it
took you to develop
it. I, for one, appreciate your efforts to keep the
naval tradition alive. Keep up the great work!
Tom Bateman USS Preble DDG-46 (DLG-15) Sir, I have visited your
site and feel it ranks among the best Navy sites on the net.
Please except this humble award for the "USS Oakland" web site.. "Eyes
of a Sailor Veterans
Gold". Thank you for all you are doing for
American veterans everywhere.
Yours.. Jim Moran "Eyes of a Sailor - USS Juneau LPD-10" Thu, 4 Jun 1998
From: Circle of Light circle@Circle-of-Light.com> Paul, I went and visited your site and YES I would be honored for you and your site to receive my award. I do choose a recipient twice a month. So I am going to list you as recipient of the award for June 15th. Paul, I want to share with you that I am an Army brat - both father (Col) and mother (1st Lt). My mom was in the med corp and dad in the 5th Calvary. He was wounded in Italy in WWII, lost the lower left arm and took shrapple metal in the stomach. He met my mom in the VA hospital in San Antonio, Tx, which is where I was conceived though was born on Ft. Custer in Battle Creek, MI in Percy Jones Hospital (another VA hospital) Thus I tell everybody I am both Yankee and Rebel. Then I married the XO of the Navy Seal Team I, but lost him in Viet Nam back in 71. I do have a great daughter from him that was born 4 months after we lost him. She is now in Colorado Springs, CO as of last Feb. Okay, enough. Thank you so much for requesting the award. I am deeply honored to be associated with you and your site. Blessings to you. Light, Cassandra Tue, 9 Jun 1998
I have not seen an exhibit of history, patriotism, and devotion to the profession of arms equivalent to your work. As my daddy told me, "Anyone that starts out life with a dixie cup on his head can't be all bad." Ed Maloney, Lt Colonel, US Army (Retired) Hi Paul;
I went through those pages and I must say they were outstanding!! I applaud you for the memorials you gave the men and ships. I have decided with your permission to put links on my cruiser pages to yours. I have knowledge of the specs and histories but I just am not able to put as much detailed info as you can about these ships. Thanks....Guy Derdall Paul,
What a beautiful tribute you have created. I know it took countless hours. I like the way you listed the names in black with that tiny gold star. I also like the water gif you put on with Shirley Lane's award. I like the way you used the rosedew and made it smaller too. You do these men great honor by listing them and letting people like ME, who had NO education about them or their fate, learn. It is sad tho to see so many parish. Paul, how long have you been on computer doing website? You sure have a remarkable talent and pull this VAST amount of information together in such a respectful and beautiful fashion. *hug* I am still in your website, just visited the Juneau and Atlanta so far now. Don't mind me wondering around. I should be working on my website, but think I will just surf tonight. I am far behind on my postings....Love you...Laura Dear Paul,
I would like to present to your site Breathed Flight's Award of Excellence. Your pages met the criteria for my standards of web page design, ease of exploration for the reader and certainly not last on my list of importance, emotional content. I believe the graphics and layout of a page keep the visual interest of the reader but nothing hits the heart more than the power of words. Congratulations and thank you for a job well done and topic matter that should never be forgotten. Janet Remich Paul:
It's not the bells and whistles that makes a website I don't think! I judge the website in its heart and soul, does the site move me, it must make my heart want to ache, laugh, beat fast or slow, does the site put a smile on my face or a tear in my eye. The site could be a very basic site, but, if it moves me - it deserves an award! Take Care, my friend! ALOHA - Sancho Manzano Jr., 1SG, USA, (RET) 25 Jun 1998
Well , I went to Col. Higgins web site... It brought tears to my eyes... it is hard to leave it.. Thank you for sending me the URL Faith, You are not the only one to get emotinal about her site. I have 3 Memorial tours that will get to you also. .....Paul Today is my day for crying... these sites that you have sent me are heart breaking...I have never seen such beautifully done tributes! I will return to them often and send them out to all my friends . Thank you Paul! Always.. Faith Hi, Mr. Henriott,
After reviewing your site, we are pleased to present you with GA's Bronze Award for web page design. I would also like to present you with a special "Great Content" award I created just for you, as your content deserves an award all its own! You have created a very nice site...a most ambitious and impressive undertaking, indeed. The time, effort and love you've put into this site is clearly evident. I just spent a LOT of time perusing your site and found it utterly fascinating... as well as deeply moving. I wish to congratulate you on a job well done. Glenn Akiyama GA's Web Design Date: Sun, 30 Aug
1998
A superbly detailed history site. The site demonstrates the potential of the web to educate and communicate ideas. It is an inspiration for my own web work. Lou DiMarco Fri, 11 Sep 1998
Dear Paul, I don't know what to say...or how to express the way I feel right now.. You have bestowed an honor on me that I really don't deserve. It has truly touched my heart..and a mere thank-you just does not seem enough.. I have placed this very special award on my main page, I pray that I have done it justice. You will always be in my thoughts and prayers. Thank you Paul.."hugs" Hope P.S. Your a very special man Paul..I pray that the Lord's hand will always guide and bless you. Sat, 05 Dec
1998
I just wanted to thank you for creating the website. My grandfather served on the USS Flint during the war, but that's all I knew about it. After reading your site, I've learned about some of the action he was involved in, which is very interesting to me. His name was Robert Wilson, and he was a radarman 3rd class. I'm going to try to map out the different areas that are mentioned in your site. He died of cancer in 1976, when I was 12, so I was too young to really hear much about his service. Anyway, I found it very interesting to finally learn what he had to go through. Thanks again, Bob Wilson III Wed, 09 Dec 1998
Thank You for sharing such a personal and important part of your life, My Military roots are very deep. My father was a gunner aboard a B-17 shot down over Germany in 1942 although he lived through the crash, he still lives with the memories. My brother-in-law was stationed on a troop carrier delivering young American marines to Omaha Beach, a cousin sleeps in a watery grave aboard the U.S.S.Arizona, My husband was in the Korean War, My uncle and classmates saw action in Vietnam. My son was in damage control aboard the U.S.S. Ranger in the gulf while my son-in-law felt the heat of the oil fires in Desert Storm. Thank You for your committment and hard work that when into your site. Thank You for the pride and honor that you have given our American Heroes. God Bless You All! Barbara Cox Fri 4/30/99
Beautiful web page. Although born in 1961, I thank the Lord that I can still taste freedom that our brave, young men and women died for. I respect, love and cherish those who died for my freedom. I'll never forget. Part of my mission these days is to remind the young ones exactly what the cost of freedom is.
 This Web Page was
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is maintained by Paul D. Henriott Last updated 30 March 2005 |