THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 1, 1997 TAG: 9701010436
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
LENGTH: 60 lines
Visiting its third port in as many weeks, the Norfolk-based aircraft carrier Theodore Roosevelt pulled into Naples, Italy, early Tuesday, giving some of its sailors the chance to welcome the new year with bona fide champagne toasts.
When it heads back to sea, it'll leave behind some of its toughest days on this deployment to the Mediterranean - a five-week stretch that saw it spend Thanksgiving, Christmas and now New Year's Eve far from home.
The nuclear-powered warship reached the city shortly after daybreak to begin a week-long stay in the city, for years a standard stop on Mediterranean cruises and home to a large American population.
Its appearance offshore came only four days after its departure from Cannes, France - where the ``T.R.'' spent Christmas - and little more than two weeks after completing its first port visit in Cartagena, Spain.
The time ashore constitutes what the Navy terms an ``aggressive port schedule'' for the carrier, some solace for 5,500 men and women aboard who waved goodbye to their friends and families Nov. 25, just three days before Thanksgiving.
``Considering the holidays, the crew is doing very well,'' said Capt. David Architzel, the carrier's commanding officer, as the big ship steamed toward Naples late Monday.
``We're up on the step in terms of morale. We had a zone inspection today, and the ship is really looking good.''
The Naples visit comes with the memories of Christmas in Cannes still fresh to Architzel and his crew.
Among the highlights was film actress Halle Berry's arrival by helicopter at about 3 p.m. Christmas day to serve chow to the crew on the aft mess deck - a daunting task, given the size of the meal and the number of diners. She later met sailors at a photo and autograph session.
``The crew was anxious to see her,'' the captain said, ``and she made some very, very nice remarks about how she was there just to meet some sailors and Marines, to thank them for doing what they were doing during the holiday season.
``A large number of sailors told her that no, she really deserved the thanks, because she was spending her Christmas with them when she could have been with her family.''
Berry left the ship at about 7:30 p.m.
The holiday also saw many officers and crew members go ashore for dinner with French families, some of whom hosted as many as 30 sailors.
``It's an incredible place,'' Architzel said. ``Cannes, of all the places I've been to, has a really strong Navy League and a strong affinity for the U.S. Navy. They were extremely welcoming, very supportive, wherever we went.''
The crew heard, too, from Navy Secretary John Dalton. ``I recorded our conversation so that I could turn to the (public address system) and play it for the crew,'' Architzel said. ``He was very positive, as you might expect, and very appreciative of what we're doing.''
The ship also received a gift from home this week: Some 250 cassette tapes of seasonal music performed by choirs at Cox High School in Virginia Beach.
``It was a real surprise, a shock to me to see those,'' Architzel said, adding that he planned to begin distributing the tapes late Monday.