Fog

      "Fog shows up when water vapor, or water in its gaseous form, condenses. During condensation, molecules of water vapor combine to make tiny liquid water droplets that hang in the air. You can see fog because of these tiny water droplets. Water vapor, a gas, is invisible. Fog happens when it's very, very humid."

     It was very foggy this morning. This is not common on the prairie because it's not commonly humid. Having spent the majority of my time in rather arid climes I've not had a lot of experience with fog.  

      Stationed in Southern California at Camp Pendleton while in the Marines we were over some hills from the ocean. Often there was fog on Highway 101 on the coast but it didn't make it to our base. Witnessing the fog roll into San Francisco on a trip there was interesting.

     While stationed at Camp Pendleton our battalion was boarded on ships for a training exercise. Marines are amphibious and we were being trained to debark the ships into landing craft that would take us to shore as if were establishing a beachhead on land. From there we were to attack and move inland for an exercise that would last for two weeks.

    Going over the side of the ships we used rope nets to descend into the landing craft next to the ship. So far so good, with the entire company of which I was a part in the landing crafts. The ships were a couple of miles from shore and as we completed our descent into the small boats a dense fog rolled in.

    These boats, landing craft, were very basic. Essentially they were an uncovered bin with space for about 30 Marines to stand and an engine and a pilot, coxswain, at the rear. This contraption had no navigational equipment. With the dense fog the coxswain had no idea which way was to shore.

    For six hours the landing craft circled waiting for the fog to dissipate. Finally it lifted, lights on shore were visible and we were deposited on the beach. However, in the night of circling we had drifted far from our goal. The beach on which we landed was about twenty miles from the intended target. How did we get to where we belonged? We were Marines so we marched.

Takk for alt,

Al

This is how we left the ship, four abreast. Packs, rifle, etc. weighed about 100 pounds. Landing craft would be bouncing with the waves. Once your foot touched deck it was important to quickly drop the rope lest you get pulled up again.

The front of the landing craft would drop down to make a ramp to the beach. Once I was the first one off and the boat was on a sand bar. My first step off the ramp and I was in water over my head. Soaked in salt water was not the best beginning to the exercise.