Seeing Madison off as she deploys on the USS Leyte Gulf

This afternoon we were pierside again as we said goodbye to Madison and the USS Leyte Gulf. We told her Saturday night that we would come to the pier to say goodbye. We weren't sure if we'd see her or not. Yvonne and I were really glad when we walked up to the ship to see Madison standing on the brow waving to us.

She told us she would be a line handler on the aft end of the ship. So we went back and watched her work!

Last minute instructions from the big guy in the hard hat!

"See, those are the old people I told you about who invite me into their home on the weekends..."

"That's us she's talking about!"

Madison is the one handling the huge rope on the left. She's WORKING!

See you guys when we get back!

Casting off the lines from the pier.

Can you tell which one Madison is???

Then it was time for the tugs to move the ship away from the pier and out into the channel.