ATF-West, Bonhomme Richard depart 5th Fleet, head to Australia, San Diego
After more than three months in the Arabian Gulf and after launching more than 800 sorties including 547 combat launches USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) has chopped out of the U.S. Fifth Fleet area of operations and is heading home. The 'Revolutionary Gator' and the six other ships of Amphibious Task Force - West will first make port visits to Australia and Hawaii before returning to their homeport of San Diego in late July.
Bonhomme Richard remembers
Marines and Sailors aboard USS Bonhomme Richard (LHD 6) honored the memory of those fallen in defense of freedom and democracy, past and present, in a Memorial Day commemoration ceremony held on the flight deck May 31.
Capt. Jon Berg-Johnsen, Bonhomme Richard's commanding officer, asked the crew to remember the 147 Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen who gave their lives during Operation Iraqi Freedom, including two young Marines lost from 1st Combat Engineering Battalion embarked on Bonhomme Richard since May 15
"We remember those who gave their life fighting for the United States of America, and all our country stands for," said Berg-Johnsen. "Today we honor them and the 600,000 other Americans who gave their lives for our country since the Revolutionary War. Today is their day," he said.
