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The Oklahoma City is not only a command ship and a
warship, but she is also a people ship - concerned with making and keeping friends
throughout the Western Pacific.
When Oklahoma City pulls into a foreign port for a visit, officers and crewmembers reach
out together to help the needy. Projects such as repainting schools, residing an
orphanage, or patching walls in classrooms are typical of the volunteer work done.
These people-to-people projects give port visits a bit more of a human factor. Many
crewmembers find a side of a particular people that they didn't know existed. Even
though language is sometimes a barrier, one look from a child's eyes can surpass any
amount of words.
The Oklahoma City also sponsors tours, both in foreign ports and in her homeport of
Yokosuka, encouraging people to come aboard and become familiar with the ship. She
sponsors an annual Christmas party for the Kobo Cottage Orphanage in Hayama, Japan and
recently has sponsored an orphan through high school. |
