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(Continued from page 30) By this time the sun was beginning to set, and I was told about the evening colors ceremony. Five minutes before sunset the guard of the day form at the front of the ship and lower the ensign as the National Anthem plays. Then at the rear of the ship, the guard stand at attention as the sun dips below the horizon, and as soon as the sun is no longer visible they snap a salute as the Flag is lowered. It was a beautiful site to see.
Mooring the ship to the pier takes roughly an hour, so we headed back down to the squadron Ready Room to relax a bit before disembarking. At 8:00pm we walked off of the ship and ended an amazing 15 hour journey on one of our nation’s most important assets, a Nimitz Class aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. George Washington.