cousin Shawn: Happy Veterans Day! This photo was taken in August 1988 as my ship traveled through the Suez Canal returning to the Mediterranean Sea after a 6 month deployment to the Persian Gulf. The "108" on the bow signifies the 108 days we did not even see land while flying flight operations protecting Kuwaiti oil tankers coming out of the Persian Gulf. It was all about oil even in 1988. And, yes, the water in the Suez Canal was that nasty.