This is gonna be a long story no matter how I tell it so here goes :
A couple months ago I got a PM from admin ( Tracy ) saying they had heard from someone who was interested in having me make a pen and wanting my info. Our admins have always been good stewards of our privacy ( for which I am eternally grateful :icon_thum ) and sent me the requester's contact info rather than release mine.
Turns out an active duty service member had stumbled across my 50 cal pen holder project pics and wanted one for their CO . Her name is Melissa Gibson and she is a Gunners Mate 1st Class assigned to the USS Monterey CG 61 stationed in VA Beach. She has 13 years of active duty. We bounced some ideas around and one of them was that she would like for me to use a shell actually fired from the ship and would also like to have it engraved. In addition she wanted the tip in Navy blue and gold. I agreed to do it, gave a rough idea of the cost and my address to send the shell. Some 2 weeks later I wrote that I had not received the shell yet and was concerned as VA Beach is not very far away. Her casual response “ Oh we’re hanging out in the Middle East and it might take it a little time to get there “
. Seems they are on a 6 month deployment and the pen is for the captain of the ship! :swoon: You could have knocked me over with a feather!
The package finally arrives and it seems a little heavy and I found out why when I opened it. Along with the shell was a ship’s coin commemorating the operation, the coin for the helicopter support group assigned to the ship and a ship’s t-shirt also commemorating the operation with dates and such. :icon_cheers Blew me away.( pics later ) Here she is bustin her chops every day to help keep us free and she sends ME gifts!
The engraving was something I could not do myself so I posted here and got lots of good info along with a offer from smallboat ( Steve ) to help me out with some laser work. I sent him the shell and some practice shells and he went to work while I proceeded to make the project. He provided me lay-outs and font choices and just really did a bang-up job. :icon_thum Steve even graciously provided the time, talent and materials for zero dollars in honor of the captain’s service. :notworthy:
It all came together this weekend and here is the finished product ready to be shipped to the deep blue on Monday. The recess in the base ( Thanx Fred :eusa_clap) is covered in felt and will hold the ship's command coin.
This has been an extremely satisfying project. My design. Walnut and cedar. I turned the barrel and pedestals myself and used the scroll saw to build the gun body and handle. Besides the honor of creating something that will most likely grace the desk or shelf of a Navy captain, I have also thoroughly enjoyed exchanging e-mails with GM1 Gibson and learning about day-to-day life on a ship during deployment. I sent a care package with some pens and calling cards to her and her best buds and it just all in all has been a real treat. If you’re interested, look up the USS Monterey and specifically Capt Jim Kilby. He has quite an impressive record. It goes without saying that I have already been paid for this project many times over and as such it will be delivered for no monetary charge.
Thanx for lookin :mrgreen:
A couple months ago I got a PM from admin ( Tracy ) saying they had heard from someone who was interested in having me make a pen and wanting my info. Our admins have always been good stewards of our privacy ( for which I am eternally grateful :icon_thum ) and sent me the requester's contact info rather than release mine.
Turns out an active duty service member had stumbled across my 50 cal pen holder project pics and wanted one for their CO . Her name is Melissa Gibson and she is a Gunners Mate 1st Class assigned to the USS Monterey CG 61 stationed in VA Beach. She has 13 years of active duty. We bounced some ideas around and one of them was that she would like for me to use a shell actually fired from the ship and would also like to have it engraved. In addition she wanted the tip in Navy blue and gold. I agreed to do it, gave a rough idea of the cost and my address to send the shell. Some 2 weeks later I wrote that I had not received the shell yet and was concerned as VA Beach is not very far away. Her casual response “ Oh we’re hanging out in the Middle East and it might take it a little time to get there “
. Seems they are on a 6 month deployment and the pen is for the captain of the ship! :swoon: You could have knocked me over with a feather!The package finally arrives and it seems a little heavy and I found out why when I opened it. Along with the shell was a ship’s coin commemorating the operation, the coin for the helicopter support group assigned to the ship and a ship’s t-shirt also commemorating the operation with dates and such. :icon_cheers Blew me away.( pics later ) Here she is bustin her chops every day to help keep us free and she sends ME gifts!
The engraving was something I could not do myself so I posted here and got lots of good info along with a offer from smallboat ( Steve ) to help me out with some laser work. I sent him the shell and some practice shells and he went to work while I proceeded to make the project. He provided me lay-outs and font choices and just really did a bang-up job. :icon_thum Steve even graciously provided the time, talent and materials for zero dollars in honor of the captain’s service. :notworthy:
It all came together this weekend and here is the finished product ready to be shipped to the deep blue on Monday. The recess in the base ( Thanx Fred :eusa_clap) is covered in felt and will hold the ship's command coin.
This has been an extremely satisfying project. My design. Walnut and cedar. I turned the barrel and pedestals myself and used the scroll saw to build the gun body and handle. Besides the honor of creating something that will most likely grace the desk or shelf of a Navy captain, I have also thoroughly enjoyed exchanging e-mails with GM1 Gibson and learning about day-to-day life on a ship during deployment. I sent a care package with some pens and calling cards to her and her best buds and it just all in all has been a real treat. If you’re interested, look up the USS Monterey and specifically Capt Jim Kilby. He has quite an impressive record. It goes without saying that I have already been paid for this project many times over and as such it will be delivered for no monetary charge.
Thanx for lookin :mrgreen:
