Ben Whitehouse was just 14 or 15 when we left Nashville and moved to Houston in 1993. He was one of four children of Don and Nancy Whitehouse, who were an important part of Judson Baptist Church while we served there. Ben's dad, Don, was one of the finest men I ever knew, and it was sad when he passed away, at a very young age. And it was hard for Nancy and their two daughters, Ginny and Donna, and their two sons, Ken and Ben, to go on without him. But Nancy's great strength, and the investment that she and Don had made in their children, enabled them to carry on. All are doing well. Ginny is a professor in Spokane, Donna is an occupational therpist and instructor in Nashville, Ken is a writer/journalist in Nashville, and Ben is a lieutenant J.A.G. in the U.S. Navy, stationed at the Norfolk Naval Base. When Teresa Walters passed on Kay's email, letting friends know of the blog, Ben emailed and invited us to the base. Last Saturday, Logan and Christy and Kay and I drove down to Norfolk and met Lt. Ben. 
Ben had served about a year on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, but since the Roosevelt wasn't in port, he made arrangements for us to tour the same-class carrier, the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was undergoing some maintenance, but we met Petty Officer Margaret Bagley, also in the JAG office, and she served as our tour guide on the Double D. And what an incredible, once in a lifetime opportunity it was, to be on a giant ship that launches and lands aircraft, while it's on active duty, and to see it from the viewpoint of two sailors who live, or had lived, on this giant boat, or one just like it.
We saw the hanger bays, 3 large ones, where the ships are below deck when not anchored on the main deck. We saw the giant elevators that move the planes from one deck to another. We climbed ladders and went through heavy metal doors, we walked on the main deck, and saw the tiny quarters where sailors slept below. We walked through the mess hall and the chapel and the library, we saw the catapults that launch the airplanes. And we saw Margaret's office, where legal disputes and criminal acts and acts of misconduct are dealt with, often while at sea. 
We climbed up to the admiral's deck on the bridge, and we sat in the admiral's chair. (We couldn't help but notice a distinct difference in the decor of this area from the decks below.) We saw the giant ropes that tie the ship while it's docked, and we saw several small boats that are launched from the carrier.
Petty Officer Margaret was a fine host, and Ben knew a lot about the ship. We did get sort-of lost once, but Margaret had her walkie talkie, and we got directions quickly. Margaret has been in the Navy 14 years, and was just married a year ago to a civilian. She's preparing for a new assignment in the Great Lakes area, and is up for a promotion to chief petty officer. We believe she should get it, but we haven't heard from the review board yet, seeking our recommendations.
Ben has completed almost five years of service in the Navy, and is preparing to move on to civilian life soon. It was fun for Kay and me to see him again, but he's not the little kid we remembered from Judson fifteen years ago. He's a fine young man, who has served our country well. 
After touring the base, and having lunch with Ben, he also helped us change a tire on the rental car. (What a nice guy!) As we were driving off, Ben called his mom on his cell phone, and Kay got to speak with Nancy for a minute. One mom, telling another mom, what a fine son she has. We are very proud of Ben and all the men and women who serve in the military.
Care-full-y,rick
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