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Blue Ridge Chills During Port Call to Otaru

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080303-06
Release Date: 3/3/2008 9:16:00 AM

From USS Blue Ridge Public Affairs

OTARU, Japan (NNS) -- USS Blue Ridge (LCC 19) and embarked 7th Fleet staff crew members made a port visit to northern Japan, Feb. 7 to spread good will among the extended community of their host nation and enjoy the Snow and Ice Festivals in Sapporo.

During their stay, Sailors were given the opportunity to enjoy the hospitality and culture of a unique part of Japan on the Hokkaido Prefecture, which is surrounded by water and sloping hills, only accessible by boat or plane.

Otaru, a small city where the ship was moored, is well known for world-class seafood, while neighboring Sapporo is famous for beer factories and annual Snow and Ice Festivals.

Blue Ridge's Moral Welfare and Recreation (MWR) office arranged for tours of the Snow and Ice Festivals, the Sapporo beer factory, and a two-day ski trip to the Niseko Higashiyama Prince Hotel and ski course.

The streets in downtown Sapporo were lined with intricate and sometimes massive ice statues illuminated by an array of lights that filled the surrounding night life with visual bliss.

"The ice sculptures were fascinating!" said Ensign Melissa Gonzales, Blue Ridge MWR officer, about her first time visiting the winter wonderland.

Gonzales was impressed by the scale of some of the grander sculptures and the details of the smaller figures.

"They were all over the place," said Gonzales. "The locals in Otaru made some that used candles to light them up, which I thought looked beautiful."

The inclement weather provided more than a rare opportunity to see artists from around the world show off their skills creating building-sized creations made of ice. With snow piled high and numbing winds, Sailors braved the cold and spent time clearing off snow from the roofs, driveways and sidewalks of some senior citizens in Otaru.

The community relations project was truly a joint effort with the help of the local Otaru Ushio Lion's Club.

"The people we shoveled driveways for were extremely thankful," said Lt. j.g. Steven Benefield, Blue Ridge's chaplain and organizer of the project. Benefield said he hopes efforts like this will leave a long lasting impression of the American military among the Hokkaido community as service members rarely get to interact with the people there.

Culinary Specialist 1st Class (SW) Felipe Tubera said the weather was harsh while removing the snow, but that would not stop Blue Ridge and 7th Fleet Staff Sailors from getting outside and doing something good for the local community. Tubera then summed up the general consensus of the snow removal participants.

"No one was pushing us to do this. No one was telling us to give our time. We do this because helping people is part of what we do," said Tubera.

Blue Ridge spent a total of four days in Otaru as part of a routine port visit. Prior to arriving in Otaru, the flagship visited Okinawa and Hong Kong spreading peace and goodwill throughout the 7th Fleet area of operation showing a commitment to maritime security and the deterrence of terrorism.

Blue Ridge is commanded by Capt. David A. Lausman and serves under Commander, Expeditionary Strike Group 7/Task Force 76, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force. Blue Ridge is the flagship for Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet. Task Force 76 is headquartered at White Beach Naval Facility, Okinawa, Japan, with an operating detachment in Sasebo, Japan.

For more news from USS Blue Ridge, visit www.navy.mil/local/lcc19/.