Bon Jour, Followers -
I am greeting you in French because the French Navy has arrived in Aruba. What an exciting surprise! The ship's name is Le Dumont d' Urville, also known as A624. Two of my cadet friends helped me get these photos; 4/C Michael Schmitz and 3/C Salvador Reele . Both cadets are Marine Transportation majors. Michael is from Kingston, Massachusetts. Salvador is from Belle Chase, Louisiana.
This sleek, slate-gray beauty is 213 feet in length, with a beam of 46 feet. She is classified as a NATO warship.
Now, if you are saying. "The name Le Dumont d' Urville sounds familiar, your mind is NOT playing tricks on you. Last week in Barbados, the TS Kennedy was docked near a cruise ship by the same name. Do you remember her? That's quite a coincidence, don't you think!
I decided to find out who these two ships were named after. I figured that it had to be someone pretty special.
I discovered that Jules Sébastien César Dumont d'Urville was a French explorer and Naval officer who lived from 1790 - 1842. He sailed to the South and Western Pacific, Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. If you think that it's pretty impressive that two ships were named after him, wait until you hear about his island In New Zealand. There are also has seaweed, shrubs, and plants that share his name.
I am hoping to meet up with some of the French officers when I explore Oranjestad later today.
Your favorite research-loving pirate,
Little Buc