They sat in folding lawn chairs armed with doughnuts, pop, candy, binoculars and a camera.
Their perch was at the edge of the bluff at the foot of Warren Avenue overlooking a port log yard, with a bird’s-eye view of Naval Station Everett.
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Photo GalleryKurtis Tegman, 17, and Jacob Simmons, 19, communicated with each other in sign language and with others by pen and paper.
The two hearing-impaired teens from Edmonds-Woodway High School joined thousands Friday who found viewing spots in parks, along roads and even the Everett Library to witness the homecoming of the USS Shoup and USS Abraham Lincoln.
Folks turned out for many reasons, ranging from pure patriotism to the spectacle of watching a big aircraft carrier come home.
“We’re waiting for the big boat,” Tegman penned.
The pair had permission to miss school; a crew member is a friend of Tegman’s.
Tegman was decked out in a U.S. Navy sweat shirt. When asked if they liked Navy ships, both smiled and Tegman spread his arms wide, indicating he liked big ships.
Meanwhile, Roy Johnson of Everett stood beside his tripod and digital camera at the Everett Library. He was seeking a photo to go on a family calendar he is producing.
“I figured it would be a nice picture of the aircraft carrier for the calendar,” he said.
About 40 people gathered on the terrace of the library, which opened early Friday to accommodate the crowd of spectators.
One was Connie Wickland of Redmond, whose son, Ryan Anderson, had been on the Lincoln and got off when the ship docked in San Diego. She came out to see the homecoming anyway.
“I’ve always dreamed of seeing the aircraft carrier and seeing all those guys on the rail,” she said.
Boe Johnson of Arlington has a special interest in the ship. He’s a sailor who will have the Lincoln as his next duty station. He was on the library terrace with his wife, Terra, and two young sons. The family recently moved here from Oklahoma, where he worked at a recruiting station.
This will be his second stint on the Lincoln, where he will work on the flight deck and maintain the machinery that propels and catches the jets on takeoffs and landings.
After spending time on land, Johnson said he’s ready to get back to sea.
“I’m a sailor,” he said. “That’s what sailors do.”
Reporter Jim Haley: 425-339-3447 or haley@heraldnet.com.
Michael O’Leary / The Herald
Edmonds-Woodway High School students Kurtis Tegman (left) and Jacob Simmons watch the USS Shoup arrive Friday in Everett.
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