I remember waking up the morning after President Obama announced Navy SEAL Team 6 had killed Osama bin Laden. Like many of you, I was surprised to learn that bin Laden's body had been almost immediately buried at sea.
Once at work, I began to scan the internet for any information on the disposal of bin Laden's body. And then there it was, in the headline of an article on a British news organization's website. The San Diego-based USS Carl Vinson was the ship responsible for burying bin Laden at sea.
According to the UK Telegraph:
I know a lot of family members of the Vinson crew were worried there would be retaliation against the Vinson for its participation in such a momentous event. I also heard from a lot of parents who were so proud of their sons and daughters for being a part of a key moment in U.S. history.
What's wild is just a few months later, the Vinson would be the scene of another historic event, but this time in the world of sports. The Vinson hosted the Carrier Classic on Veterans Day, the first-ever college basketball game to be played on a live flattop.
Here's some great time-lapse video showing how the flight deck of the Vinson was turned into a basketball arena:
