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My high school mascot...
Sarasota Sailors
Our HS Yearbook is titled a "Sailor's Log"...
My grandfather and mother were also part of the beginnings of the Sarasota Sailing Squadron, in the 1940's.
Ship named after my hometown... USS Sarasota (APA-204) (at Lingayen Gulf, probably around 1 August 1945)
She was a Haskell-class attack transport ship that was part of the Invasion of Luzon, the Invasion of Okinawa. and the Invasion of Ie Shima (Considered a part of the Battle of Okinawa).
She suffered kamikazi attacks, saved thousands of lives, and earned 3 battle stars during World War II.
There is a special museum memorial of her in my hometown.
Description Cobra Gold is an Asia-Pacific military exercise held in Thailand every year. It is the largest Asia-Pacific military exercise held each year, and is among the largest multinational military exercise in which the United States participates.
Cobra Gold was first held in 1982. It served as military training exercise to improve coordination between the armed forces of the United States and Thailand in both hostile military and humanitarian efforts. It also had the goal of strengthening ties between the U.S. and Thailand, the oldest ally of the United States in the South Asia region. More recently, Cobra Gold has served a humanitarian mission, as military personnel deliver health care to the local Thai population, and as a testing ground for new battlefield technologies such as solar powered weaponry.
Cobra Gold has three distinct activities. The first is the Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX), in which live ammunition is aimed at predetermined locations. Troops then assault a beach and landing zone while this live fire occurs. Any miscalculation in the placement, explosive power, or timing of the live fire could be deadly. The second activity is a Command Post Exercise (CPX), in which military officers engage in computerized wargames, disaster relief, or humanitarian missions over several days. The final activity is assisting the local Thai population.
Cobra Gold includes Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and other South Asian and Pacific Ocean countries.
My Participation in This Battle or Operation
From Month/Year
January / 1982
To Month/Year
December / 1982
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020
Personal Memories
People You Remember Everyone aboard the USS Turner Joy (DD-951) during WESPAC '82.
Memories In 1982, the Royal Thai Armed Forces and the U.S. Armed Forces initiated joint training, under the name of Exercise COBRA GOLD. At that time, the Royal Thai Navy was conducting naval, air and landing exercise with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps. These included: PHIBTRAEX, SEAIAM, UNDERSEAL, and EODEX exercises under the name Cobra Gold 1982. Cobra Gold is designed to enhance mutual cooperation and regional security, as well as strengthen Thailandâ??s ability to respond to a regional crisis. The exercise includes computer-simulated and field training exercises, seminars for senior military leaders and humanitarian projects. An annual multilateral exercise held in Thailand, COBRA GOLD began as a bilateral Thai-U.S. exercise in 1982.
