“On this day we are entering, we are planning to go to the moor. Once we were in the tunnel, everything was fine. Everything was fine, “said Mabry. “We thought it would be a normal port. It was right before dinner time, and the places were not full.
& # xD;
The ship was in port for routine refueling when the fatal attack occurred. Mabry talked about how the security measures were put in place with great care and attention after the Cole attack, and he talked about the hovercraft that are in use today, along with boats. of security forces and more armed watches in the sky to prevent such attacks. Unfortunately however, none of these methods exist, or as they used to.
& # xD;
“People don’t realize but the barricades we have now, the watches we have standing, the security systems there are because of the USS Cole. People think it’s because of 9/11. 9/11 is not why we are forced to defend like we do. That’s because of Cole.”
& # xD;
For those unfamiliar with the guided missile destroyer system, the engine room is located under the fuselage of the Chief Warrant Officer. The explosion was so powerful that it reached the engine room into the soldiers’ quarters and riots.
& # xD;
Mabry, a third-class petty officer at the time of the attack, was at first surprised by the explosion but then went into a state of war.
& # xD;
“When it happened, I was at the end of the boat, returning the laundry,” Mabry said. “I was getting out of there, and when it hit, I hit the top and I was a little weird. The lights went on and off. That’s when I knew there was a problem.”
& # xD;
Mabry knew he had to get to his general station and be ready to fight the ship, but he quickly realized the magnitude and severity of the situation.
& # xD;
