European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - August 20, 1988, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Magazine seagulls w/7o of of ref by Alba Bragoli Mediterranean bureaus nce an endangered species seagulls the wives and girlfriends of Navy men who follow the Fleet from one port of Call to another again Are flocking to the med. In the 60s and 70s seagulls migrated in Large colonies to meet their mates on the shores of the Mediterranean. In 1963,1 followed the Carrier Independence for the entire cruise said Grace Weldon who followed the frigate Ainsworth earlier this year. My husband and i had just gotten married and it was the most unusual and romantic honeymoon one could dream of. Many other wives were following the ship too said Weldon whose husband it. John Weldon started his career As an enlisted member. Wherever the Indi pulled in there were at least 30 or 40 of us waiting on the pier. We were a tight group. We travelled together and shared rooms Between ports to Cut expenses. Six years later i was a Seagull again Weldon said. By then i had two Little boys. So together with two other wives i rented a vow bus and we All lived the Gypsy life for five months. It might not be everyone s idea of fun but to me those two trips hold the fondest memories of my entire  when the 80s rolled around seagulls found their Vii is had been clipped. Shifts in politics and fear of terrorism made ship s schedules secret and unpredictable. For a time most wives and girlfriends resigned themselves to simply enduring the Long separations. The few who ventured across the Ocean often found Only disappointment waiting at destinations. Like Weldon Huguette Guilbault is a Veteran Seagull. But her trip in the Early 80s would prove to be less fulfilling than her previous ones. I kept getting these telegrams we re delayed. Don t go Back. Wait till the next port. I la get there As soon As possible " said Guilbault who is now following the aircraft Carrier Eisenhower. I stuck it out and in the Span of the entire six months cruise i managed to see my husband three times but Many of the wives ended up going Back without Ever getting to see their  but As Long As there Are sailors there will be seagulls wanting to follow the ships. While exact schedules remain closely guarded the Navy does provide families with a tentative itinerary. Guilbault s husband now is in a position to make sure seagulls Don t Fly to an empty port. I m very much in favor of people breaking up separations and i Don t want anybody to go to All the trouble and expense of coming Over for nothing said rear adm. . Guilbault commander of Battle Force 6th Fleet presently sailing in the Mediterranean. To get around the problem of not disclosing places and dates we have a kind of a code with the families. Like Palma May be a Naples a Nice c and so on. When a change occurs we Send a message Back such As scratch b or replace with a of course there is always the possibility of unforeseeable changes but we try to help with whatever we have control  one of the things the Navy can t control is the weather. Last year i flew into Naples with a group of wives said Angie Mayer whose husband is aboard the aircraft Carrier John f. Kennedy. I remember All the arrangements and the anticipation. Saving for months for the trip. Taking the kids to my parents. As we flew Over Naples we could see the ship anchored in the Bay. But there were no husbands at the Airport. And no husbands at the pier. The weather was bad and the sea was too rough to run boats. We sat All evening in the Uso drinking Coffee and waiting for a break in the weather. The break did t come till late the following Day. When All you have is six Days together two Days lost is a Long  with Many women now pursuing their own careers most wives and sweethearts can usually spare no More than a couple of weeks for european vacations. A few manage to follow the ship for longer periods. For these beating the High Cost of touring Europe takes creative thinking and relying on a network of sympathetic Navy friends. There is no such thing As Europe on $10 a Day anymore said Marika Hills who is following her husband senior chief Petty officer Daniel Hills stationed aboard the Eisenhower. Thank goodness we have friends stationed in Spain and Italy and family in Greece. They put me up while the ship is out. That is the Only Way i can afford to stay for the duration of the  with a list of youth hostels and is Alba Bragoli campsites a stack of tiny dictionaries a sleeping bag and a eur Alpass another Seagull has found a Way to stretch her visit in Europe. I m backpacking through Europe Debbie Taranto said. I m a teacher so i m taking advantage of the summer vacation to see Europe and to meet my Boyfriend whenever his ship pulls in. He leaves messages for me at the various usos and so far it has worked out pretty  virtually All seagulls following the Fleet rely on the United service organizations for help. For them the Uso is a familiar name in unfamiliar territory. It s a place to get information and reservations. A place to get off their feet when they Are tired and to wait for their sweethearts when they Are stranded. We get letters from seagulls from All Over the United states said Connie Marulis an employee at the Naples Uso. We like to help them with anything we can. Most have never been outside the states and it s a real plunge in the dark for them once they Are Here we try to Point them in the right  for All the expense and uncertainty the seagulls feel following the ships is Worth it. This year when the Ike pulled into Palma there were about 50 women waiting on the pier and almost As Many came to Naples Huguette Guilbault said. Being a Seagull May not be easy but the rewards outweigh the troubles. No matter How Many times you experience it there is still no feeling in the world like watching that Gray lady sail in knowing that the Guy you love is somewhere up there looking for  saturday August 20, 1988 the stars and stripes Page 13