Joyous Reunion as USS Abraham Lincoln Returns Home
"The USS Abraham Lincoln docked in San Diego on Thursday, bringing dances of joy from the homebound sailors, praise for the crew’s extended service...Scores of new fathers kissed their babies for the first time, couples cried and embraced and hundreds of parents let out a collective sigh of relief as the crew disembarked on the north end of the Coronado peninsula."—Los Angeles Times
This brought back a lot of memories for me. I have watched numerous carriers return from sea, Coronado over-run with reunited Navy families and a strong sense of patriotism abound. Coronado is a Navy town and has been since 1917 when the Naval base was established there.
I was lucky to live there for 26 years before picking Bonita-Sunnyside as my forever home.
I am very familiar with CVN-72 as it was home-ported in Coronado. I have sat at many a sports event when the Abe Lincoln silently moved out of port, giving all a strange feeling that the land we were sitting on was itself moving!
I wrote Coronado Common Sense for five years and received military articles directly from the Navy. Many of my friends were currently still in the Navy or had just retired. I attended many Changes of Command and some of my closest friends were female naval aviators.
There were patriotic Fourth of July parades and mock battles on the bay so real that you could feel the heat on your face from the cannons firing. It was a great place to raise children.
Things have slipped a little in Coronado lately. Or maybe, things are slipping around the world.
Behind the Scenes
I wondered about an alert on my phone that streets in Coronado had been closed for a nefarious reason. That's scary when you have a ship of warriors returning and their families coming to meet them. Then I saw this:
PRESS RELEASE | October 8, 2026
Suspicious Items Investigated Near Fourth Street and Alameda Boulevard
On October 8, 2026, at approximately 1:00 p.m., the Coronado Police and Fire Departments responded to assist Navy police with suspicious items located on Navy property at the intersection of Fourth Street and Alameda Boulevard.
Coronado Police and Fire personnel assisted in securing the area while Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel evaluated the items. Following their assessment, Navy EOD determined that the items were not explosive and did not pose a threat.
Bomb threats have always been a concern (probably because of so many military living there) and have never been taken lightly.
My friend had several suitcases left in her front yard many years ago by a departing taxi (back when taxis were used rather than Ubers and Lyfts). She called the police and they called the bomb squad.
The squad moved in carefully and after diligent study could not determine if the suitcases caused a threat or not. My friend watched from her window as the suitcases blew sky-high and someone's meticulously packed clothing rained down in her front yard!
And Then There Was This . . .
USS Abraham Lincoln First Carrier Commanded by a Female
The USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) has the distinction of being the first U.S. Navy aircraft carrier to be commanded by a woman. Amy N. Bauernschmidt was designated a naval aviator in 1996 after completing flight school. She then learned to fly helicopters and also became a flight instructor. In September 2016, after completing nuclear power school, Bauernschmidt assumed command of USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72) on 19 August 2021.
She is a United States Navy rear admiral now, currently serving as Director of Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet.
I still miss the airplanes of every type flying over my house and the endless hours of touch-and-goes off the naval aircraft carriers sitting a few miles out in the Pacific. I was raised in a military family (USAF) and the love of aircraft is in my DNA.
Welcome home to the USS Abraham Lincoln and all the brave service men and women aboard! Thank you for your service to our Country!
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