[FireFlyGuts]

On October 12, 2000, the USS Cole was attacked while stopping for fuel in the port of Aden, Yemen. A small boat carrying explosives pulled alongside the Navy destroyer and detonated, blasting a large hole in the side of the ship. The attack killed 17 American sailors and injured dozens more. Even with the severe damage, the crew was able to control the flooding and keep the Cole from sinking.

The ship was too badly damaged to sail back to the United States under its own power, so the Navy needed another way to bring it home. They used the Blue Marlin, a massive semi-submersible heavy-lift ship designed to carry extremely large loads. The Blue Marlin lowered much of its deck underwater, allowing the USS Cole to be carefully positioned above it.

Once the Cole was in the correct position, the Blue Marlin pumped out its ballast tanks and slowly rose back out of the water. This lifted the entire destroyer onto the deck. The process required careful planning because the Cole had to be positioned correctly so its hull, propellers, and other equipment would not be damaged further.

The Blue Marlin then carried the USS Cole back to the United States, arriving in Pascagoula, Mississippi, in December 2000. The Cole went through major repairs before eventually returning to active service. The operation became one of the more unusual ship recovery missions because it involved transporting an entire Navy destroyer on the deck of another vessel.

[firedog25]

Some friend's of mine kid was stationed on the Cole at the time of the attack. When the Navy flew all the parents and families to the reception state-side they were there of course and took pictures. They were showing me pics and then my friends wife goes,"And here's Tom CRYING...." when they showed me the pic of him hugging his stepson. Emphasis verbally on CRYING.

Those squids are very loyal to their boats, they didn't want to leave the boat when it was lifted.