I have presented clips from this documentary television special before. After so many requests, here is the entire film. Back in the 1980s, the US Navy gave me permission to go on board the carrier John F. Kennedy and experience a cruise (as they call it) from start to finish including what it was like for sailors to leave home for six months and go to sea. American aircraft carriers extend American power and influence around the world without stepping on any other nation's sovereign territory. They are a critical part of America's defense strategy. In order to make this documentary, my team and I had to get permission from the Navy to film what we witnessed. They gave us that permission and the film presents scenes of real life before the sailors left home and life on board the carrier as she sailed toward Lebanon. Watching and filming F-14 fighter jets land and take off from the carrier deck was thrilling. Noisy for sure. Somewhat dangerous. But very exciting and done with such great skill as demonstrated by the Navy fighter pilots of course, but also by the crews who took care of them. All of that is shown in this documentary. I hope that it reaches some of the men who I filmed way back then as they will remember my crew, who they took care of and kept out of harm's way.

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