NORFOLK, Va. — Christmas came a little early for a local member of the Greatest Generation.
It was a chance to re-visit some past glories, and -- for a guy who has passed the nine-decade mark -- Dick Hanley was amazingly agile getting up the ship's ladder and making his way onto the USS Stout's bridge.
It was there that the 94-year-old retired Navy commander received a briefing on the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer's 21st-century capabilities.
It was a far cry from what they had back in his day.
"There really is hardly any comparison," he said. "The weapons systems on here are completely different, the sensors are different. Everything about these ships have been modernized."
Hanley was C.O. of a World War II-era ship named the USS Stormes (DD-780).
Aboard the Stout, the Williamsburg man was impressed with what he saw and with everybody he met.
"I am very, very happy to have met all of them, because everybody was very courteous, very respectful, and very accommodating," he said. "Just a great, great bunch of people and I'm sure this is typical of what they have in the Navy."
Hanley said Thursday's visit was kind of like getting a special Christmas present.
"You might look at it that way, absolutely," he said. "It's certainly been a gift to me to be here, yes."
And the Stout team was happy to host him. The XO said it was a treat.
"I think men that served, and women that served throughout history have a great lesson to learn to give to all of us as we struggle through where we're at in this Navy's time, and the lessons they learned in their Navy's time," said Commander Tammy McCreary.
The visit was arranged by Commander Navy Region Mid-Atlantic Rear Admiral Chip Rock, after a recent chance meeting with Hanley at the Williamsburg-Yorktown Council Navy League of the United States.