Might

A few days before 9/11, my husband Ed and I had a rare tour of an aircraft carrier, the nuclear-powered USS George Washington (GW). With a flight deck area of 4.5 acres (1.82 hectares), it was docked about 30 minutes away from Manila Bay, in the deep waters off Cavite. Other aircraft carriers like the Blue Ridge had once docked at Manila’s South Harbor, but the George Washington is so huge it had to be docked at almost unfathomable depths. It, after all, can carry some 80 aircraft, both fixed-wing and helicopters. To board the GW, we had to take a ferry behind the SM Mall of Asia that took us on a smooth 30-minute ride to the aircraft carrier.

It was a goodwill visit, GW Captain David Lausman told us. Last year, the George Washington, whose home is Japan, also called on our shores. Stepping into the 244 ft.-(74 meter) tall aircraft carrier was aspirational as well as educational. How many decades (hopefully, not centuries!), I wondered, before the Philippines could build its first aircraft, much more, its own aircraft carrier? How does one reach for the stars in one’s midlife, and how does one encourage Filipinos who have just been born to lay claim to their country’s own aircraft carrier in their lifetime?

Our long journey to military might and national maturity was further underscored when our ferry reached the aircraft carrier, unloading some 300 of us into the landing platform. The ship was an awesome sight to behold against the famed Manila Bay sunset. But alas, when you looked down on the sea, you would behold another “aww-some” sight: Floating garbage from our shores  an assortment of empty water bottles, rubber slippers, plastic bags, junk food wrappers  licking one side of the aircraft carrier. Unfortunately, it was on the side where guests disembarked from their ferries. I thought: Let’s not even talk about building an aircraft carrier in the future... We can’t even dispose properly of our garbage now.

Anyway, the minute we stepped on the George Washington, it was as if we had stepped on dry land. It was as if we had entered a colossal hangar of steel perched on steel, not water. It was virtually immovable, a rock rising out of the waters. Now, I have sailed on the biggest cruise ship in the world, and on the waters off Southampton, England, the ship still rocked. But this Georgie didn’t even blink.

To get to the reception area one had to climb steep and narrow steel stairs with iron chains as banisters. Was I glad I followed the dress code  flats and slacks. You could not have negotiated those stairs in a skirt and stilettos. Why, even Miss Universe fourth runner-up Venus Raj was in casual flats.

A ceremony participated in by Vice President Jojo Binay, US Ambassador Harry Thomas Jr. and Rear Admiral Dan Cloyd of the US Navy followed delicious cocktails prepared by the carrier’s own kitchen (with several Filipino cooks, to be sure). The GW has the capacity to prepare 18,000 meals daily. Should we and the rest of the guests (about 500 all in all) been marooned on the ship we need not have worried, for GW has the capacity to distill enough water to supply 2,000 homes daily.

From the reception area, we were transported to the airfield above by an open-air “elevator.” The 3,880-sq.-ft. elevator was actually a platform on the side of the deck that disengaged only when it went up to the airfield. I took a look at the edge of the platform and saw that the only thing between me, the devil and the deep blue sea were safety nets  literally.

Up on the floating airfield  a symbol of how a superpower can combine the best of land, sea and air to boost its might  were an assortment of battle-ready aircraft.

What we saw was just the tip of the iceberg  I mean, the aircraft carrier. To a civilian, the George Washington’s might was as unfathomable as the deep blue sea. But did you know that it’s on Facebook, too, like you and me?

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But what, really, is might? A superpower like the US was humbled on Sept. 11, 2001 by 19 determined hijackers whose backers spent only $500,000 to bring America to its knees with 3,000 dead and billions of dollars lost. It was the most vulnerable post-World War II moment for the world’s only remaining superpower.

What, really, is might? Is it military might, or is it unshakeable national pride and a zealous belief in your cause?

Filipinos don’t need to build an aircraft carrier to show the world their might. We can show our might individually  by policing our ranks and ridding ourselves of the flotsam and jetsam of corruption, apathy and greed. By making ourselves mighty useful on the world stage, whether as diplomats in New York, caregivers in Hong Kong or sailors in an aircraft carrier. We are mighty when we are indispensable to those in need of our expertise.

We don’t need an aircraft carrier for our country to take off. For now.