Daily Archives: December 24, 2012

Son to Skype father on Christmas Day after 50 year hunt

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A man who waited 50 years to meet his father is looking forward to the “best present ever” as he sees him on Christmas Day for the first time this year.

Westley Grey who lives in Scotland meeting his father in the US, Westley Snr Moorehead for the first time
Westley Grey who lives in Scotland meeting his father in the US, Westley Snr Moorehead for the first time 

50-year-old Westley Grey lives near Greenock in Inverclyde and had never met his father until October this year when he travelled to the US.

Along with his twin brother David, Westley started searching for his birth father after his mother Thomasina died. They knew that he had served in the US Navy and eventually tracked him down to Texas.

Westley Grey and his twin baby brother David in the arms of their mother Thomasina
Westley Grey and his twin baby brother David in the arms of their mother Thomasina 
  • Westley Snr Moorehead joined the US Navy in 1945 aged 17. In the early 1960s he was stationed at Holy Loch in Argyll and Bute, which was a US nuclear submarine base during the Cold War
  • While there he met Thomasina and the couple fell in love, but shortly afterwards Westley Snr was sent to the Caribbean during the Cuban missile crisis and later to war in Vietnam
  • Just after he left, Thomasina discovered she was pregnant with twins but had no way of contacting Westley Snr, who had no idea until David found him in the US

David travelled alone to Texas to meet his father, who is now 84, and discovered that he and his brother have three stepsisters and a stepbrother.

It’s been the best year of my life and now I can’t wait to see my dad for the first time in my life on Christmas day when I Skype him.

That’s the best Christmas present I could ever want. It was the most amazing moment in my life to have finally met my dad for the first time.

I waited 50 years for to see him and was completely lost for words when I first saw him. I just gave him a big hug.

– WESTLEY GREY

Thomasina with Westley Snr Moorehead just before he was called away to the Caribbean
Thomasina with Westley Snr Moorehead just before he was called away to the Caribbean 

I felt blessed to have met Westley and David for the first time in my life.

It was incredibly emotional to have met Westley, I will never forget the moment I first saw him. Now I’m very much looking forward to speaking to him for the first time on Christmas Day.

The past few months have been a rollercoaster of emotions – meeting Westley for the very first time and then losing my wife.

I’m extremely glad though that they managed to meet before Bernadine died. He will have good memories of a wonderful woman.

– WESTLEY SNR MOOREHEAD

Source – ITV

IRGC’s Sonar-Evading Submarines Enjoying Unique Capabilities

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President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad getting into a Iranian submarine

Two Iranian military commanders disclosed that the country’s home-made sonar-evading submarines enjoy unusual features.

“Besides the usual capabilities of the submarines that all people are aware of, our vessels enjoy some subsurface capabilities that are different from the regular features of submarines and no one is informed of them,” Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy Rear Admiral Ali Fadavi told FNA on Sunday.

Also, Deputy Defense Minister for Industrial and Research Mohammad Eslami, whose ministry is in charge of supplying logistical backups including equipments for the Armed Forces, told FNA that “the submarines supplied to the IRGC are of the mid-sized class, given the missions defined for the IRGC Navy”.

He said all Iranian submarines are sonar and radar-evading, “since we cannot fulfill our missions today if our submarines are not equipped with sonar and radar evading technologies”.

Earlier this month, Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi announced that the country plans to equip the IRGC naval force with new submarines.

“Production of different types of submarines are on our agenda and naturally they will be delivered to the IRGC whenever they reach their final phase,” Vahidi told FNA at the time, adding that the ministry plans to equip the IRGC Navy with its new home-made submarines.

As regards the features and specifications of the new submarines, Vahidi said, “These submarines will be in models other than Qadir (light submarines) and their production and delivery to the IRGC are underway.”

He said that Iran is producing military tools based on its doctrine of asymmetric defense.

Last month, Iran boosted its naval power in Persian Gulf waters after a new missile launching vessel and two light submarines joined its Navy fleet.

During the ceremony attended by Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Habibollah Sayyari, two Qadir-class light submarines also joined the Iranian naval fleet.

All parts of the Qadir-class submarines, including the hull, radar equipment and advanced defense systems, have been made domestically.

The submarines are appropriate vessels for different naval missions, including reconnaissance and combat in territorial waters, specially in the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz which are not wide enough for the maneuvering of large warships and submarines.

Source – Fars News Agency