I was the XO of a destroyer operating off the coast of Cuba. We were too far south to see the launch, but within minutes we received orders to proceed at best speed to the vicinity of Port Canaveral to help with the supposed recovery operations. After about 4 hours running at full speed, we were ordered to return to normal ops.
Once the reason for our northbound orders became clear, I spoke to the crew over our general announcing system. Throughout the rest of the day, it wasn't uncommon to see sailors with tears in their eyes. It was truly an emotional day.
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