Tristan's Sweet Sixteen

~ From Friday, March 1, 2013 ~

To celebrate Tristan's Sixteenth Birthday, we planned a laser tag party on the USS Orleck.

Tristan, Nick Pietz, Ethan, Zac Goad, Phillip Comeaux, Bryce Anderson, 

Ty Anderson, Gabriel Wing, and Jared Vermillion.

The USS Orleck was built in 1945 by Consolidated Steel Shipbuilding in Orange, Texas.  The USS Orleck DD886 was launched into the Sabine River on May 12 1945, and entered duty on September 15.  She served proudly in Korea and Vietnam, earning many prestigious awards and citations for participation in battle and service to her country, including four battle starts earned during the Korean Conflict.  

She was decommissioned in 1982, transferred to the Turkish government, renamed the TCG Yucetpe, and served the Turkish Navy in the Persian Gulf in 1991.  Turkey donated the ship to the Southeast Texas War Memorial and Heritage Foundation in 1999 to serve as a museum ship.  She returned to her original berth in Orange by tow August 11, 2000 where she served as a museum ship until Hurricane Rita resulted in the loss of her berth.  She is now docked in the Lake Charles River and serves as a museum during the day, and an awesome background for laser tag at night.

Boys being goofy!

 In the picture on the right is Gavin Hilliard.  He was not in the picture above.  

I did not realize it but a couple boys had gone to the restroom when I was taking pictures.

Andrew Aucoin refusing to let me take his picture.

Jackson insisted we have a surprise party for Tristan.  When we could not arrange for the party to be a surprise, we sent Tristan out for a while and made everyone hide so that we could jump out and yell "SURPRISE!!"  Jackson was in heaven.

Zac hid behind the flag, while Ethan hid behind a chip.

Everyone hiding!

Video of Tristan's surprise!!  http://youtu.be/2rGi1XtPr14
Jackson was so excited.  So was Tristan.

Most of my pictures of everyone playing did not turn out well, but I did get these.
~ Allen ~

~ Holden and Ethan ~

~ Finally, a shot of Andrew ~

~ Tristan and Savannah ~

Lighting the candles on his piece of cake.

Everyone had so much fun!
The ship is now all that Jackson and Ethan can talk about and they are both hoping we will
throw them laser tag parties on the ship as well.