Tattoo Spotlight: USS Constellation
Ron Black, Founder of Wild Oklahoma Media, was kind enough to share his tattoo story with Inked Talk.
What is the story behind your ship tattoo?
In Ron’s own words:
Ron was a mere seven years old when he realized what he wanted to do with his life. He and his family toured the USS Missouri while on display in Bremerton, Washington and seeing the majestic nature of the warship and the historical impact of the Mighty Missouri, it was settled: Ron would join the Navy.
From that point on, Ron’s schoolwork revolved around doing that which was necessary to join the Navy - and Ron wouldn’t be satisfied with shore duty. He wanted to serve on one of the big boys - an aircraft carrier. Before graduating from High School, he enlisted in the Navy’s Delayed Entry Program and prepared for his departure. The day came when he raised his right hand, swore his oath and headed off to boot camp.
After graduating from training, Ron’s dream came true - not only was he a member of the United States Navy, but his assignment was to the USS Constellation, an aircraft carrier that has since been decommissioned.
The tattoo is of the original USS Constellation. It has the ship, a shield and the flag. It represents the protection of our flag through sea power. So you see, there is a story behind this 23 year-old tattoo that will soon be touched up by a tattoo artist that will also include Ron’s years of service in the United States Navy. Ron is host of WILD Oklahoma Television and Radio in Oklahoma, covering outdoor news including hunting, fishing as well as parks and recreation.
Strangely, no one has ever had the courage to speak disparagingly about Ron’s tattoo. They call him the “400lb Gorilla of Oklahoma Media” - perhaps that’s why.
Ron - thanks for sharing your tattoo and the story. Military tattoos have a special significance for me: my dad had some excellent and admittedly bizarre tattoos from his days in the Army in the 1950s. I bet each one had an amazing story, and I wished I had asked him to share them before it was too late.
Visit the Wild Oklahoma Myspace page for more about Ron and his show.
Thanks, Ron! Awesome ink, and a great story.
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I always love to plug my fellow 451 Press bloggers. If you are a video gamer you can’t miss 1PStart - easily one of my favorite video game blogs around.
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