Sailors from USS George H. W. Bush (CVN 77) visited the Tower of London as part of a tour organized by the ship's Morale Welfare and Recreation (MWR) program during a port visit in Portsmouth, England, July 30.

The tour began when the Sailors were dropped off just three blocks away from the River Thames. From there, they made their way to board the ferry that would take them through the River Thames, under the Tower Bridge to central London where the Tower of London resides.

"Being here in England is a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me," said Hospital Corpsman 1st Class Christina Sizemore. "This is my first deployment, and probably my last one, so I didn't want to miss out on anything, and that is why I came to this tour."

The Tower of London is one of London's most iconic landmarks dating back as far as 1066. This World Heritage Site spans more than 900 years of royal history, and it is the only place where anyone visiting England can view the Crown Jewels, such as the Imperial State Crown, the scepter and orb and many other jewels, plates, swords and other symbols of royalty.

"My favorite part of the tour was seeing the Crown Jewels," said Fire Controlman 1st Class Robert Medley. "It was unreal to see these amazing artifacts so close."

For many Sailors, the highlight of the tour was seeing the Crown Jewels, but they all also enjoyed learning about the tower and the history behind it.

"I didn't really know about the Tower of London," said Sizemore. "So it was really interesting learning about all the people that were tortured here, the two princes that went missing, and the Crown Jewels as well."

Sailors were allowed to tour the entire Tower of London the whole day until late in the evening when they made their return to Portsmouth.

"I don't regret going on this tour at all," said Medley. "I have visited England twice before in my naval career, and I wish I had come here sooner."

The George H.W. Bush Carrier Strike Group is conducting naval operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests.

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