Like most Americans, Dan English had a lot of questions running through his mind Sunday night when he heard about the death of Osama bin Laden.

But on Monday, one detail prompted a few more.

"I heard the report that it (bin Laden's burial) was off the Carl Vinson," he said.

That's the aircraft carrier his daughter Mamie English-Ciscernos is stationed on.

"We knew they were in the Middle East region," English said, adding that the warship's location isn't typically revealed. "We heard that he had been buried at sea, and it immediately went through my mind, 'Could Mamie's ship have been involved?'"

According to news reports, bin Laden's body was placed aboard the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, where the body was packaged and placed into the Arabian Sea.

English said he is amazed that his daughter was on the same ship.

"She would've been right there at that part of history," he said. "It's kind of one of those Forrest Gump moments."

English hasn't been able to contact his 32-year-old daughter yet, he said. In fact, no email communication has been possible for several days with the ship.

He isn't worried.

He and his wife Cory know from experience that the carrier shuts down email communication when something significant happens.

"It's not unusual to have a communication blackout," he said.

At least they know why this time, he added.

His daughter, who has been in the Navy 14 years, is a hospital corpsman and works in the lab on the warship that carries about 5,000. Her six months on the ship end in June.

English doesn't know how much information she would be exposed to.

English's wife will meet their daughter in June in Hawaii, when the warship docks at Pearl Harbor.

"That will probably be one of the biggest ship homecomings since World War II," English said.

He thinks she might be restricted on what she can say.

"Obviously like everybody, we're curious," he said. "Was the crew aware of this happening? Did they observe the ceremony?"

His daughter served a tour in Iraq before being stationed on a warship to support the mission in Afghanistan, he said.

His son, Joel English, just finished his second tour in Iraq.

English has always trusted his children's training, he said, but is also aware of the constant risks they've faced.

"Certainly it's in your mind," he said.