Today I thought I would regale you all with a story from my Navy days. You see, guys being guys like to mess with each other and pick on the new guys. Today they would call it hazing and not being sensitive to others feelings. Counseling may even be recommended. But ,back in my day we just called it messing around.
When you are newly assigned to a ship one of your first assignments may be compartment cleaner. That's housekeeping to you landlubbers. You would be responsible for washing and waxing the floors (deck), emptying the trash, and the general cleanliness of your berthing compartment. The place you sleep. A higher ranking official will come by and check your work. Perform inspection.
Now when I was on the USS Yellowstone the man in charge of the berthing compartment was one Russell Blanchard. Russ was a good man and I was friends with him. One characteristic of his was he had a nervous twitch in one eye. He was a little sensitive about that. Another was he was a stickler for cleanliness and details. We had received a new recruit and he was assigned to the job of compartment cleaner. Russell told him what the job entitled and went off to do his duties. Returning later Russell inspected the compartment. As I said he was a bit of a stickler and checked high and low. He wasn't pleased and let that new recruit know it ! The kid was the recipient of a good " dressing down " as the military calls it.
Shortly after that I came into the berthing area. I asked this recruit how it was going. He replied not so good. He then explained to me how he had just got his butt chewed out. He said he didn't understand what Russell was so mad about. I asked him if Russell had said anything to him about " high dust " ? He told me in fact he had. He said that Russell had been especially upset about dust on the top of the lights and lockers. I then approached this kid and took him into my confidence. I told him I would share a secret with him about Russell. I asked if he had noticed that " tick " in his eye. He said that he had. I then told him that "tick" was the result of an accident. You see, years ago when Russ was the new recruit he was the compartment cleaner. One day while getting the " high dust " off the top of things that dust got into his eye ! It caused permanent damage and that is why he has that tick and why he is so adamant about "high dust."
That young man set to and cleaned that compartment over again from top to bottom. He got on top of those lights and lockers and polished them clean. Later in the day I asked Russell to check that compartment. He did so and gave that boy a glowing review. A hearty "well done" as we say in the Navy. That young recruit beamed with pride and said to Russ, " I heard what happened to your eye." Russell goes ballistic ! The kid is stunned as Russell begins to rant and rave. Then Russ sees me standing there laughing and knows what has happened. His attention was then directed at me ! Fun times.
When you are newly assigned to a ship one of your first assignments may be compartment cleaner. That's housekeeping to you landlubbers. You would be responsible for washing and waxing the floors (deck), emptying the trash, and the general cleanliness of your berthing compartment. The place you sleep. A higher ranking official will come by and check your work. Perform inspection.
Now when I was on the USS Yellowstone the man in charge of the berthing compartment was one Russell Blanchard. Russ was a good man and I was friends with him. One characteristic of his was he had a nervous twitch in one eye. He was a little sensitive about that. Another was he was a stickler for cleanliness and details. We had received a new recruit and he was assigned to the job of compartment cleaner. Russell told him what the job entitled and went off to do his duties. Returning later Russell inspected the compartment. As I said he was a bit of a stickler and checked high and low. He wasn't pleased and let that new recruit know it ! The kid was the recipient of a good " dressing down " as the military calls it.
Shortly after that I came into the berthing area. I asked this recruit how it was going. He replied not so good. He then explained to me how he had just got his butt chewed out. He said he didn't understand what Russell was so mad about. I asked him if Russell had said anything to him about " high dust " ? He told me in fact he had. He said that Russell had been especially upset about dust on the top of the lights and lockers. I then approached this kid and took him into my confidence. I told him I would share a secret with him about Russell. I asked if he had noticed that " tick " in his eye. He said that he had. I then told him that "tick" was the result of an accident. You see, years ago when Russ was the new recruit he was the compartment cleaner. One day while getting the " high dust " off the top of things that dust got into his eye ! It caused permanent damage and that is why he has that tick and why he is so adamant about "high dust."
That young man set to and cleaned that compartment over again from top to bottom. He got on top of those lights and lockers and polished them clean. Later in the day I asked Russell to check that compartment. He did so and gave that boy a glowing review. A hearty "well done" as we say in the Navy. That young recruit beamed with pride and said to Russ, " I heard what happened to your eye." Russell goes ballistic ! The kid is stunned as Russell begins to rant and rave. Then Russ sees me standing there laughing and knows what has happened. His attention was then directed at me ! Fun times.
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