It's hard for me to believe but I retired from the Navy 26 years ago, it'll be 27 come October. The years have just sailed off. I've been moored here in Greensboro ever since. I have enjoyed the fair winds and following seas that were wished for me. Okay, I''ll try to stop with the nautical references. Belay that, no I won't. I sometimes find myself wondering what it would be like onboard ship today. I'm certain the culture has changed, I know that it had changed a bit during my time as new policies and practices were implemented. The old salts complaining about the new. It's the way of the world, generation after generation. I would be interested too know what remains of the traditions I followed.
When I went to basic training in Great Lakes Illinois, affectionately called Great Mistakes, a common phrase uttered by the Chief was, smoke'em if you got'em. Yes it would be time for a smoke and coke! I know that is no longer allowed, the practice was discontinued while on was on active duty. Toward the end of my enlistment there were ships that were " smoke " free the smoking lamp having been permanely extinguished! Do these young sailors today even know what the smoking lamp is? I saw the first women to serve aboard ships and was witness to that. Many of the old salts had grave concerns about that. First off, it is bad luck to have a woman on ship, any sailor knows that. Then there was going to be a list of troubles to follow. Yes , some of those issues did arise but as near as I could tell, everyone adjusted. Sure some old traditions had to be stopped and others modified. No more " pin ups " and no more magazines, even though we were only reading the articles! The old ways of being initiated into the brotherhood of being a sailor suddenly became hazing. A few of the rituals I experienced suddenly became unacceptable and damaging to new sailors. They got there feelings hurt. Oh, poor babies. The wheels began to fall off the whole system. Now it began to be all about being compassionate and fair! Yeah, liberal attributes, in my opinion, not conducive to building warriors. By the time I retired the " boots " ( new recruits ) where pretty soft. They could quit if they wanted to. When I was in boot camp if you screwed up or weren't catching on quickly enough you got sent to the Mickey Mouse Club! That's what we called that! I suppose today it may be called a remedial or alternative company for the challenged. You could tell those folks because they had to wear a stocking cap ( watch cap ). We called them raisin heads. I'm betting you had best not say that today. Probably offensive.
Beyond all of that though I wonder how much of todays Navy I would recognize. I'm thinking a day on ship would be quite a bit different. One thing I noticed some time back was the Navy guys wearing fatigues. Yes, camo fatigues in blue. What's the thinking? If I fall overboard I can't be seen? Onboard, just who am I hiding from? What happened to jeans and shirt? Yes I saw them change the working uniform once while I was on active duty, didn't last long before they changed it back to the traditional bell bottoms and chambray shirt. I saw them change the Dress Uniform too, changed that back as well. Not sure what was going on with the females, sometimes they had skirts, then they were wearing the same dress uniform as the guys. Don't know what they are doing today. Are Navy guys now wearing berets? Seems like everyone else is anyway, something else I've noticed. Trying to look the part perhaps?
The thing is each branch of the military is a society within itself. That society will change, evolve over the years. Is evolution always a good thing? Well evolve long enough and it leads to extinction, so you decide. Yes the old ways will fade away, die out, and be forgotten. During my time a great deal of the stereotypical image of sailors was alive and well. Drinking alcohol to excess, as long as you could handle it, was acceptable and expected. There were societal rules about that stuff. Get drunk and start something. it'll be finished quickly! Cigarette smoking? Who doesn't and why don't they? Misogynists? No one I knew ever heard of that word. Wolf, ladys man, and a hound certainly, badges of honor. Of course you made remarks concerning women's physical attributes and perhaps there availability for a little fun. Oh what were we thinking.
I wonder what the popular tattoos are today, or has that tradition died somewhat. I saw a lot of " Mother " Tigers, Daggers with dripping blood, For God and Country, and rock and roll bands. The older guys had their Ships names tattooed on their arms, a lot of crossed anchors, and a sailor standing behind the eight ball. They were not to be visible when in uniform however. That wasn't strictly enforced but could be an issue. I wonder do they still call people from the various division on the ship by these names: snipes, twidgets, deck apes and skivvy wavers. Might be offensive these days. Does Jack of the Dust still roam below decks? Can you still bribe the night baker? Is the coffeec urn still filled twenty four hours a day? Do they still have movie night? What about mid-rats? are they still sending boots to get another ten foot of chow line, or assigning them to the mail buoy watch? I once sent a boot to the radio room to ask Petty Officer Chow, a female, for a fallopian tube. He got his face slapped and came back without one. I asked him why. He didn't have a clue, stupid boot. LOL. Ah the good old days.
When I went to basic training in Great Lakes Illinois, affectionately called Great Mistakes, a common phrase uttered by the Chief was, smoke'em if you got'em. Yes it would be time for a smoke and coke! I know that is no longer allowed, the practice was discontinued while on was on active duty. Toward the end of my enlistment there were ships that were " smoke " free the smoking lamp having been permanely extinguished! Do these young sailors today even know what the smoking lamp is? I saw the first women to serve aboard ships and was witness to that. Many of the old salts had grave concerns about that. First off, it is bad luck to have a woman on ship, any sailor knows that. Then there was going to be a list of troubles to follow. Yes , some of those issues did arise but as near as I could tell, everyone adjusted. Sure some old traditions had to be stopped and others modified. No more " pin ups " and no more magazines, even though we were only reading the articles! The old ways of being initiated into the brotherhood of being a sailor suddenly became hazing. A few of the rituals I experienced suddenly became unacceptable and damaging to new sailors. They got there feelings hurt. Oh, poor babies. The wheels began to fall off the whole system. Now it began to be all about being compassionate and fair! Yeah, liberal attributes, in my opinion, not conducive to building warriors. By the time I retired the " boots " ( new recruits ) where pretty soft. They could quit if they wanted to. When I was in boot camp if you screwed up or weren't catching on quickly enough you got sent to the Mickey Mouse Club! That's what we called that! I suppose today it may be called a remedial or alternative company for the challenged. You could tell those folks because they had to wear a stocking cap ( watch cap ). We called them raisin heads. I'm betting you had best not say that today. Probably offensive.
Beyond all of that though I wonder how much of todays Navy I would recognize. I'm thinking a day on ship would be quite a bit different. One thing I noticed some time back was the Navy guys wearing fatigues. Yes, camo fatigues in blue. What's the thinking? If I fall overboard I can't be seen? Onboard, just who am I hiding from? What happened to jeans and shirt? Yes I saw them change the working uniform once while I was on active duty, didn't last long before they changed it back to the traditional bell bottoms and chambray shirt. I saw them change the Dress Uniform too, changed that back as well. Not sure what was going on with the females, sometimes they had skirts, then they were wearing the same dress uniform as the guys. Don't know what they are doing today. Are Navy guys now wearing berets? Seems like everyone else is anyway, something else I've noticed. Trying to look the part perhaps?
The thing is each branch of the military is a society within itself. That society will change, evolve over the years. Is evolution always a good thing? Well evolve long enough and it leads to extinction, so you decide. Yes the old ways will fade away, die out, and be forgotten. During my time a great deal of the stereotypical image of sailors was alive and well. Drinking alcohol to excess, as long as you could handle it, was acceptable and expected. There were societal rules about that stuff. Get drunk and start something. it'll be finished quickly! Cigarette smoking? Who doesn't and why don't they? Misogynists? No one I knew ever heard of that word. Wolf, ladys man, and a hound certainly, badges of honor. Of course you made remarks concerning women's physical attributes and perhaps there availability for a little fun. Oh what were we thinking.
I wonder what the popular tattoos are today, or has that tradition died somewhat. I saw a lot of " Mother " Tigers, Daggers with dripping blood, For God and Country, and rock and roll bands. The older guys had their Ships names tattooed on their arms, a lot of crossed anchors, and a sailor standing behind the eight ball. They were not to be visible when in uniform however. That wasn't strictly enforced but could be an issue. I wonder do they still call people from the various division on the ship by these names: snipes, twidgets, deck apes and skivvy wavers. Might be offensive these days. Does Jack of the Dust still roam below decks? Can you still bribe the night baker? Is the coffeec urn still filled twenty four hours a day? Do they still have movie night? What about mid-rats? are they still sending boots to get another ten foot of chow line, or assigning them to the mail buoy watch? I once sent a boot to the radio room to ask Petty Officer Chow, a female, for a fallopian tube. He got his face slapped and came back without one. I asked him why. He didn't have a clue, stupid boot. LOL. Ah the good old days.
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