Terms and things on land and sea (LIFE is good)

 Memorable Automobiles from The Past:

 Sammy Davis Jr. & his Rolls

For today:

My dad and mom, no one, could convince me to stay in school. School was easy for me. The lowest grade I ever received was one 'C.' I was usually straight A’s. I yearned to be away from home. I joined the USMC.  Let me tell you, for a boy who could not wait to be away from home, for weeks I lay in my rack and hoped I would wake up and this be a bad dream. TRUE DAT!  However I had no choice and am glad.

Like many of you, I have made many life changing decisions. Yours' mostly were civilian job changes; mine happened to be military   After the Corps I joined the USAF Then I tried preaching (really)                             Finally the USN ......

Yes,  I thought I was a preacher; we pastored a couple churches, even organized and built one, before learning I had no business there; I Then joined the USN where I retired.  

This entry is because I just poured the last cup of coffee of the day, it was thick and black. My comment was, "This was real MIDWATCH coffee.” I realized I used 'military speak.'

   Term:    =       USN/USMC        USAF   

Toilet              Head               Latrine   

Wall                 bulkhead           wall

Dining hall         Mess Hall          Chow hall

Floor               Deck                floor

Dining hall work    Mess cooking      KP

Halls                passageways       hallways

Doors         hatches/entrance      doorway

Bed                 rack/sack          Bunk/sack

ranking/grade         Rating            Rank

All branches of services have a ‘Midwatch’, every hour is covered, for logical reasons. Few are exempt from ‘watches’, normally a period of 4 hours, mid-watch is the most dreaded, 2400 to 0400. Shipboard is unique. On deck you are looking at a black sea. 100s even 1000s miles from land. Out there is a special feeling in peace time of seeing another ship on the horizon well lighted. Whether cargo or passenger, it is a kindred-type of feeling.

Below deck it is pacing passageways or sitting at a desk guarding a hatch. BUT no matter where you are you can find coffee to keep you alert, at times it is a day old. LOL

Life in the barracks or on an open deck there are things that brighten the day. Chow time, MAIL CALL or some dude with a guitar. Troops and sailors gather around that guy after working hours; “Sing this! Play That, Do you know xxx?” There is nothing like it. I envied their ability.

Kirk Douglas is an English sailor in “A Whale of a tale”, he will show you what I mean.

(Of course he does over do it a little. LOL)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkjTGCrLvAU

I am sure that Woody  https://oldboomerwoodys.blogspot.com/  had his guitar and entertained his shipmates.

I have enjoyed this life with my Sherry. My final stretch of productive life was as a home-builder. Enjoyed that also!

NiteShipslog