Broken arrow

  A picture from the Past.

 
Liberty call in Messina, Cisely 

My ship was the third over.

For Today:

My memory is sketchy at best, but at times there are things that hit me with a force to bring back an incident in this odd life of mine. Words like Heads and Latrines.  Everyone knows the word latrine; it is the common name for toilet in the Army and Air Force.  Although ‘Head’ is the same in the Navy, just not as well known. “Darnell, you have head duty today!” That meant it was my day to clean the toilet.

Some words were ‘classified’, not to be used off the base or ship. Every ship or base had a ‘code word’ that meant there is an immediate danger, return NOW to your duty station.

When the skipper/commander deemed necessary to get everyone back to the base, or Battle Stations, Announcements or phone calls were made and one word was used; one I remember The code was “Red Coat!” The person receiving the call answered, “UNDERSTOOD” and hung the phone and took off back to the base.

Being part of the military sticks with you. The code word  “Broken Arrow” was part of my life for the last ten years of service. It was a classified word NEVER to be used publicly. So you can imagine my SHOCK to see that printed in a newspaper. It is no longer a classified word, But I did not know that. I took this off the internet:

·         An accidental event involving nuclear weapons or components that does not create the risk of nuclear war.

·         A code word indicating that a unit is in danger of being overrun and requires immediate assistance.

·         A situation where a nuclear weapon is lost, stolen, accidentally detonated, or mistakenly released

·       

I heard it once in my career. We were taking-on some ‘Nuc’s’ in the North Atlantic and the seas were rough. Our ship and the Ammo ship came together ‘collided’ because of a wrong move by one of the ships.  (Over the ships loudspeakers was heard: “THIS IS NOT A DRILL, ‘BROKEN ARROW! BROKEN ARROW’!  The weapons were on deck, but they were secured immediately, by the crew, and a big problem was avoided by fast acting men. Damage to both ships was extensive.

My mind said to me several times in the last couple years, ‘Broken Arrow’.  I am not unique, I am sure that there have been problems, disasters, accidents in all of our lives when we felt the weight of the world on our shoulders. When I see the problems created by Helene, my problems shrink, but they still exist, just minor in comparison.

I know this is  a crazy post, but on my mind.

 

NiteShipslog

PS: 

So, ‘Thanks’ AGAIN to y’all for stopping by the Shipslog. It is nice to know that folks read this stuff.