New sea stories ..... Yours too

[Seajay]

(note to all .... the original post got too old to ''post in'' so I started another one....... Help me fill it up guys)


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On the Norton we had the largest radio gang afloat because were carrying the Admiral for the Second Fleet and we were the direct ''relay'' for the fleet concerning ship to shore communications. We could ''supposedly'' communicate with about anywhere in the world as necessary. There was approx. 125 enlisted men not counting chiefs and officers in the ''Radio Gang''.
When I was an Seaman first class (e3) on one cruise I was assigned to work in the ''cave'' breaking call signs. This was a boring job where you sat in a tiny room encrypting and decrypting ships call letters. (I would tell you more but it is still top secret and if I say more ….''I WOULD HAVE TO KILL YOU''.......
Anyhow, I was setting running a encrypting machine we called a ''jeep'' when RM Chief Carol came in and asked me what I was doing. ''Duahhhhhhhh'', I'm bakin pizza........... what the flip do you think I am doing chief''?
''Why don't you go down to the Gee Dunk and get me a Pepsi?'' (note, the Gee Dunk is where they sell sodas, candy (pogie bait) and cookies on the ship and it was all the way at the stern (back) of the ship)
This guy could see that I was busy and he wanted me to stop and go get him a can of pop because he was a Chief Petty Officer and he was to lazy to walk to the stern of the ship and get his own soda.
''Not really interested Chief, I need to do these call signs for the on coming watch because we will ''change day codes'' in a couple of hours and I will be expected to be through with this stuff. Why dont you go get your own soda, you aint doin nothin as I can see.''...


''I can order you to go get me a soda there seaman and you will get on my bad side if you dont do that for me''.........
''I tell you what …. I will buy you a Pepsi if you will go get me one.''
I just looked at him as he flopped in a chair and put his feet up......
He pulled out a dollar and flipped it to me........ ''Go get us a Pepsi before they run out, I'll cover for you........ Hurry back.''
After you have been in the Navy for a while you learn whom you can argue with and win the argument and he was not one of these people. I put down my ''jeep'', closed my code book and put it in the safe, picked up the dollar and my hat and headed aft. I walked slow and contrived a plan of attack to get even with this overbearing Sweet Old Boy........
I got down to the Gee Dunk and told the guy that I wanted a ''warm can of Pepsi'' just one........
I want everyone to know that the Norton was almost seven hundred feet long and I had to walk about 600 feet back to the cave in radio one to get to Chief Carol. All the way back I shook the warm Pepsi. Every time I passed a Damage Control fire hose hanging on a bulkhead, I would tap the can against the soft hose. The rest of the time I shook that puppie.....
I got back to the ''cave'' to find Chief Carol with some papers scattered on the desk where I had been working. I dropped his change in his ''cover'' (chiefs hat), sat his ''warm Pepsi'' on the desk and stepped back. He did not even acknowledge my presence keeping his nose in his papers.
I want everyone to understand that a ''shaken warm Pepsi'' is tantamount to a small bomb when opened quickly.
Without looking he simply ''popped the top'' on the Pepsi can and the Pepsi ''Old Faithfuled'' out of the can and hit the overhead. (ceiling) The can literally almost emptied its self on the desk, in his cover, all over his papers and all over his uniform. He sprang to his feet and the words he said can not be posted in this writing but I can assure you he knew a lot of ''Navy'' terms. I was standing in the door of the ''cave'' kinda grinning at him. He turned to me and wanted to know if I had ''shaken the Pepsi''. Of course I denied such a terrible thing and I assured him that it was probably ''shaken'' by the deck apes when they loaded the cooler. Mind you, the can was not dented in any way. He felt of the can and commented that the Pepsi was not even cold. I told him that I just ''ordered the drink'', I didn't test the temp. of the drink. I asked him if he wanted me to get him another drink while grinning like a possum. ''Hell no you little snot'' (he actually made reference to my heritage and did not say ''snot'').....''If I could prove you shook that can I would write you up in a heartbeat''.......
''Yep Chief, I 'spect you would. You through on the desk? I need to do my work please.''..............
I stood back as he gathered up his soggy papers and his cover and left the ''cave'' …..
Hanks, the L.P.O. (leading petty officer) Came in later and asked me what happened to Chief Carol and how did he get soda on his uniform? I just grinned and said he spilled his can of Pepsi....


Strange....... Chief Carol never again told me to go get him a Pepsi....


So it went on the Norton ,,,,,,, steaming in a circle somewhere in the V.C.O.A. Goin no where …......


Lets all thank a Veteran for our freedoms. They earned them but some never got to come home to use them....... think about it.......


this will go in the Blog.....also......

[Seajay]

DARK SHIP ON THE NORTON....


If you were never in the Navy stationed aboard a ship at sea you have never seen the sky at night. On the Norton, when we were at sea, most of the time we ran a ''dark ship''. I never figured out why they did this but I guess it was the ''Navy Way'' and no one questioned the ''Navy Way'' …... As far as that went there was three ways to do something. ''The right way'', ''The wrong way'', and ''The Navy Way''....... We did things the Navy Way on the Norton.
We would pull out usually for a couple weeks and head down to the Caribbean Sea for war games. Some of the nights in the Caribbean Sea are absolutely clear and especially when there is no moon you can see the edge of the universe when we were running ''dark ship''. A million million, jillion, zillion stars and the more you look the more you see. Sometimes we would go out and lay on the ''wildcats'' (capstons used to retrieve the anchors) and just watch the sky. These ''wildcats'' were more than five feet across and smooth as silk on top. We would lay there and talk and watch for shooting stars. Some were tiny streaks hardly noticeable and some were ''roman candles'' that seemed to go all the way from horizon to horizon. Sometimes we would go out on the fan tail and up on the 02 level and just sit and lean against the bulkhead and watch.
Sometimes at night with a full moon we would see giant Albatross birds circling in the night sky. I was told they could sleep on the wing and I dont doubt it. One night when we were sitting on the flight deck watching a movie one landed right among us. He had wings over six feet easily and a bill like a sword. We sat him behind the number 4 gun tub and he rested and then flew away.
Probably the closest thing you can get to seeing the sky like it is out 600 miles from nothing on a clear night is to go to Death Valley and look up. Me and Willa spent many hours out of the campground just watching the sky. It is worth the trip to Death Valley just to see the sky at night without all the polluting lights from the cities.


So it went on the Norton steamin in a circle, 500 miles from nothin.....


Veterans are people that signed away their life for less than minimum wages at McD's............. Some never came home......... think about it......

[Seajay]

In the Navy in order to leave the ship on ''liberty'' you are issued a ''liberty card'' and this is one of your greatest treasures. These ''liberty cards'' are suppose to be collected every time you come back to the ship. They are supposed to be picked up and stored and then handed out so you can ''go on liberty'' again at the behest of the people you work for. Not turning in your liberty card was a hanis crime punishable by being shot at, starved to death, keel hauled, and ''wake dragged'' for several miles when the ship was at sea. With that understood lots of us would deliberately ''palm'' the liberty card when we came on board the Norton from liberty. Having that liberty card was paramount in your mind when you wanted to sneak off the ship when you were not suppose to. With that in mind I will tell you a story


We were over in Stockholm and we would be there for, I believe seven or ten days, We were suppose to go to Helsinki Finland and Leningrad Russia but the ice was too thick and we needed two ice breakers to get us thru and they had only one. (another story there for later telling)
Anyhow, me and Walters had the afternoon and mid watch and that evening and we were hanging on the safety line watching the bevvy of beautiful girls on the pier and coming up the ''gang plank'' to see the ship. Walters looked at me and asked if I happen to have my liberty card and I told him nope, but we had the dirty duty and they would skin our butts if we left the ship.
''OOOOH,,,,,, We are just going to go down on the pier to dump some trash for a minute. Come on.....grab the other end of this trash can......''
I grabbed the handle of the trash can and we headed for the ''crews gang plank''. We were in our ''undress blues''(working clothes) and we were wearing out ''work jackets'' and white hats. We saluted the colors and requested permission to go to the dumpster to empty trash. It should be understood that the ''dumpster'' was way up toward the end of the pier and kinda' in the dark. We walked along and Walters contrived a ''plan''....
''You got any money Seajay?''
''Hummmm.... Maybe 15 kroner,,,,,, Why?''
''Give it to me and I will pick us up some girls.''
''Yeah, sure''..............
You should understand that Kenny Walters was the kind of a guy that could con the devil out of his pitch fork and the devil would feel good about the deal.
I gave him the money (about four dollars american) and we walked toward the dumpster. As we walked he noticed an English Ford entering the pier. The car was going slow and we sat the garbage can on the pier and he waved the car down. They stopped and in the car was a guy, two girls, and the largest German Shepard dog I believe I have ever seen. Walters asked the driver if he spoke English and the girl in the front seat said she did. Walters asked the girl if she was ''with'' the guy and she actually said No, they were just hitching a ride down to see the Norton. Walters started his con......
He said that he and I were just two simple sailors that had not had the opportunity to go ashore here in Sweden and we had a ''lotta love'' and a ''little money'' and we would give all the money to the guy if he would ''ride us around with these two ladies '' for a while. She spoke to the driver and he shrugged his shoulders and knodded ''Yes''....... I asked the girl if that dog bites and she said no and I grabbed the pretty one and told her that ''you are with me beautiful'' and we hopped in the back seat with the dog.
Most of the cars over in Sweden seem to carry a very warm large blanket when they go out in the winter time in case they get stranded or what ever. This little Ford had such a blanket in the back seat which was very handy.
The details of our ''Ride Around'' can not be posted on here but I will say that the dog liked my after shave and the girl liked me, a lot. Walters was stuck in the front seat with the driver and the other girl and he mostly talked and answered questions about the Navy. I was busy elsewhere....lol.... Nuff said about that.
We rode around old Stockholm with the girl in the front pointing out interesting sights to Walters and me and the girl were in the back seat under the blanket unable to see much so we just sortta ''felt our way around''.......''kinda''.....
(ok.... nuff said again..... i'm done)


Anyhow, time flew by and the guy took us back to the pier after a couple of hours. We found our garbage can, dumped it and headed back to the Norton. Fortunately for us they had changed the watch on the fan tail and the guy on watch just waved us aboard with out fanfair. As we walked along on the ship Walters looked at me and said ''Next time I get the back seat with the blanket and the pretty girl''..... I just grinned at him. That was one of best four dollars I ever spent...........
Often times I wonder what happened to the big German Shepard Dog....


So it went on the Norton in the land of the beautiful ladies that just love American sailors..........




Wanna see real heros??????? Go to Arlington Cemetery and walk among the real heros. I cry every time I go there. Yep...... EVERY TIME …... (must be getting' old I guess)

[mick]

Seajay, sometimes others dont understand the words you say, or what they mean, so to put things in the proper perspective, perhaps this will help.............

|One reason the Services have trouble operating jointly is that they don't speak the same language.

For example, if you told Navy personnel to "secure a building," they would turn off the lights and lock the doors.

Army personnel would occupy the building so no one could enter.

Marines would assault the building, capture it, and defend it with suppressive fire and close combat.

The Air Force, on the other hand, would take out a three-year lease with an option to buy.

Now take a few min and tell us all, WHO were you watching the stars with on the anchor plate?

[Seajay]

mick.... you are a mess.. I really love the descriptions in your post ...
especially the Navy one. Turn off the lights and lock the door ....lol....

Ok ... I had a special friend in the Navy that eventually married my cousin and he was like a brother to me. He is still a close friend but he lives two hours from me now. I will occasionally go down to his house on the lake and mooch power and water off him for a week sometimes. They have a large house on a big lake and they love to have me and Willa come down to visit. He and I shared a lot of expierences in the Navy. I think I posted this in my blog but he was going to knock the stuffing out of an officer for trying to take a girl I was interested in over in England. I will look in the blog and if that one aint posted ..... i will post it...... really funny....
be safe my Marine friend and try to keep Wayne the Marine out of trouble.
Seajay the sailor man ...
God bless our troops and keep them safe ......

[Seajay]

ATTENTION.... This forum is for all military personnel to POST SEA STORIES OF THEIR CHOICE. It is not just for myself. All military persons are welcome to share their experiences that you had while defending this nation in this string. In the Navy we called them Sea Stories and I am sure that the other services had a ''Name'' for their experiences they had in the military. Share with us and enjoy a good memory and do not ''Stretch the Blanket TOOOOOOO FAR''............ ENJOY.....

Remember folks......... Some veteran put his or her life on the line for your freedoms that you take for granted. Some died for you freedoms.... think about it......

[Usnret05]

Afternoon brothers
Anyone know the " difference between a sea story and a fairy tale...

A fairy tale begins ... Once upon a time

A sea story begins this ain't know S#€T...
To all Wes AC sailors....

[Usnret05]

Wes PAC sailors

[tncruiser]

to view my "sea stories" google ab8az
i was an army sergeant on a navy base it dont get much better
particuliary when you are the highest ranking non navy guy on the base
rvn apr67-nov68

[Francesca]

Originally Posted by Seajay

In the Navy in order to leave the ship on ''liberty'' you are issued a ''liberty card'' and this is one of your greatest treasures.

I grew up on "Liberty Card" stories!
You had to have one to leave the base, too.
I'd like to introduce you to the Most Important Person on the Base at N.A.S. Miami during WWII:
Yeoman 2nd. Class Maryjane "Smitty" Smith, later known as My Mother.

Bet you can pick her out in the pic!

Why was she so important, you ask?
Because she was given permission by her superior officer to-er-"imitate"- his signature when he wasn't "available".
And he was s-o-o-o often "unavailable" when it came to signing those liberty cards...
Mom got remember-when calls from some of those sailors every Christmas for years .
We always thought she just about won the war single-handed, given all the sailor fans she seemed to have.


Francesca, Proud Daughter

[Usnret05]

Very nice sea story ... Those
Liberty cards were still around in the 70's ... Thanks for sharing that
Marc
BM1USN Ret
76-05

[rmmpe]

I'm gonna change a few words in this story to preserve a PG13 rating (but you can use your imagination).

Background:
As was normal back then, Sub-Sailors in foreign ports enjoyed overnight Liberty when no ships having a Captain senior to a Submarine Commander were in port. When there is a senior officer, he is SOPA (Senior Officer Present Afloat) and sets the rules.

Sea story:
When on a Mediterranean Cruise in 1964 and "Med-moored" (secured Stern to Dock) in Palma, Majorca, Spain, I fell in lus.... er.... love with a young lovely. As I was a 3rd Class Petty Officer and the Captain on the USS Springfield was SOPA and had established "Cinderella Liberty" for non-rates, I had to be back to the Boat (Submarine) by 0100 (1:00 AM for you non-military types).

Being of the adventurous sort, as the drop-dead time arrived and wanting to avoid the Shore Patrol when they came into the bar, I retreated to the young lovely's place of abode. Heck, I could always sneak back to the Boat later because I didn't have to take the "Liberty Launch".

No dice. The SPs followed me to her 2nd floor apartment, knocked on the door and said "Hey Sailor, we know you're in there. You're under arrest and it's time to call it a night".

Being a little underdressed and wanting to avoid all the unpleasantness of arrest and forfeiture of further Liberty, I tied my jumper and pants around my neck, shoved my rolled white hat under my skivvy shirt, stuck my wallet into my shoes and went out the window & up to the roof.

Palma had some of the narrowest streets in the world so I was able to jump from roof to roof while the SPs carefully chased me through the streets in an old Chevy Carryall, spotlighting my elevated progress all the way.

Fortunately, I was able to get down, cross the street to the Boat and get aboard before the SPs got me. Also fortunately, we were armed with then ultra-secret Mk 45 Torpedoes and the SPs were denied boarding (thank you Mr. Top-side Watch).

Next morning, when sitting across the table from him at breakfast, I expressed my thanks for covering me. In his typical non-smiling monosyllable manner, he says "sh-oo-t man, being lit up like that, you looked just like F-lipp-'n Zorro.

I was “Zorro” on that Boat until I transferred to my Shore Duty rotation in 1965….

[Seajay]

''Palma'' Been there ..... done that.....

and the streets are about like our side walks over in the ''old section'' .... I will write you a sea story about the ''communial bath rooms'' that I am sure you remember. they were in the back of the ''bars'' with a hole in the floor and a small ditch at the bottom of a tiled wall. ''Remember''? I will add a funny story in a few minutes .....

Tks for the input sailor .....
God bless our troops ....

[rmmpe]

I do remember them. Many of them had a porcelain casting that looks something like a rain's downspout diffuser with a hole in the middle. If you were lucky, there was a hose with water that you could rinse them down with. They were used in France, Italy, etc. too.

Interestingly enough, the Middle East still has far too many of them still in use.

I'd relate another story about a shipmate that got putrified and lost a contact lens on the floor of one of those places but, although funny at the time, it'd be a bit distasteful here.