The Old Navy

[Tamaroa]

THE OLD OUTFIT

Come gather around me lads and I'll tell you a thing or two
about the way we ran the Navy in nineteen fifty two.
When wooden ships and iron men were barely out of sight
I am going to give you some facts just to set the record right.

We wore the old bell bottoms, with a flat hat on our head,
and we always hit the sack at night. We never went to bed!
Our uniforms were worn ashore and we were mighty proud.
Never thought of wearing civvies, in fact they were never allowed.

Now when a ship puts out to sea, I'll tell you son it hurts!
When suddenly you notice that half the crew is wearing skirts.
And it's hard for me to imagine a female boatswains mate.
Stopping on the Quarterdeck to make sure her stockings are straight.

What happened to the KiYi brush and the old salt water bath?
Holy stoning the decks at night - cause you stirred old Bosn's wrath.
We always had our gedunk stand and lots of pogey bait.
And it took a hitch or two to make a rate.

In your seabag all your skivvies were neatly stopped and rolled.
And the blankets on your sack had better have a three inch fold.
Your little ditty bag...it is hard to believe just how much it held,
and you wouldn't go ashore with pants that hadn't been spiked and belled.

We had scullery maids and succotash and good old SOS.
And when you felt like topping off - you headed for the mess.
Oh we had our belly robbers - but there weren't too many gripes.
For the deck apes were never hungry and there were no starving snipes.

Now you never hear of Dave Jones, Shellbacks or Polliwogs,
and you never splice the main brace to receive your daily grog.
Now you never have to dog a watch or stand the main event.
You even tie your lines today - back in my time they were bent.
>
We were all two-fisted drinkers and no one thought you sinned.
If you staggered back aboard your ship three sheets to the wind.
And with just a couple of hours of sleep you regained your usual luster.
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - you still made morning muster.

Rocks and shoals have long since gone, and now it's the UCMJ.
Then the old man handled everything if you should go astray.
Now they steer the ships with dials, and I wouldn't be surprised,
If someday they sailed the damned things from the beach computerized.

So when my earthly hitch is over, and the good Lord picks the best,
I'll walk right up to Him and say, "Sir, I have but one request -
Let me sail the seas of heaven in a coat of Navy blue
like I did so long ago on earth - way back in nineteen-fifty two".

(Author Unknown) Received from a Navy Chief, who got if from a Navy First Class PO - Yep, both are Old Navy.

[Boats]

The old salts they knew. I went in nineteen and sixty three and left in nineteen and seventy-five. The new Navy was now someones else's.

Peacetime Navy is boring and too much protocol - it got boring or I would have stayed in and did my twenty. Too bad really miss the shipboard life.

Thanks Tam for the piece someone really had a hand on the rail when they wrote that.

[Tamaroa]

Your welcome Boats. I know what you mean. I served on an ATF back in the 60's. A rough and tumble crew that was.

Best,

Bill

[SparrowHawk62]

Just goes to show you that you can't please everyone. I enjoy the post and thank you for it.


I HAIL FROM THE DAYS OF THE OLD NAVY AND I ENJOYED MOST OF YOUR HISTORY LESSON, BUT THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS I TAKE EXCEPTION WITH, CHIEF AMONG THEM WAS THE
WAY THE WOMEN FOLK HAD TO STAY BEHIND AND LISTEN TO THE SQUALLING RUG RATS, AND THE LANDLORD BANGING ON THE DOOR FOR THE RENT MONEY THAT WE DRANK UP OVER THE
WEEKEND. I NEVER DID LIKE THE WAY THE ONLY JOBS AVAILABLE TO THE WOMEN FOLK WAS SWILLING UP THE BEER FOR US , AND GETTING SLAPPED AROUND WITH BLACK EYES TO
SHOW FOR IT WHILST WE SWABS HAD A GLEAMING BATTLESHIP OR CARRIER TO WAKE UP TO...SPIT SHINE AND MUSTER WITH THE HURRICANE BOWS CUTTING THROUGH FRESH MORNING
FOG. WELL, I SAY LET THE WOMEN SHOWER AND SHINE IN THE HEAD AND MUSTER UP BRISTLE FASHION ON THE HANGER DECK, AND LET THEM HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO BE A BO'SUN'S MATE IF THEY'RE A MIND TO.
LIGHTNIN' PLANK OWNER CVA 60, CVA 62


Re: the old Navy-Black Eyed Wives???????


Huhhhhh? I dont think so! Why would you generalise in such a
way? That would be the case only if they allowed themselves to be abused in that manner. My wife worked in Navy towns, as an
apartment complex Assistant Manager while we lived in Jacksonville, and later as a pretty good shoe salesperson in a reputable firm in Brunswick Maine. Eventually she went back to school, and now has now worked as a Nurse at the Buffalo VA Hospital for the past eighteen years.

Carl

[Robert Ryan]

While at Pearl my wife worked at McDonalds, while in San Diego she worked at a Deparment Store. In Long Beach she worked as a schooly yard monitor at a elementary school. Plus took care of the two girls while I was deployed while on sea duty. Pearl Was both Sea Duty on a Firgate, then Shore Duty with Base Master at Arms.