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cosmosmariner · 10-07-2009, 11:43

When I was in the Navy We had an obnoxious Chief who insisted we make a pot of coffee every morning. At that time I had stopped drinking coffee for a while and didn't want to make it for him. So when It came my turn to make the coffee I first scrubbed the inside of the 20 cup aluminum pot with Ajax and only rinsed it once. Then I put half the grounds in the basket and turned it on. When He came in and drew a cup he tasted it and spit it out on the deck saying, "Jesus Christ who made this coffee?" I replied, "I did Chief, do you like it?" He looked at me jabbing his coffee cup in my direction and shouted, "You never make the coffee again!" I shrugged my shoulders and said, "OK". I'll bet HE remembers it!

mmckee1952 · 10-07-2009, 12:03

Here'a a spot for all the funny items and various thing's that happened to and by people, who were or are in the U.S. Navy. I figure a lot of skuttlebut will be distributed here before long.

Take Care,

Mike
OSCS (Retired Navy)

amytom · 10-07-2009, 12:22

Does this include not remembering a whole port call in Antaya, Turkey? What about mail bouy watch, 50ft of gig line, relative bearing grease...

FC1 (one tour was enough)

Mule · 10-07-2009, 12:40

Don't forget about 100' of shore line or 115 volt fallopian tubes.

I was over 21 when I went on active, left home at 17 so I had been around the block at least once. A 3rd class po sent me out to get 100feet of shore line. I left the ship at 1300 got back at 1630 3 sheets to the wind. Everybody else was chipping paint I was at the Enlisted Mens Club drinking Bud. I told the PO that I looked everywhere for that shore line and just could not find it, every body said they were out. Chuckle, least time anybody sent me on a snipe hunt.

One tour was enough, but I did have one hell of a good time, there were fun times, learning times, hard times, boring times and times of sheer terror.

mmckee1952 · 10-07-2009, 12:45

I'll never for get being sent down to where the snips work asking for 50ft of steam line, yea I know, when you've been in for only 8 months your an easy target. I think this blog is going to be really great, brings back a lot of memories both good and bad..

Mike

amytom · 10-07-2009, 13:26

The most painful was being sent down for an HT punch. I got the whole set.

anjou · 10-07-2009, 13:34

Were you ever sent to get a long rest?
Tartan paint?

sailorboy1 · 10-07-2009, 14:28

and then there's "go to the electrical shop and ask for a pair of dikes"

I wonder if in today's world so of this still goes on.

svHyLyte · 10-07-2009, 14:50

I seem to recall a story told about an apprentice seaman on his first cruise that was sent to the top of a radar mast to keep watch for a Mail Buoy. Not long after his assent he called down to the PO that had sent him aloft that he thought he had it in sight. What he saw proved to be a life raft with a couple of survivors of a earler sinking. Supposedly, after they were recovered, the PO complimented the young man and then instructed him to resume his watch...

As to whether there is any truth to the story...

Lodesman · 10-07-2009, 15:36

Is this just for funny things in the US Navy? Well I once witnessed one of your FFGs going to the North side of a South cardinal buoy in the Torres Strait - does that count?

On more than one occasion when US Navy ships visited Esquimalt and we hosted their Wardrooms for lunch, they actually thought that they were going back to work in the afternoon - hilarious.

With the exception of the submariners - their XO had been to Canadian ships before.

sctpc · 10-07-2009, 16:58

go get the sky hooks? get my left handed screwdriver.

redcobra · 10-07-2009, 17:31

smokeshifter anyone?

trebeyar · 10-07-2009, 17:35

In addition to being sent to the bridge to ask the Captain for DIMAS ink (this is a sonar device with electrolytic paper where the stylus burns the paper to present lines. There is no ink and as a Sonarman I should have known this...)

I was also elected by my division to compete in the Wog Queen contest during our Shellback initiations. My wife is still disturbed by the pictures in my cruise book...

And of course there was also a momentary search for sound powered phone batteries.