Some naval traditions still endure

To the editor:

Sailors haven’t always been the darlings of righteous behavior, but improvements slowly evolved through the years and there is no longer a flashpoint of questionable discipline.

Their former habitual reckless habits may be in perpetuating the sinister tradition of one John Paul but with reduced radical intensity in this modern age.

Born in Scotland in 1747, he killed a merchant seaman and fled to the Colonies, adding Jones to his name to escape British justices. His sea fighting skills for these Colonies were incredible and he is recognized as the Father of the American Navy. John Paul Jones’ crypt lies in the Naval Academy chapel in Annapolis, Maryland. (If word leaks concerning his former misdeed, a crusade will surely form demanding crypt removal.)

A calling card from Uncle Sam was on the horizon, so avoiding the perils of a foot soldier I chose to follow the sea. (Having been paddled so often as a child, I thought I was a canoe, which influenced my decision.)

The second paragraph of the Declaration of Independence stats “we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all  men are created equal.” As part of a completely nude group during processing, it was obvious to the most casual observer that this statement was severely flawed.

Straying from the nautical theme, military uniforms are normally designed to give purpose and function to all aspects of their makeup with continuous changes as modern requirements dictate. The British, in 1848, during their Indiana campaign, applied mud or spent coffee to white uniforms to blend with the desert environment. Camouflage was born with the term “khaki,” a Hindu word for sandy or dusty, now in common usage.

Originating in antiquity or earlier, generals employed aids carrying cols of rope with spiked ends to tether the general’s horse. A modern version of this custom continues in all militaries and aids to higher rank are identified by impressive braided coils with metal ends looped on one shoulder.

There’s one surviving uniform item whose present existence is without cause but is absolutely essential, almost sacred, concerning its service identity. A common hairstyle for sailors during the age of sail was one thick braid with grease applied, preventing unraveling from wind and sea conditions. The pigtail has faded into history, but the large flap behind the shoulders to soak up excess grease remains a worldwide trademark of all naval sailors.

(Now you know.)

The Navy’s past is not void of unique historical events. From 1837 to 1971, it possessed its own rope factory in Charlestown, Massachusetts. A typhoid scare in 1911 prompted the Navy to operate its own 875-acre dairy farm at Annapolis. After 87 years, it was sold in 1998 after typhoid was declared to no longer be a threat. The 1933 Navy Ration Law directed sailors to be served butter but wasn’t mandatory for other branches, generating bitter resentment. The two Navy coffee grinding plants (San Diego and Brooklyn) closed in 1956 when civilian sources met their finicky standards. Slow to recognize a changing world, all combat ships were required until 1962 to keep an inventory of cutlasses and swords to repeal boarders. Compliance was doubtful.

Terminating bygone events, manual typewriters on small ships sat with the carriage (reel) parallel to the ship’s length as opposed to perpendicular, which causes the carriage during extreme rolls to advance full wright with no key input.

Returning to the present, not part of Navy regulations but woe betide the signalman who doesn’t carry a Jolly Roger (pirate flag of white skull and crossbones on black) in his inventory. It’s hoisting is required when first time sailors cross the equator and are duly initiated.

“Spending money like a drunken sailor” is a familiar quote our government would be fiscally wise to endorse and follow. When a drunken sailor runs out of money, he quits spending.

Some who follow the profession of arms are trouble on religious grounds. “Vengeance is mine, sayeth the Lord,” but He contracts out. This should ease your moral dilemma.

The modern Navy has made great strides toward virtuous conduct but apparently hasn’t experienced full vindication. No one has yet written a hymn titled “Onward Christian Sailors.”

Respectfully,

Roy Leverich

Portland