Once I
Was A Navyman
I like the Navy.
I like the sound of taps over the ships announcing system, the ringing
of the ships bell, the foghorns and strong laughter of Navy men at
work. I like the ships of the Navy - Nervous darting Destroyers, sleek
proud Cruisers, majestic Battle Ships, steady solid Carriers, the
essential Fleet Auxiliaries and silent hidden Submarines - I like the
workhorse tugboats with their proud Indian names: Iroquois, Apache,
Kiawah and Sioux - Each stealthy powerful Tug safely guiding the
warships to safe deep waters from all harbors.
I like the
historic names of other proud Navy Ships: Midway, Hornet, Princeton,
Sea Wolf and
I like the
bounce of Navy music and the tempo of a Navy Band, "Liberty Whites",
“13 Button Blues”, the rare 72 hour liberty and the spice scent of a
foreign port - I like Shipmates I've sailed with, worked with, served
with or have known: The Gunners Mate from the Iowa cornfields; a
Sonarman from the Colorado mountain country; a pal from Cairo, Alabama;
an Italian from near Boston; some boogie boarders of California; and of
course, a drawling friendly Oklahoma lad that hailed from Muskogee; and
a very congenial Engineman from the Tennessee hills.
From all parts
of the land they came - Farms of the Midwest, small towns of New
England - The red clay area and small towns of the South - The mountain
and high prairie towns of the West - The beachfront towns of the
Atlantic, the Pacific and the Gulf - All are American; all are comrades
in arms - All are men of the sea and all are men of honor.
I like the
adventure in my heart when the ship puts out to sea, and I like the
electric thrill of sailing home again, with the waving hands of welcome
from family and friends, waiting on shore - The extended time at sea
drags; the going is rough on occasion. But there's the companionship of
robust Navy laughter, the devil-may-care philosophy of the sea. This
helps the Navyman - The remembrances of past shipmates fill the mind
and restore the memory with images of other ships, other ports, and
other cruises long past - Some memories are good, some are not so good,
but all are etched in the mind of the Navyman - And most will be there
forever.
I like the sea
and after a day of work, there is the serenity of the sea at dusk. As
white caps dance on the ocean waves, the sunset creates flaming clouds
that float in folds over the horizon - As if painted there by a master.
The darkness follows soon and is mysterious. The ship’s wake in
darkness has a hypnotic effect, with foamy white froth and luminescence
that forms never ending patterns in the turbulent waters - I like the
lights of the ship in the dark of night - The masthead lights, the red
and green sidelights and stern lights. They cut through the night and
appear as a mirror of stars in darkness - There are rough stormy
nights, and calm, quiet, still nights where the quiet of the mid-watch
allows the ghosts of all the Sailors of the world to stand watch with
you. They are abundant and unreachable, but ever apparent - And there
is always the aroma of fresh coffee from the galley.
I like the
legends of the Navy and the Navymen that created those legends - I like
the proud names of Navy Heroes: Halsey, Nimitz, Beach, Farragut,
Rickover and John Paul Jones. A man can find much in the Navy -
Comrades in arms, pride in his country - A man can find himself and can
revel in this experience.
In years to
come, when the Sailor is home from the sea, he will still recall with
fondness the ocean spray on his face when the sea is angry - There will
come a faint aroma of fresh paint in his nostrils, the echo of hearty
laughter of the seafaring men who once were close companions - Now
landlocked, he will grow wistful of his Navy days, when the seas were
the largest part of him and a new port of call was always just over the
horizon.
Recalling those
days and times, he will stand taller and say: "ONCE I WAS A NAVYMAN !”
E.
A. Hughes, FTCM (SS),
USN (Retired)
Copyright, 1958, 1978