Views from a Sailors Fieldglass~

Interested in making available to all Sailors, new...old....tested....still in bootcamp, the opportunity to read from the mind of a Sailor who sailed via a nuclear ship USS California CGN-36.  My publication A Sailor Goes Ashore, Short Stories at Sea and Ashore can give any Navy man or woman a head's up before enlisting or a nod of 'you bet' if you've already set sail.

Author-Stewart D Boston in Portsmouth, England

This will be a medium for all us Sailors to share stories, ask questions and just plain enjoy remembering where we've been in this tough but worthwhile country of America.

Too often young men and women choose to join up without really knowing what the Navy and we Sailors are about....this will give everyone an opportunity to at least see what one Sailor's experiences were and what can happen below in the bowels of the engine room.  HA. HA.

Excerpt from my book:

EPILOGUE and Final Thoughts

The following is the Mission Objective for every U.S. Navy Junior Seaman, sailing on board a surface steam ship for the first time in their career:

          Many of the Senior Seamen would gather on the main deck to cheer them on while the Junior Sailors did their darndest to obtain their objectives as set forth by the Captain on Watch on the Bridge.

            The Junior Sailors learned a lot about feigned seamanship and great fun was had by all shipmates during these forays. They couldn’t wait to pull the same shenanigans on their Juniors when the time came.

            The “Old Man” (Captain) would initiate the games being ON when announcing each command to start to commence the Juniors “Mission Objectives” while on the bridge.  The Senior Seamen would yell to the Juniors what they had to do, where to look and how to catch the prize and who had to verify that the prize was obtained!!

1.      For instance, Matey, lay to the # 1 Engine Room and get a bucket of steam, cover it up and bring it to the bridge for the Captain to inspect it!!

2.      Say, Matey Dog, get below to the engine spaces and get a quart of Relative Bearing Grease, then bring it topside to the bridge to grease the relative bearings!!

3.      Oh, Junior Snipes (Junior Machinist Mates)—lay to the main deck and catch us up a mess of snipes to cook up for mess call.  You’ll need a bucket and neckerchief to hold them in—they fly you know?!!

4.      Oh—Boatswain Mates—lay to the port side of the ship and watch for and catch some mermaids.  They look like dolphins and porpoise that follow our port—forward beam of the ship—use a net!!

Give me a holler and tell me of your memories too....would love to hear them.  Stewart D. Boston