Text 6287, 50 rader
Skriven 2004-12-15 10:59:23 av John Hull (1:379/1.99)
   Kommentar till text 6284 av DONALD ROOP (1:123/140)
Ärende: Breaking News!
======================
14 Dec 04 12:26, DONALD ROOP wrote to FRANK SCHEIDT:

 FS>>OK, actually Enlisted Swabbies *were* the same as Enlisted Swine
 FS>>-- they merely dressed differently.

 DR>> Aboard ship you weren't allowed to have a camera, were not allowed 
 DR>> to have a radio, could not use an electric razor, and did not dare 
 DR>> whistle aboard ship.

 FS>>That whistling bit was part of a superstition wasn't it?

 DR> Aboard ship orders were given by bos'n pipe or the pipe was used 
 DR> to gain attention.  It is too easy to mimic the sound of the pipe by 
 DR> whistling.  The ban on whistling was to avoid confusion.

Baloney.  The Bosun's pipe was strictly a carryover from the days of sail and
was a tradition to maintain continuity with the past.  From the time electronic
loudspeakers became available, the pipe was merely a means to get people's
attention, and its use was up to the captain of each individual ship. Other
than that, it was used only for ceremonial purposes for calling away sideboys,
etc.  The ship I was on had a senior captain so we had a lot of the ceremonial
stuff due to visiting flag rank officers and we were also the flag ship for the
task force whenever we were overseas, so there was an admiral who rode us; and
that too generated a fair amount of ceremonial use of the pipe calls.

They haven't taught recognition of pipe calls in boot camp since before WWII to
the best of my knowledge, either.


 DR>> Stealing someones clothing was a major offense

 FS>>Understandable, as Enlisted Swine weren't allowed to run around
 FS>>nekkid -- other than when in the shower, and *there* they were
 FS>>not supposed to pick up any dropped soap.

You couldn't bend over in those tiny shower stalls anyway.  It would be like
trying to bend over in a phone booth.

 DR> We used soap flakes.  It took longer to pick them up.:)

Most of our showers were with salt water anyway, which required special soap
and it didn't come in flake form.

John 

America:  First, Last, and Always!
Go to www.madgorilla.us for all your Domain Name Services at the lowest rates.

--- Msged/386 TE 05
 * Origin: We are the Watchmen of our own Liberty! (1:379/1.99)