I Stood the Watch

I have singled up all lines and cast them off on cold gray misty dawns and plotted the bearing to the Cape Henry Light leaving home port. 

Before I hit the Boat I trained for two years on the job I was to do, it was after I arrived on board that I started my real education. I was a mess crank, non-qual and nearly got the Golden Flapper Award.  I went Ho! Ho! Ho! in the Escape Tower and nearly drowned in the Casualty Trainer.  I learned to be prepared.  My shipmates taught me what I needed to know.

Studied piping tabs so hard that I can still trace out major air, hydraulic and seawater systems today.  I have been on Port and Starboard as well as Port and Report.  I slept through my first trip to test depth.

We rode the Chicken Switches to the surface and heard the screw of a torpedo pass close aboard.  I learned how to cleanup after a Broken Spear and how to render a Subroc warhead unusable. 

I have a Shell Back and a Blue Nose.  I know the jokes and the hazing on the Boats:  Greasing; Pressure Test; Sea Bats; Got any nude pictures of your wife? and more.  I have been driven crazy and driven others crazy just to relieve the boredom. We watched the same six movies every night for three months even though we had over a hundred aboard.

I have had to wash my clean clothes twice before my wife would let me bring my sea bag in the house after a long run because of the smell..

I was drenched by the diesel on topside watch in the heat of the Med and froze in Groton one memorable January night.  I was the Shore Patrol in Christiansted, but never saw another White Hat all night long. Loved and hated the Boat and my officers.  Gotten drunk in foreign ports and saw cultural marvels.

In practice, I have sank more tonnage than all the Boats of all sides during both World Wars.  I am far from being the only one able to make that claim.

Traded for the dog watch as the below decks watch so I could play with my daughter on the Mess Deck during more than one holiday duty day. Played roulette for the first time at the Midway Party and learned card games for other times.

Counted turns in Sonar and flew the Boat as a plainsman.  Sat at the Firing Key and prayed not to hear the order to shoot. Waltzed Matilda for hours on end.  Been prosecuted out of an Area of Operation and snuck back in to continue the job.  Been put on report and commended.

Been to Scotland, Puerto Rico, Spain, Italy, Norway, Saint Crouix and off the coast of other places I still can't talk about.  Drank my Fish soaked in Sambuca and had my Crow tacked on. Loaded stores (cups of fresh milk coming up from below to slake our thirst and go with the "biscuits" we were scarfing down in Holy Loch) and weapons (a restraing strap breaking after we had stared lowering a MK-48 was handled with no panic).  Eaten powdered eggs, nearly rotten cabbage and way too much canned ravioli, along with some of the best food I have ever had.  Made friends I still have and worked with men I couldn't stand, but trusted with my life to do their jobs.  Seen men who could not handle the Boat break.

I have been on the Bridge while every star in the universe shone down in all their glory and watched dolphins surf the bow waves as we started into port.

I Qualified.  I am a part of a Brotherhood of all other Submariners.  I stood the watch and would do it again if my Country need my tired old bones.