Look! I found the most amazing thing at St Vincent de Paul’s the other day. It’s a Seaman’s manual. I bet that a current version of this is still in use in the Navy, but no doubt it has ben modified and reformed. This version contains references to getting a “square deal” from your superiors, as well as not bragging to “your girl” about the amount of top secret information that you recieve, and how to obey “the call of nature” when you’re on watch. It contains the most charming diagrams for how to salute, as well as how to fold your uniforms. I am fascinated with Navy culture, and found myself grinning from ear to ear in the Rogers High School library this morning as I was looking through it. I bought it with the intention of turning it into a journal, but now I think I’ll make some paintings from the diagrams. =)
I’ve got to tell you- along with the grin I was sporting reading this, my face also turned a little red because some of my greatest memories involve sailors in uniform. Even seeing a stranger who’s wearing his blues (or whites) brings all of my senses alive in a single moment. *grin* Then I have to remind myself that said sailor is a stranger and would not appreciate my hugs…or kisses. *blush*
I’ll leave you with my favorite qoute:
“You will hear a great deal about moral responsability in the Navy. It is a good term to understand. It means doing your job honestly, the best you know how. It means living up to the rules and regulations that were made for good reasons, not just to annoy you. It means acting like a man when you go ashore, a man with pride and self-respect. It means thinking of other people and not just yourself. There are really only two kinds of people in the Navy. One kind, the majority, are men who understand moral responsabillty and do their job afloat and keep thier noses clean on the beach. The others, fortunately not many, are the boys who haven’t got the word-who think it’s smart to goof off and cause trouble.”
That’s right boys. Keep your noses clean on the beach. =)
squeezes to all my salty sailors.
laura. =)

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