A new respect for Navy vets

[Ysabel Kid]

I already had a ton of it anyway. For all veterans. But Friday gave me even more respect for you Navy vets.

Despite the challenges of the unexpected, sudden death of my cousin, we decided to keep plans with my wife's side of the family, and went on a short cruise over Thanksgiving. The cruise left the port of Charleston on Thanksgiving day, and arrived back yesterday. There was 17 in our party, spanning three generations (my wife and I being in the oldest generation). It was a lot of fun, and just what we needed after the last 10 days.

Except Friday.

Actually Thursday night the ship started rocking. Not too bad, but we were heading into some weather. Friday, the darn thing bucked like a bronco all day long. I made it until just after lunch, then joined a good half of the guests (including some from our party) - and even a good portion of the crew - in worshiping the porcelain God (for the rest of the bloody afternoon and well into the evening). The ship ended up - literally - covered in puke. Dinning halls, corridors, rooms, the casino - everywhere possible somebody got sick. The poor staff spent the entire day and night cleaning up (and did a great job doing so!).

Talking to some of the crew, even members with 10-12 years experience, and they commented that it was the worst they had ever experienced. It certainly was for me!

So again, to all those who served on those bouncing metal bobbers on the high seas - I salute you!

[Blaine]

Sounds like a ship's stabilizer was not working properly?

[Griff]

Sounds like a ship's stabilizer was not working properly?

Aye, I sure wished on a few occasions that our Destroyer had stabilizers...

[goldstar225]

My dad served in WWII in the pacific theater. He told me that there were two stages of sea sickness. In the first stage you thought that you were going to die. In the second stage you were afraid that you wouldn't.

[Old No7]

...to all those who served on those bouncing metal bobbers on the high seas...

Gee Jay, thanks for sharing all of those details -- -- but I like your description above.

My dad served in WWII in the pacific theater. He told me that there were two stages of sea sickness. In the first stage you thought that you were going to die. In the second stage you were afraid that you wouldn't.

Yup, I've heard that one before!

First heard it at age 10 -- after consuming fifty cents worth of penny candy (back when it WAS a penny) -- mostly red licorice. We were outbound to Monhegan Island from Boothbay Harbor, Maine in a thick fog and heavy seas in an old wooden boat aptly named "The Balmy Days" -- but NOT on that day! Anyway, I made it almost all the way to the island before I finally lost it -- as half the crew and all the passengers but my dad and elderly grandmother were already sea foam green and chummin' for mackerel... (The fishin' was great that day...)

When I finally gave in and tossed it all up, the captain thought I had internal bleeding!

He was 5 seconds away from calling the Coasties to come and get me before my Dad intervened...

I pity the poor deckhand who had to clean that 'old barge of a boat...........

Old No7

[mack]

"First heard it at age 10 -- after consuming fifty cents worth of penny candy (back when it WAS a penny) -- mostly red licorice. We were outbound to Monhegan Island from Boothbay Harbor, Maine in a thick fog and heavy seas in an old wooden boat aptly named "The Balmy Days" -- but NOT on that day! Anyway, I made it almost all the way to the island before I finally lost it -- as half the crew and all the passengers but my dad and elderly grandmother were already sea foam green and chummin' for mackerel... (The fishin' was great that day...)

When I finally gave in and tossed it all up, the captain thought I had internal bleeding!

He was 5 seconds away from calling the Coasties to come and get me before my Dad intervened...

I pity the poor deckhand who had to clean that 'old barge of a boat..........."

Old No7,
So old Capt. Charlie Wade made you puke on the Monhegan run! Even the riding sail on the Balmy wouldn't keep her settled in that beam sea out of the south! That old boat had quite a history., as did "Uncle " Charlie Wade, as us island kids called him. That deck hand was likely one of my relatives.

[Walker]

The FFG I was on went through 3 weeks in the Pacific where most of the Northern Pacific was a storm. We skirted it and still took 3 waves over the top of the pilot house, cracked the superstructure above the Combat Information Center and had the ships bell ripped from its mount. I would occasionally check our plot in the pilot house on the midwatch and watched our sister ship 2000 yards off the starboard side crest the waves and nose down into the troughs disappearing from view. In daylight I watched as we did the same thing and the bow of the ship would go under bringing up green water when it resurfaced. The 1st class boatswains mate woke up 3 volunteers to go get the bell as it rolled around the deck. They lashed themselves together and we had men on the other end of the line (behind the weather break) ready to pull them back if they went down or overboard. Timed it right, retrieved the bell, and got everyone back inside before anything happened. darn mess specialists always served tuna melts in that weather. I kept a pocket full of crackers.

[earlmck]

Yeah, it could get rough. Most of my sea time was on a carrier -- I think I felt it sway a time or two in the midst of typhoon somebody-or-other. Of course we electronics technicians maintained the stabilizers, so they always worked fine.

[piller]

Only time I was on anything other than a bass boatvwas in the Army when we trained with the Marines from Camp Lejeune. The landing craft we were in had an open top and the waves were about a palm length from coming in on us. Those things bounced around like Billy Simms avoiding a tackle. Most of the troops in my platoon were talking to ralph about his mitsubishi as soon as we hit the beach. I had no trouble. For some reason my platoon sergeant was cussing at me between heaves. I guess he didn't like it that it didn't bother me to bounce around in a 15 man troop transport in the ocean. Heck, he was probably having an LSD flashback for all I could tell. The Marines seemed to have no problem with me being able to hit the beach and go just like they did. You should have heard what they called the rest of my platoon. The only good part was that no one ralphed in the troop carriers. The Marines were quite colorful in their description of my platoon getting sick from what they considered calm water. I don't know how I would handle rough water, but I think that blotter paper square popping platoon sergeant would have ralphed himself to death in rough water.

[Larkbill]

During WW2 my Dad was on an Atlanta class light cruiser, The Flint. Designed as principally an anti-aircraft platform it was about the width of the DE, but almost as long as a CA it had a nasty corkscrew roll in rough weather. Even the older regular Navy folks complained about it and the ship smelled like vomit any time the weather was bad. Though he had no sea experience he was fortunate to be immune to the motion and said the cooks loved him because he ate large amounts of everything they cooked. Except the half cooked turkey one Thanksgiving. He never enjoyed turkey again.

I appear to have inherited his inner ear, had a couple great days fishing on a party boat out of Sarasota when half the folks on board were too seasick to fish so Dad and I had the rail mostly to ourselves. I was in from '69-'73 but the closest I came to sea duty was crossing the Ohio twice on Ford's Ferry and taking a date on the Admiral once while home on leave in St. Louis.

[Ysabel Kid]

My dad served in WWII in the pacific theater. He told me that there were two stages of sea sickness. In the first stage you thought that you were going to die. In the second stage you were afraid that you wouldn't.

Exactly how I felt!!!

[jeepnik]

My family has had members from all the branches. We regularly rag on one another. My favorite for the USN is "Uncle Sam's Numbskulls". But I have to admit I respect anyone who is willing to live on a tiny metal boat in the middle of all that blue water.