Enjoy this oldie, but goodie!
One reason I am no longer in the Navy is because as a petty officer, one of my less than glorious duties was to stand watch at the After brow when the ship was docked at port.
To make a long story longer, one night I had the dog watch: 0000 to 0400 (12:00 a.m. ‘til 4:00 a.m.). As you might guess, sailors have a reputation for drinking and most bars around the port closed at 0200.
About three o’clock one morning while on watch, I spotted an obviously inebriated sailor walking up the After brow. He was swaying to and fro and as he got closer, I recognized him as a friend of mine.
We had nicknamed him “J.J.” because when in port, he always seemed to have a bottle of Jack Daniels in one pocket and a bottle of Jim Beam in the other.
It is against Navy regulations to bring liquor on board and is punishable up to thirty days in the brig with nothing but bread and water.
J.J. was staggering up the After brow grinning from ear to ear with a bottle in each pocket. When he got to the ship, I stopped him and started my Navy lifer lecture.
“Now J.J., you know bringing liquor on board is against regulations. I’m supposed to report you and have you thrown into the brig. But you and I have been through a lot together on the flight deck. So this is what I’m going to do: I’m going to turn around and I want to hear two splashes.”
I was going to give J.J. a break. After all, he was my buddy and a fellow flight deck Yellow Shirt director.
I turned my back and after waiting a few seconds, I heard a gentle “kerploosh, kerploosh.”
I turned around planning to give J.J. another lecture about bringing liquor on board. He was still there, swaying side to side, grinning ear to ear, and completely barefoot.
J.J. had thrown his shoes overboard.
He did what I asked, so I decided that since no one else was around, I had to let him pass. I have to admit that was really funny.
From that episode, I’ve since learned: what you want to hear, what you think you hear, and what you actually hear are not necessarily the same.
Get your FREE copy of my novel, NEVER FORGET (see below).
No obligations, nothing to fill out.
Andy Adkins is a US Navy veteran (’73-77) and the author of several books. His newest novel, NEVER FORGET, is the story of A Vietnam Veteran’s Journey for Redemption & Forgiveness. NEVER FORGET is FREE (eBook, PDF) for all veterans. Download your FREE copy HERE.