After a long extended cruise, the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk was finally inching up to the pier at her San Diego homeport when the Captain of the ship noticed a sailor on the flight deck gesturing wildly with semaphore flags. He then noticed an attractive young woman standing on top of a station wagon, also waving semaphore flags.
Always concerned about security and never having seen something like this, the Captain barked at his Bridge Signalman, “What message are those two people sending?”
The Signalman concentrated intently and soon reported, “Sir, he is sending FOXTROT-FOXTROT and she is sending ECHO-FOXTROT.”
Not having any clue as to what these messages could mean, the Captain dispatched an armed Marine to escort the sailor back to the Bridge.
The sailor arrived, out of breath from running up the many ladders to the bridge, and saluted smartly. “Seaman Sanders reporting as ordered, sir!”
“Seaman,” shouted the Captain. “Who is that woman on the pier and why are you exchanging signals ‘FF’ and ‘EF’?”
“Sir, that’s my wife, Sir. She wants to Eat First!”
That’s one that I hadn’t heard 🙂
I’m sure you submariners had signalman on the bridge, too. I remember there were always several of them on various places, signaling to their wives or girlfriends (or both). It always amazed me that their wives signalled back. At least, it looked that way.