a quiet corner on the info superhighway for the rantings and ruminations of a geezer bemused by modern society. political correctness is left at the curb. "An armed society is a polite society. Manners are good when one may have to back up his acts with his life. Robert A. Heinlein "
about me. well: i am a US Navy submarine veteran. i have retired from a research reactor for a california university. i met and married my second (and last) wife after growing up. my waist line is now 10 inches longer than my inseam. that sux, but then, i've enjoyed every calorie. i drink my coffee black. i am an NRA Life Member. i am the most liberal right wing radical republican i know. new favorite quote of the day: ""We have four boxes used to guarantee our liberty: The soap box, the ballot box, the jury box and the cartridge box". -- Ambrose Bierce (1887)"
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9 Comments:
I have this framed with my original Dolphin set crowning the page.
SUBMARINERS
Between the innocence of infancy and the recklessness of maturity comes the unique specimen of humanity known as the Submariner.
Submariners can be found in bars, in arguments, in bed, in debt and intoxicated. They like receiving mail, mid monthlys, nude pin ups, sympathy, complaining and beer.
A Submariners secret ambition is to change places with the Captain for just one trip, to own a brewery and to be loved by everyone in the world.
A Submariner is a Sir Galahad in a Japanese brothal, a psychoanalyst with Readers Digest on the table, Don Quixote with a discharge note, the saviour of man kind with his back teeth awash, Valentino with a fiver in his pocket and democracy personified in a Red Chinese prison cell.
A Submariner is a provider in war and a parasite in peace. No one is subjected to abuse, wrongly accused, so often misunderstood by so many as a Submariner. He has the patience of Job, the honesty of a fool and the heaven sent ability to laugh at himself.
When he returns home from a long trip, no one else but a Submariner can create such an atmosphere of suspence and longing as he walks through the door with the magic words on his lips:
HAVE YOU GOT THE ALE IN YET?
You know, I do like the way they look, kinda classy, but there is one (major) problem with them. There is a freakin' crown on them. I mean, they have a monarch and all, good for them, and they are very proud of their Queen (I would be too, if my family hadn't left England, or been kicked out of Scotland for supporting the pretender to the crown...oops). But we don't have a monarch, or any sembelance of a nobility (allthough some people treat the celebs as nobility, but they put their pants on one leg at a time, just like I do...except for the ones with only one leg, then they put their pant on one leg).
I would never wear a design like that solely for the fact that my ancestors fought to rid ourselves of that crown, for better or worse. They are pretty, they don't have a red star, or a hammer and sickle on them, or some other commie crap, but our dolphins represent the US sub service, the best in the world, and even though some other dolphins are good (better) looking, they aren't the best, and that is that.
The crown is tradition and will be there well past the time when we finally get rid off the monachy. (yep I'm not a royalist) however. I will happily lay my life for what they dolphins represent.
To me they represent a brotherhood. One over the skimmer scum. And the fact they look the dogs bollox on a uniform. I was mearly commenting that they look better than the US ones. Its my opinion.
I have both sets on my shelve and am proud have having them. The US enlisted guy I recieved them off was pissed I wanted a gold set. (We only have one colour as we wont sepaerate by class)
As for the best submarine service that I will happily challenge, yes you have the largest Submarine fleet in the world, not the best. Again its pride in the service that makes me say that.
Also, a Senior Chief that sea rided us for the DASO couldnt believe the difference in evauluating an American crew to a British one. He commented on the fact the US crews get rotated quickly to a different boat, especially after a qualifying in boats. With us, once your on a class its very hard to get off it.
But with all the banter on whos the best, we are the same. The training is identical. And the Dolphins are something I cherish.
Remember. There are only two types of warship. Submarines and Targets.
Damn skippy! It sounds like we are saying the same thing, and if the UK ever does get rid of the monarchy, that doesn't mean that the symbols of it should ever be removed. Tradition is very important, something that our Navy is losing sight of in too many areas.
Bud, its up to us, US or UK to keep the traditions alive. Both Navy's are full of tradition! some so similar that its scarey.
If that tradition is lost there is no one to blame but us that serve. Its us that serve on the line not the policy makers back home. You cant blame the Navy for it.
As for the dolphins I'd happy wear the US set as I would consider it an honour. Our Airborne wear the US wings on there uniform if they have ever worked with the US Airborne. I would love to see that tradition in the Submarine Service. I've worked and enjoyed working with the US/German and Danish submariners. (danish boat would fit in my bath). Either set would be an honour. Which to me is whats its all about anyway.
Honour and Integraty.
I cried at the loss of the Kirsk (whole new subject to chat about)
Not because they were the enemy, but because they are fellow submariners. As countries that have rescue boats (DSRV and LR5) we really didnt react quickly enough. Even when the Russians said no we should have had them on route. But thats a discussion for another thread.
Well, I agree with you that a lot of the sub traditions will never die, but a lot of the larger traditions of the Navy are going away. Mainly, all of the uniform changes, making the Navy look more like a cross between our Army and Marine Corps. While they are both great, they aren't the Navy, why should we wear their uniforms. Other things that are on their way out (heavily discouraged, some for good reasons, some for not so good reasons) are things like drinking your dolphins...and I won't get started about the lower standards that some areas of the Submarine training pipelines are going through. But, we will always remember, and pass on the traditions, even though we may not be able to partake in them anymore.
great discussion guys. isn't the internet a great tool to use to communicate?
Yeah, were lucky atm not going through the uniform changes. I was recently away with the Army and we had a US officer with the new digital uniform on. Tbh its looked scruffy. not as smart as the older fatigues.
As for standards well... i hear ya bud. We were getting people that could just about sign the own name.
I think the classiest set of dolphins I own are the ones I got from the Sonar Chief on the HMAS Ovens back in 1991.
There is no distinction between HMAS enlisted and officer dolphins, but I have always felt that there should be in the US Navy, mainly because most of the USN submarine officers I see today are idiots. They insist on the letter of the law instead of the spirit in which the laws were written and all minutae becomes crisis. Jackasses.
I have a set of Korean fish too but they are too 'roundy' for me. They look like bubbles or something.
I always wanted a set of Russian fish and since I spent the first part of my sonar career in the last throws of the Cold War I thought it would be a fitting tribute to those shifty adversaries to hang a set up. I bought a few Russian submariner pins, like thier Blue Nose pin, but never got any fish.
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