During WW2, sailors endured much longer at sea deployments without ANY of the modern amenities on carriers today, while getting attacked by kamikaze airplanes DAILY.
Soldiers and Marines deployed to the sandbox wars of the last two decades spent years there on multiple deployments while getting shot at, motored and RPG'ed on a daily basis.
Soldiers and Marines sent to Vietnam in the 60's had to endure getting booby trapped, in addition to being attacked by larger forces, while patrolling in the jungle in 90-100 degree heat, also on multiple deployments.
My Dad deployed to Australia on December 9th, 1941, then to New Guinea, sometime in 1942. He didn't return home until May 1946 and the only way he had to communicate with his family was by snail mail.
Every time I hear about these pukes on the Lincoln AND THEIR FAMILIES complaining, I want to bash their heads together.
These people on the Lincoln are pussies.
They forget that they signed up for the defense of their nation, their ship and their buddies aboard with a promise to defend all of that with the cost up to and including their lives.
I would venture that no one in the Lincoln would not want to have regular port calls. I would also say that less than maybe three percent of the crew were crying to mommy about how horrible conditions are. Back in the early- to mid-seventies we started bitching about 7 to 10 days out when we started getting sterilized milk. Fresh fruit and vegetables weren't always available either. Twelve hour or longer shifts and 6 on / 6 off can become a grind really quickly. Water hours suck when operating in the tropical latitudes. The snail mail came and went when possible. News came via AFRTS and shortwave BBC. Lots of other fun stuff, too.
But we had it better than earlier generations of sailors. Certainly better than WWII and sure as hell better than the navies during the Age of Sail. We really did sign on to be on a ship in the middle of ocean. As they used to say "Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea".
I worked the flight decks of USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) & USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Wanna know the first thing I saw when I walked into the recruiter's office all those years ago? Ships in the middle of the ocean.
chow on ships is way better than looking at your average C-ration. when MREs first came out, we wanted the C-rats back. yeah. they where that bad. as I have told many a person, you never really miserable until cold rainwater is running down the crack of your ass. and there is no end in sight. that is when you really are miserable . ever shave with cold water in a steel pot ? looking back on it all, I would have be better off if I was on a damn ship !
i'm a man of means by no means...king of the road
ReplyDeleteWrong post, ya dope.
DeleteET2/SS
I asked that you didn’t use the title...
DeleteDuring WW2, sailors endured much longer at sea deployments without ANY of the modern amenities on carriers today, while getting attacked by kamikaze airplanes DAILY.
ReplyDeleteSoldiers and Marines deployed to the sandbox wars of the last two decades spent years there on multiple deployments while getting shot at, motored and RPG'ed on a daily basis.
Soldiers and Marines sent to Vietnam in the 60's had to endure getting booby trapped, in addition to being attacked by larger forces, while patrolling in the jungle in 90-100 degree heat, also on multiple deployments.
My Dad deployed to Australia on December 9th, 1941, then to New Guinea, sometime in 1942. He didn't return home until May 1946 and the only way he had to communicate with his family was by snail mail.
Every time I hear about these pukes on the Lincoln AND THEIR FAMILIES complaining, I want to bash their heads together.
These people on the Lincoln are pussies.
They forget that they signed up for the defense of their nation, their ship and their buddies aboard with a promise to defend all of that with the cost up to and including their lives.
War is hell.
Nemo
As always, well put Nemo. Your dad is my new hero, I'm stacking him in good company with his brothers in arms...
DeleteI would venture that no one in the Lincoln would not want to have regular port calls. I would also say that less than maybe three percent of the crew were crying to mommy about how horrible conditions are. Back in the early- to mid-seventies we started bitching about 7 to 10 days out when we started getting sterilized milk. Fresh fruit and vegetables weren't always available either. Twelve hour or longer shifts and 6 on / 6 off can become a grind really quickly. Water hours suck when operating in the tropical latitudes. The snail mail came and went when possible. News came via AFRTS and shortwave BBC. Lots of other fun stuff, too.
ReplyDeleteBut we had it better than earlier generations of sailors. Certainly better than WWII and sure as hell better than the navies during the Age of Sail. We really did sign on to be on a ship in the middle of ocean. As they used to say "Sailors belong on ships and ships belong at sea".
I worked the flight decks of USS Enterprise (CVN-65), USS Eisenhower (CVN-69) & USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Wanna know the first thing I saw when I walked into the recruiter's office all those years ago? Ships in the middle of the ocean.
ReplyDeletechow on ships is way better than looking at your average C-ration. when MREs first came out, we wanted the C-rats back. yeah. they where that bad. as I have told many a person, you never really miserable until cold rainwater is running down the crack of your ass. and there is no end in sight.
ReplyDeletethat is when you really are miserable . ever shave with cold water in a steel pot ?
looking back on it all, I would have be better off if I was on a damn ship !