Not a Plank owner, but became a Shellback back in 1986 onboard an Adams Class Destroyer when we crossed the Equator.
Any rituals involved?
As I recall the crossing the equator ritual was the King Neptune celebration and involved quantities of alcohol, I believe homemade alcohol but it's been a long time.
Yes, pretty much hazing. Wearing clothes inside out. Crawling around like a dog. Getting whacked with homemade shellailies. Good times. It was a time honored, Naval tradition. Don't know what it is like now. I shudder to think.
We did the 6 month tour, WESTPAC. Home port Sand Diego. Hawaii, Philippines, Pago-Pago, Bahrain, Cochin (India), Darwin, McKay, Brisbane (Australia), Singapore. Escorted tankers in and out of the Gulf 1986 to 1987. We went into the Gulf of Oman. It was literally like glass. Never seen anything like it. Had our mail delivered by the Desert Duck. Things were heating up when we were there. After we left, the Stark got hit. Loved my Tin Can. USS Robison, DDG-12. I would never trade those years for anything. I had my first humbling life experience onboard that ship. Went out for mid watch, aft lookout. Cruising speed 13 knots. Props were kicking up the plankton in the water, leaving a blue/green glow off the fantail. Looked up into the clear, moonless night and was just in awe of the STARS in the night sky. Kind of puts things in perspective when you are surrounded, horizon to horizon by the universe. That was one of two peaceful times in my life.shell back early 90s, escorting Kitty Hawk around horn of south America on a tin can, us wogs had control of the bridge for almost 3 minutes, did a hard turn to avoid crossing the line, folks flew out of the bunks, we got greased real good and had one hell of a day crawling around like polywogs and yes spoiled rotten eggs stink to high heaven. those were the days. froze to death on bow while they engaged the deck wash down sprayers, oh the joy
blue nose 1985 USS America
swam with the SHARKS red sea 1997, got a certificate thingy for surviving
Did a really nice dive off bridge wing of a CG into the red sea. got a diving medal fashioned from a pepsi can
suez canal...more times than i like to remember 4 on carriers and 2 on tin cans
hung off side of a ship on a stage underway in mid pacific painting the side of the ship GREY vice the yellow my night shift painter tossed overboard, lets just say ship rolled and i was up to my neck in warm ocean water. it was a gas.. no certificate , just great fun ..bet navy does not do **** like that anymore , i had the 2x12 i used for the stage for years hanging in my garage
flooded the bridge of a german frigate during pass and review as part of a nato battle group. we built one hell of a REACH out and get you fire hose end fitting. got a nice BIG BLUE NATO PIN and a stern talking to by the ship CO
passing through panama canal 1990-1992 late, 7 times on 5 different tin cans ,
Yep, the original tradition has been expanded quite a bit. Julie's was for establishing a new command, Fleet Logistics Support Squadron or FLELOGSUPPRON 46.
I was on the USS Tripoli as a Marine back in '77-'78. Good times...bad jokes...lots of respect for Naval personnel for the hardships they deal with at sea...
