The Old Navy

[Tamaroa]

THE OLD OUTFIT

Come gather around me lads and I'll tell you a thing or two
about the way we ran the Navy in nineteen fifty two.
When wooden ships and iron men were barely out of sight
I am going to give you some facts just to set the record right.

We wore the old bell bottoms, with a flat hat on our head,
and we always hit the sack at night. We never went to bed!
Our uniforms were worn ashore and we were mighty proud.
Never thought of wearing civvies, in fact they were never allowed.

Now when a ship puts out to sea, I'll tell you son it hurts!
When suddenly you notice that half the crew is wearing skirts.
And it's hard for me to imagine a female boatswains mate.
Stopping on the Quarterdeck to make sure her stockings are straight.

What happened to the KiYi brush and the old salt water bath?
Holy stoning the decks at night - cause you stirred old Bosn's wrath.
We always had our gedunk stand and lots of pogey bait.
And it took a hitch or two to make a rate.

In your seabag all your skivvies were neatly stopped and rolled.
And the blankets on your sack had better have a three inch fold.
Your little ditty bag...it is hard to believe just how much it held,
and you wouldn't go ashore with pants that hadn't been spiked and belled.

We had scullery maids and succotash and good old SOS.
And when you felt like topping off - you headed for the mess.
Oh we had our belly robbers - but there weren't too many gripes.
For the deck apes were never hungry and there were no starving snipes.

Now you never hear of Dave Jones, Shellbacks or Polliwogs,
and you never splice the main brace to receive your daily grog.
Now you never have to dog a watch or stand the main event.
You even tie your lines today - back in my time they were bent.
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We were all two-fisted drinkers and no one thought you sinned.
If you staggered back aboard your ship three sheets to the wind.
And with just a couple of hours of sleep you regained your usual luster.
Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed - you still made morning muster.

Rocks and shoals have long since gone, and now it's the UCMJ.
Then the old man handled everything if you should go astray.
Now they steer the ships with dials, and I wouldn't be surprised,
If someday they sailed the damned things from the beach computerized.

So when my earthly hitch is over, and the good Lord picks the best,
I'll walk right up to Him and say, "Sir, I have but one request -
Let me sail the seas of heaven in a coat of Navy blue
like I did so long ago on earth - way back in nineteen-fifty two".

(Author Unknown) Received from a Navy Chief, who got if from a Navy First Class PO - Yep, both are Old Navy.