For Slipdigit

Slipdigit-posted pictures from shell back initiation in a photo album. Hope you enjoy it. Seeing as how you recognized the name, are you by chance a Trusted Shellback of King Neptune's Court? Were you in the Navy or do you know about Naval Traditions?

By the way, I noticed you had mentioned in a post you are near Montgomery, Al. My wife and I just returned from Alexander City for her family reunion. We have family scattered all over Clay, Montgomery, Tallapoosa, and Talladega Counties.

http://www.ww2f.com/members/saltyshellback-albums.html

Take care,
SaltyShellback

 

I for one most definitely AM a Trusty Shellback having been duly initiated into King Neptune's realm on 20 November 1982 at 44 degrees 33 minutes E aboard the USS Enterprise CVN 65.

EMC(SW) T. A. Gardner USNR (ret.)

 

Slipdigit-I believe the number was around 125. And no, our C.O. did not use his get out jail free card. He was right down there with the rest of us. Our King Neptune was actually a Golden Shellback. Crossed the Equator twice. I am very sad to say that my department head refused to go through the initiation. The C.O. restricted him to quarters for the duration and posted a Master at Arms outside his stateroom. He was a bit of a putz anyway. Was a wanna be "ring knocker" without the ring.

T.A. Gardner-I like your very subtle way of letting us know that you are a Trusty Shellback. My last sea duty command was aboard the Big E. She was just coming out of Newport News after a major retrofit with new reactors when I left. I'll tell you, that is one job I hope I never see again. I'd rather spend a whole deployment with no liberty than go through the shipyards again.

Take care,
EWCS (NAC, AW) W.A. Hammons USN (ret)

 

Senior, you been over to this site? Its worth a perusal:

Official Big E Rx Site

While it isn't Airedale oriented its pretty good if you served on the 'prise.

 

Thanks Chief,
Took a quick gander, have to peruse it at my leisure at a later date. Definitely an interesting site. Have to see if I know anyone there. By the way, call me Bill, we're retarded, I mean retired now. I knew a Thomas Gardner on the Sara when I was going through the striker program back in the late 70's.
Take care,
Bill

 

Salty, those were great. Thanks.

 

Good stuff guys.

 

Hmm...what if you have been a member of a Neptune Ceremony outside of the military. I crossed the equator and the International Date line by ship in 1979 and was put on trial in King Neptune's Court. My charge was distracting the navigation of the ship while wearing my white bikinin (I was just going on 21 at the time!).

 

Will there be pictures?!

 

Hmm........I'll let you know later after I've looked for them!

 

Now hooooold on there Bobaloouie! Do I detect a subtle hint of sexism? Thingism? I put up pictures of scantily clad fema..uh, wome..eer, well something that came out of the night seas and appeared before King Neptune's Court and I don't hear any clamoring for more pictures. My feelings are hurt. I'm taking my keyboard and going home.

Yes! Please! Pictures! The rarest of all King Neptune's creatures to be seen by mere mortal Shellbacks, the Fair Maiden Shellback. (Pretty good huh? Made it up myself).

Take care,
Salty

 

Sorry, Just wasn't my kinda bird.

 

Nah. It's the Royal Baby (at least in the "old" Navy) you dreaded. Kissing the Queen's foot was nothing. "Kissing" the Royal Baby (eg., some 300 lb hairy, fat, ugly, MF with about 30 lbs of bearing grease on his belly) right in the belly button (as he pulled you in with all the force he could) was sure to stay with you for the rest of the month. No way to get that grease out short of a gasoline bath!

Of course Senior and I also know all too well the flavor and smell of Limburger Cheese (and yes, I have a mustache)....but that's not a public story.

 

"Slipdidit-Somehow, I just don't see Fair Maiden and Shellback being used in the phrase to describe a member of gentler sex. When I think "fair maiden", I think of a, well, maiden that is fair. When I think of "shellback", I think of you old crusty lunks."

Hey Chief, I think we've just been insulted, and I just beginning to like this guy. See what happens when you let landlubbers in on things. I thought I was paying her a complement as she is part of King Neptune's Realm. You come out of the initiation as a Shellback, there is no other designation, and there are not very many Female Shellbacks.

Chief, that was the one photo I was looking for. The Royal Baby's Belly, I had to get a cherry out of "it's" navel. Good Lord, I think I tasted bearing grease for weeks after that. Even JP-5 doesn't cut that stuff. This isn't no ordinary bearing grease you buy at the auto store. The ones I posted were out of our cruise book. I've got boxes of photos around here that need to be organized. I know I've got more, I just don't think I can post them, you know "military grade humor". There are some young minds around here. In your description you forgot about the overabundance of belly hair that helped hold all of that grease on. My understanding is now they are pretty tame compared to "back in the day/the old Navy".

Take care,
Salty

 

Now I just thought it was a point of comparing civilian to navy Neptune Ceremonies for historical purposes....

Anyhow here are the few photos. I had to get them out of one of those old photo albums without destroying them.

I travelled alone for just over 4 weeks from LA to Sydney on the Pacific Princess (The original used for "The Love Boat" tv show). End of Sept to end of Oct 1979 when I was turning 21. Don't get too excited - the only part of the bikini that shows is the white neck tie. By the way it was fun remembering!

 

That tanish colored grease for bearings and such.....

And, I really encourage everyone to look through the sea stories on the site I listed above, particularly the pictures. It is a truer and more accurate version of life in the Navy than you will ever get anywhere short of actually living it. In a sense, the site's sea stories are a huge autobiographical sketch of the lives of hundreds of sailors.