Quote:
Originally Posted by QOB
Not many details in the story....
Wonder if the "rite of passage" mentioned approached what Lt. Gen. Mark Hertling endured at West Point..doesn't the Navy still intiate the polywogs when they cross the equator?
.....curious to know the details.
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They did when I was in some 24 years ago. I would hardly call it hazing though. It is a rite of passage. We also had a choice to participate or not. It was pretty elaborate. Officers and enlisted who had not crossed were treated the same regardless of rank, by those who had crossed, also regardless of rank.
Shilalees made of fire hose were used liberally. My ass was red for a week after. Wogs had to crawl around on the non skid on hands and knees all day. So not only was my ass red, my knees were thrashed as well.
Being on your hands and knees left your rear exposed for anyone on two legs with a shilalee. (In comparisson it was quite mild to making rank and getting your rank tagged on).
CO and XO also participated.
The second time I crossed for the Shellback cerimony I elected to stand watch and man my radar as opposed to initiating others across. Someone had to keep an eye on the skies and sea. It did kind of have a Lord of the Flies mentality to it.
Not to long after, the ceremony changed in the move toward a kinder and gentler navy. No more red asses.
All in all it was a tradition going back hundreds and hundreds of years that I'm glad to have taken part in. It was good fun, and I'd do it again a million times over.
Oh, I forgot to mention, the food that day was the worst food concocted aboard a navy ship I had ever eaten. And thekilling of the wog and "birthing" of a shellback stank so bad there was plenty of vommit to swim in in the coffin.
Really though, one of the best days and most memorable times in this sailors life.