| Powder Monkey January 2012 |
| The War for Southern Independence's Naval Side. Information about the naval side of the war. |
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| Sea Sick? by Roger Campbell |
“Ah, what’s wrong?” Puzzled, Bill looked at the three spirits as he took his usual
seat on the cemetery’s wall. Silence, non moving was not their style. “Okay, I see your
reason for despair. Curtains are closed for both windows. Relax guys, you’ll live.”
The ghosts slowly turned and looked at the reporter.
“Ah, not a smart comment was it?” Bill tried to back away. The fact he was sitting
on a narrow wall stopped him. Time to face the music.
“I’d say it was one of your dumbest.” Willie nodded as he made his remark.
“Maybe one of the dumbest I ever heard.” George grinned as he commented.
“Don’t know about all that.” Chicken added. “But it sure be dumb. And a white man
be making that dumb thing. Oh, Lordly I feels I’s getting smarter.” George and Willie
looked at him and shook their heads.
“Okay, I deserve that. Now why so glum? Those curtains are often closed. Not time
for either of them to be home from work.”
“Well, that in and of itself is a grand reason for being morose.” George stood,
flexed his muscles then returned to his seat. Three sets of eyes wondered what they were
watching. “But actually we’ve been sitting here talking about a show we saw on the
caretaker’s TV. About boats so big they can carry flying machines.”
“The ships are called aircraft carriers. The flying machines like the ones ya’ll seen
going overhead are called planes. What was the program about? Anything special?”
“Just a good look. What they called a walk about. Shows many parts of the ship and
what goes on.” George stopped and fixed his eyes on Bill. “Are those ships real? They
actually can carry planes on them?”
“Floating airports.” Three stares told Bill he needed to explain. “Ships have ports
where they go in after being at sea. Planes land at airports after traveling about.” Three
nods inferred they understood. “A modern carrier can carry about a hundred planes like
those you saw in the show. There’s about six thousand men on board taking care of the
ship and planes. The boats are like cities. Everything you need, they can make fresh
water, clean the air, make electricity, have ways for the men to get exercise and
entertainment– ”
“Alright, they got whores on board.” Willie stopped for a moment when he saw
Bill’s look of contempt. “What you looking at? Those were the only females that went to
sea with us.” George nodded and smiled in agreement.
“Today, there are women in the navy as regular enlisted sailors. They’re part of the
ship’s crews. Treated just like men. Carry out their duties like the men– ”
“Oh, I doubt they perform like the men.” George’s comment caused a break in the
conversation. All four were laughing.
Finally Willie was able to ask a question. “How you know so much about them big
ships? You served on one? Didn’t think you had been in the military.”
“Didn’t serve. But I was on a tiger cruise.”
Three ghosts were whiter than usual. “Huh?”
“Every so often a ship will allow relatives of the crew to sail on it. Say when it
does a change of home ports or have a short trip to its next port of call. My brother was
on Saratoga. Got to spent couple of days on her going from Philly to Mayport.” Bill had
three spirits staring at him in wonder. “Got to see why I was glad I never
enlisted.”
“Ah, got a question. Did anyone get sea sick? As big as those boats are I can’t
image it ever being tossed about by the sea.”
“George, you ain’t going to believe the answer to your question. But yeah, folks got
sick.”
“On that big thing?” Chicken asked. “Tain’t possible.”
“Before we had even reach the breakers, ah left port, there was a line outside Sick
Bay. A long line. And they weren’t the civilians. Come to think of it I don’t remember
any of the civilians getting sick. Well, not from sea sickness.”
“Part of the crew was sick before they even got to sea?” Willie seemed in total
disbelief.
“They weren’t ship’s company, ah, the regular crew for the ship. The sickies all
were part of the airwing who came on board with their planes. Those guys only
embarked when the planes were onboard. When in home port the birds fly off to an
airfield in the area and so do the little boys. Mike said they were glad to see the leeches
go. Wish they never came back. Losers never carried their weight taking care of the
ship.”
“Sounds like you don’t like them.” Willie remarked.
“Bunch of lazy, overpaid, what did ya’ll call them, sissies? Yeah, that fits. Guys
were sick before we got to sea. And when we went around Hatteras, oh, did the ship
stink.”
“How bad was it on your trip around the Cape?’ George asked.
“Let’s put it like this. The bridge on Sara was 90 feet about the water line. Waves
were splashing it.” Bill expected the last part to awe the Civil War sailors. Didn’t
happen.
“Sounds like a normal trip.” Willie remarked.
“Glad I was on a carrier. I didn’t lose my lunch. But those who didn’t lose it going
to sea, last it at Hatteras. Ship stunk for a week.”
“What a bunch of sissies. Won’t last one voyage around the Cape on a tall ship.”
George looked at Willie. “Which cape you talking about now, Hatteras or the
Horn?”
“Horn. Only heard about going around it. We Southerners didn’t get to travel the
way you yanks did.” Willie shot some visual darts at his former foe.
“Hush, Hatteras was the only Cape I made it around and that was bad enough.
Heard about Horn. No desire to try that passage.”
“Went around during a storm?” Bill asked.
“Try a hurricane. Not suppose to be any of those big blow jobs during November.
Now that was when you got your sea legs.”
“Got to walk on the bulkheads I bet?” Willie laughed as he spoke. Memories seem
to be flashing through his mind as he spoke.
“You do it on your trip?” George returned the darts.
“Sure did. By the time the boat was rolling that much we were pass chucking.
Nothing left down there.” Willie rubbed his tummy. “Did seem weird to be walking on
the walls as if they were the floor. Oh well, once we got use to it we sure had fun. Like a
roller coaster ride.”
“Ever notice there were no fat sailors in our time?” George was chuckling. Bill was
going back and forth with eyes as he listened to the pair. Chicken had left at the first
mention of heaving.
“None that went to sea. The sea has this way of keeping you healthy. It makes you
get rid of all that lousy grub they feed you.” Willie pretended to heave.
“Hey, watch that. I’ll have you know the US Navy served the finest worms and
maggots that ever went to sea.”
“That’s why we never got any good food. Ya’ll had it.” Willie’s comment caused
the two ghosts to roll over in laughter.
“Guys, I think– ”
“Wow, a living that thinks.” The pair continued to laugh.
“Cute. Now if ya’ll don’t have any questions, I see a curtain opening.”
A true Southerner, Willie gave a good rebel yell. A converted Yankee, George
attempted to do the same. The conversation was over.
seat on the cemetery’s wall. Silence, non moving was not their style. “Okay, I see your
reason for despair. Curtains are closed for both windows. Relax guys, you’ll live.”
The ghosts slowly turned and looked at the reporter.
“Ah, not a smart comment was it?” Bill tried to back away. The fact he was sitting
on a narrow wall stopped him. Time to face the music.
“I’d say it was one of your dumbest.” Willie nodded as he made his remark.
“Maybe one of the dumbest I ever heard.” George grinned as he commented.
“Don’t know about all that.” Chicken added. “But it sure be dumb. And a white man
be making that dumb thing. Oh, Lordly I feels I’s getting smarter.” George and Willie
looked at him and shook their heads.
“Okay, I deserve that. Now why so glum? Those curtains are often closed. Not time
for either of them to be home from work.”
“Well, that in and of itself is a grand reason for being morose.” George stood,
flexed his muscles then returned to his seat. Three sets of eyes wondered what they were
watching. “But actually we’ve been sitting here talking about a show we saw on the
caretaker’s TV. About boats so big they can carry flying machines.”
“The ships are called aircraft carriers. The flying machines like the ones ya’ll seen
going overhead are called planes. What was the program about? Anything special?”
“Just a good look. What they called a walk about. Shows many parts of the ship and
what goes on.” George stopped and fixed his eyes on Bill. “Are those ships real? They
actually can carry planes on them?”
“Floating airports.” Three stares told Bill he needed to explain. “Ships have ports
where they go in after being at sea. Planes land at airports after traveling about.” Three
nods inferred they understood. “A modern carrier can carry about a hundred planes like
those you saw in the show. There’s about six thousand men on board taking care of the
ship and planes. The boats are like cities. Everything you need, they can make fresh
water, clean the air, make electricity, have ways for the men to get exercise and
entertainment– ”
“Alright, they got whores on board.” Willie stopped for a moment when he saw
Bill’s look of contempt. “What you looking at? Those were the only females that went to
sea with us.” George nodded and smiled in agreement.
“Today, there are women in the navy as regular enlisted sailors. They’re part of the
ship’s crews. Treated just like men. Carry out their duties like the men– ”
“Oh, I doubt they perform like the men.” George’s comment caused a break in the
conversation. All four were laughing.
Finally Willie was able to ask a question. “How you know so much about them big
ships? You served on one? Didn’t think you had been in the military.”
“Didn’t serve. But I was on a tiger cruise.”
Three ghosts were whiter than usual. “Huh?”
“Every so often a ship will allow relatives of the crew to sail on it. Say when it
does a change of home ports or have a short trip to its next port of call. My brother was
on Saratoga. Got to spent couple of days on her going from Philly to Mayport.” Bill had
three spirits staring at him in wonder. “Got to see why I was glad I never
enlisted.”
“Ah, got a question. Did anyone get sea sick? As big as those boats are I can’t
image it ever being tossed about by the sea.”
“George, you ain’t going to believe the answer to your question. But yeah, folks got
sick.”
“On that big thing?” Chicken asked. “Tain’t possible.”
“Before we had even reach the breakers, ah left port, there was a line outside Sick
Bay. A long line. And they weren’t the civilians. Come to think of it I don’t remember
any of the civilians getting sick. Well, not from sea sickness.”
“Part of the crew was sick before they even got to sea?” Willie seemed in total
disbelief.
“They weren’t ship’s company, ah, the regular crew for the ship. The sickies all
were part of the airwing who came on board with their planes. Those guys only
embarked when the planes were onboard. When in home port the birds fly off to an
airfield in the area and so do the little boys. Mike said they were glad to see the leeches
go. Wish they never came back. Losers never carried their weight taking care of the
ship.”
“Sounds like you don’t like them.” Willie remarked.
“Bunch of lazy, overpaid, what did ya’ll call them, sissies? Yeah, that fits. Guys
were sick before we got to sea. And when we went around Hatteras, oh, did the ship
stink.”
“How bad was it on your trip around the Cape?’ George asked.
“Let’s put it like this. The bridge on Sara was 90 feet about the water line. Waves
were splashing it.” Bill expected the last part to awe the Civil War sailors. Didn’t
happen.
“Sounds like a normal trip.” Willie remarked.
“Glad I was on a carrier. I didn’t lose my lunch. But those who didn’t lose it going
to sea, last it at Hatteras. Ship stunk for a week.”
“What a bunch of sissies. Won’t last one voyage around the Cape on a tall ship.”
George looked at Willie. “Which cape you talking about now, Hatteras or the
Horn?”
“Horn. Only heard about going around it. We Southerners didn’t get to travel the
way you yanks did.” Willie shot some visual darts at his former foe.
“Hush, Hatteras was the only Cape I made it around and that was bad enough.
Heard about Horn. No desire to try that passage.”
“Went around during a storm?” Bill asked.
“Try a hurricane. Not suppose to be any of those big blow jobs during November.
Now that was when you got your sea legs.”
“Got to walk on the bulkheads I bet?” Willie laughed as he spoke. Memories seem
to be flashing through his mind as he spoke.
“You do it on your trip?” George returned the darts.
“Sure did. By the time the boat was rolling that much we were pass chucking.
Nothing left down there.” Willie rubbed his tummy. “Did seem weird to be walking on
the walls as if they were the floor. Oh well, once we got use to it we sure had fun. Like a
roller coaster ride.”
“Ever notice there were no fat sailors in our time?” George was chuckling. Bill was
going back and forth with eyes as he listened to the pair. Chicken had left at the first
mention of heaving.
“None that went to sea. The sea has this way of keeping you healthy. It makes you
get rid of all that lousy grub they feed you.” Willie pretended to heave.
“Hey, watch that. I’ll have you know the US Navy served the finest worms and
maggots that ever went to sea.”
“That’s why we never got any good food. Ya’ll had it.” Willie’s comment caused
the two ghosts to roll over in laughter.
“Guys, I think– ”
“Wow, a living that thinks.” The pair continued to laugh.
“Cute. Now if ya’ll don’t have any questions, I see a curtain opening.”
A true Southerner, Willie gave a good rebel yell. A converted Yankee, George
attempted to do the same. The conversation was over.