laughed so hard at this one it made me cry, but you would
have had to have been there. It was a mid-watch on sonar on a shakedown cruise
out of Newport, Virginia, back in late 1967 before they split the crews into
blue and gold on the USS Ethan Allen SSBN 608. This Sonar Man was huge, at
least250 lbs, but none of the real fat stuff just a big and blond haired kind
of man they grow up in Wisconsin. Forgot his name, something about 35 years
later and too much diet Pepsi.
He was a soft easy going kind too and had been on the boat before the yard
overhaul when she was stationed in Scotland. He was on the beach (you know
liberty) and in the 1960's they didn't like us submarine sailors involved in
there private parties with their private misses. It was called Holy Loch,
Scotland. Anyway this sailor had gotten drunk at the local pub which was
okay with the other people of the little town, because that's a way of life in
this cold region of the world and it provided funds for the township and as
most of you know nice girls don't go into pubs.
Well this Sonar Man got drunk and tried to make it back to the sub tender to
get back to the boat tied alongside. He got to going in the wrong direction
and he winds up at a big private party with a band and good looking lassies.
He walks in (he was wearing civilian clothes) and helps himself to the
bowl of spiked punch and is having a real good time, till someone tried to
start up a conversation with him and found out that he was a yank, right. Out
he goes into the snow with the trying to be kind excuse that this party was
for Scottish people only.
He tries to sober up on the front steps of this huge mansion with a big
wrap around porch when he spots this pretty young lassie crying on the front
porch. He goes over to the young lady and says, "Why are you crying young
lady?" and she is barely able to sob out that they won't let her go to
the party either. The reason why is lost somewhere in time, but the band is
playing right behind them and remember he's been drinking and he is one big
kind of softhearted guy.
He says to her, "You want to go to the party?" and she sniffles and
nods yes. So, he stands up and notices that the big tall window behind the
band is slightly open for ventilation. He opens it the rest of the way and
picks her up and throws her through the window into the band knocking half of
them down and then he crawls in after her. He picks her up and they head for
the punch bowl in front of everyone watching them. The band starts back up
again. No one bothered them the rest of the evening. I can't tell you the rest
of the story, because this is a family atmosphere, but I died laughing at this
beautiful sea story. He went on to the gold crew and I went on to the blue,
but I bet he had a couple of dozen more good stories I never got to hear. Time
is just an excuse to waste our youth ... |