Navy Vets

[quasi]

I see a few Navy Vets on the forum. Any ShellBacks?

[Bandera]

Got mine in the pacific near Singapore.

RM1
Michael

[RinconRyder]

DD886 sailor for three years but made it south only as far as Dixie Station, Vietnam. Never got to do the "show the flag" port visits or trips to Oz or NZ.

RM2

[WilderThomas]

DD886 sailor for three years but made it south only as far as Dixie Station, Vietnam. Never got to do the "show the flag" port visits or trips to Oz or NZ.

RM2

I was fortunate enough to be able to serve from 3/6/1976 to 30/6/1996. My first ship was commissioned in 1946, and was the USS Anthony Damato (DD 871). Obtained my Shellback certificate while assigned to VAQ-138 aboard the USS Nimitz (CVN-68). Crossing the equator and going through the Shellback initiation has been a time honored tradition, which I suspect has become watered down, and made more politically correct. But it was a ritual I wanted to go through, and I've never had any regrets. Once a Sailor, always a Sailor.

[UtahPete]

I see a few Navy Vets on the forum. Any ShellBacks?

Shellback and Golden Shellback. USS Bainbridge and USS Long Beach.

[4 MARIE]

Brown Shoe Ordnanceman, EA6B, A7E, Coral Sea, and Nimitz. Med. N Atlantic, Carib. Been a lot of places,
what sailor hasn't? Never did Shellback thing, but had plenty of shipmates on Coral Sea that had.
So I kind of have a feel for it. Thanks for the trip down memory lane.

[wyliec]

The closest I got to the equator was Guam; so, no ceremony for me. The only ceremonies I saw were bubbleheads getting their dolphins; that's where shots of top shelf liquors were poured into a pitcher, and then the dolphins dropped in.

Hey quasi, I'm going to start a different thread as not to muddle yours up, asking what Navy ship(s) any members were on. Who knows, their might be shipmates on here.

[Copperman]

I was in from '72 to '76, I spent 13 months in the Mediterranean stationed on board the USS Springfield CLG-7. We were the 6th fleet flagship home ported in Gaeta, Italy. I visited many ports while there. After returning to the States and decommissioning the Springfield, I was assigned to the USS Blandy DD947 (it had just returned from Nam). I then returned to the Med for a six month cruise.

I never went on a West-Pac cruise, although I would have liked to. So, no, I've never crossed the line.

MM3
Jerry

[ironbuttdean]

Bluenose in November
Golden Shellback the following February
TAD as a spook on lots of different subs

[donmorris]

USS Constellation CV-64 1977 South of Singapore.

Done in the days when men were men .... Whoops, sorry forgot my PC ....persons were persons and a sailor had a bargirl in every port.

And of course, we never butterflied. lol

As Bob, I'm never at home on Xmas Hope would say, "Thanks for the memories."

[quasi]

I see there are several of us shellbacks around here. a few radiomen also.
I crossed the line back in august 76 aboard the USS Thomas C Hart FF-1092, Unitas XVII cruise. (South America). down the atlantic side and up the other then thru the canal. I remember it as if it happened yesterday.

[ussoldier]

USS Constellation CV-64 1977 South of Singapore.

Done in the days when men were men .... Whoops, sorry forgot my PC ....persons were persons and a sailor had a bargirl in every port.

And of course, we never butterflied. lol

As Bob, I'm never at home on Xmas Hope would say, "Thanks for the memories."

My father was in the US Constellation CV-64. He served in 1966 to 1988. His last name Concepcion. Back than he was considered a serviceaman. I served in the US Navy, USS O'Brien DD-975. I got my shellback in 1994. Nobody got the Dragon?

[rudym]

I see a few Navy Vets on the forum. Any ShellBacks?

21 years, 4 months, 5 days, 11 hours, 32 seconds. I know because I loved every minute of my time doing EOD work in the Navy - and as for shell back - pretty hard to miss that adventure although I am glad the hazing nature of the celebrated event is in decline.

[acpd22]

Got mine on board the USS America. Summer of 1989 Med/IO deployment.

[PCBeachBum]

We were supposed to cross, but never made it in one of the three West-Pac tours I made on the USS Epperson DD 719. I forget today what the reason was and it was either due to being called back to follow carriers or to the gun line. We also had port rudder and bearing problems in starboard shaft, (not at the same time) and spent a total of about a week and a half in a floating dry dock in Subic......."Buy me drink"?

Collins BM3

[Devious56]

My father was in the US Constellation CV-64. He served in 1966 to 1988. His last name Concepcion. Back than he was considered a serviceaman. I served in the US Navy, USS O'Brien DD-975. I got my shellback in 1994. Nobody got the Dragon?

I'm a Shellback, and Golden Dragon.

David VonStein

[Bandera]

Do they even do Shellback ceremonies any more? With PC I would assume they either do not do it any more or just hand out the certificate without a ceremony.

Michael

[UtahPete]

I'm a Shellback, and Golden Dragon. David VonStein

What's a golden dragon? KKK?

Seriously, I haven't heard of it.