Joyce came across these stripes today as she was sorting through some old mementos. I had not seen them for 42 years. The 2 stripes showed I was at the lowest level in the navy at that time. The atom with wings depicted me as an aviation electronics technician, or as the aviation mechanics called us "Tweets." I have no idea where that came from, or why.
Even after all the initial schooling the navy put me through, I still, like everyone else, Had to do duty cleaning compartments, cleaning toilets, working in the galley for another 3 months. The galley was the worst, because the days were all 12 hour shifts. Those are long days scraping metal trays, washing them by the thousand for 3 meals and then the final coup de gras, emptying 50 gallon trash cans filled with slop. After 93 days, I was released from the galley to go back to my outfit. The first day after work at the squadron, I headed over to the galley for supper and was put on report by one of the Master at Arms guys because I was still in dungarees after the hour when we were supposed to switch over to the uniform of the day (I don't think they have that rule anymore). So I went to see the chief Master at Arms. He gave me the option of 1 week of extra duty or go to captain's mast for non-judicial trial and punishment. So I chose to add another 4 hours a day to my regular shift and I was back to 12 hour days. It got even worse because the squadron was on the other side of the island from the barracks with no way to get back there after my 4 hours of extra duty, so I had to sleep in the line shack and missed a lot of meals that week.
Even after all the initial schooling the navy put me through, I still, like everyone else, Had to do duty cleaning compartments, cleaning toilets, working in the galley for another 3 months. The galley was the worst, because the days were all 12 hour shifts. Those are long days scraping metal trays, washing them by the thousand for 3 meals and then the final coup de gras, emptying 50 gallon trash cans filled with slop. After 93 days, I was released from the galley to go back to my outfit. The first day after work at the squadron, I headed over to the galley for supper and was put on report by one of the Master at Arms guys because I was still in dungarees after the hour when we were supposed to switch over to the uniform of the day (I don't think they have that rule anymore). So I went to see the chief Master at Arms. He gave me the option of 1 week of extra duty or go to captain's mast for non-judicial trial and punishment. So I chose to add another 4 hours a day to my regular shift and I was back to 12 hour days. It got even worse because the squadron was on the other side of the island from the barracks with no way to get back there after my 4 hours of extra duty, so I had to sleep in the line shack and missed a lot of meals that week.
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