I just tried my blues on,,, dont think i would go outside, my
kids prob. would't let me walk with them, my top half is a lot bigger
than i thought,(i think the right word is,,fatter)
Well, if they would of fit, that would have been kool, the kids would have liked it..
I would just love to know what happened to all the old things like a P-Coat and Rain coat even the sea bag. I would just like to have more than just pictures of a much slimmer Sailor. It's been years since I would have been to go through a standard skutle hatch. All I have left is two ribbons and lots of memories.
Steve
just recently got rid of everything except my blues,
all part of getting ready to down size, i wont have room for most of the stuff, its been a good life, i hope the last chapter is as great
as the others,,, now,, if i can just stay healthy everything will be great..
My youngest daughter has my P coat and I have my sea bag. I took my sea bag on the final cruise because they told us to bring flexible luggage. The young man who was my first escort asked if that was the one I had when I was in. The sea bags they have today are like knap sacks they have two straps that you hang from your shoulders. All the rest of my gear I gave to my ex brother in law. I regret it because it would be neat to see it all again. Especially that Donald Duck hat.
The Donald Duck hat...now that really brings back the memories. In Sept 1959 I went from boot camp to Phila. for ABU school (Cats & Arresting Gear). Immediately after checking in I was told to retrace my steps and check out - I was going mess cooking at the ABG (Fuels) Hi-Cap Facility at Bayonne, New Jersey. There the Donald Duck hat was required for dress blues, including while on liberty. It was the only time while I was in the Navy that I was authorized to wear it. I was told that the New York/Northern New Jersey Naval District (Third?) was the last Naval District to allow the flat hat during the winter of 59/60. When I returned to Phila prior January, the flat hat was not authorized in that Naval District.
I seem to recall that the primary reason for doing away with the flat hat (Donald Duck) was the inability for drivers to see sailors in uniform when everything was navy blue color - very dark. Back in those days, a sailor's primary mode of transportation was hitch hiking. Too many sailors killed/injured. I was glad I got the chance to wear it with my uniform. It was indeed very cool...especially since the primary liberty area from Bayonne, N.J. was N.Y. City, right across the river.
I tried mine on a few minutes ago. I have either become a gross 'fathead' or that thing shrunk after 50 plus years in the closet. Also, my uniforms fit about as well as the Donald Duck hat!
I let one of my nieces wear my custom-made dress blues and my pea coat to a halloween party years ago.
that's the last I saw them even though she insists she returned them. The only thing i have is a set of
ribbons and a couple of shoulder patches. Gave away a ****load of dungarees, when I got too fat to wear
them. Never thought I'd regret not having the uni, even if I couldn't get my new super-sized self in it.
Carl,I joined in Nov.59.The 1st. year at Floyd Bennet Field I'm pretty sure we wore the donald duck hat,Maybe during that winter it was discontinued.I'm pretty sure you were with us because we all went on active duty in Nov of 60.First the Brookly Navy yard and then assigned to the Kitty Hawk in Phily.
