Bob - The Navy Years, Chapter 2

BOOT CAMP -SETTLING IN

That morning we were awakened, rather rudely, by somebody yelling that we had 10 minutes to Shit, Shower, and Shave and be standing at the foot of our bunks.  S, S and S was a standard Navy saying, as was having 10 minutes to do it. I'll insert at this point, so there will be no need to put it into everything that happens later, that everything we did we were yelled at, criticized, cussed at, and made to feel  less than human in everything we did. I never heard a kind word for those 10 weeks. As they put it, they weren't our mothers.  They felt the need to break you down, so they can build you back up to their specifications.
The first thing we did was to march  to another hall.  In there, on the floor, were taped off squares, about 3' across, and we each occupied a square.  They gave each of us a box and a roll of tape.  Directions:  "Strip completely naked, put everything you brought with you, including all your clothes, into that box, tape it up, address it to your parents.  That's the last you'll see of that civilian crap!"  And it was.

Then, line up again.  First stop in the line, a person measured you for clothing.  Waist, chest, head, inseam, arm length, any other thing that they needed to know the size of.  Then, still standing there naked as the day we were born, we were handed our seabag. Which, for you landlubbers, is the same as an Army Duffle Bag.
Now, we inserted our arms into the bag to hold it open in front of us with our hands and elbows, a paper hanging from our mouth with all the measurements written on it, we walked, stopping at each open window for someone to read the paper hanging from our mouths, throw the right size clothes in our bag until all our clothing needs were issued to us. Hats, socks, underwear, dungarees, white uniforms, blue uniforms, Navy Pea coat, Toboggan (called a Watch Cap), handkerchiefs, neckerchiefs, toiletries, bar soap, bucket, brush. Namely, everything we needed, not just for the next 10 weeks, but for our next 4 years in the Navy.  We'll get to the bucket and brush later.
After getting dressed in a new uniform, we marched to our new home. Our barracks.  We were each assigned a bunk. This company consisted of 85 people, who would spend the next 10 weeks living together and learning how to be a sailor.
The first few days, besides getting all our gear issued, was spent getting other things done.  The 'military haircut', shots, learning how to fold all those new clothes and store them in your locker, how to make up your bunk, etc.  They were very particular. 85 recruits in one large room. Each row of beds to be perfectly aligned, each bag of dirty clothes tied up exactly the same way in perfect alignment. Every locker looking exactly the same.  Now, these weren't lockable lockers. They were open, so all clothes were folded and put in the right place, exactly like the one next door.  One of the things done was to stencil your name on everything you owned, as this would be the only way to tell them apart.  This pretty much occupied the time the first couple of days, then we started on our actual training.  It will be hard to describe a typical day, because most days weren't very typical, but I'll try.

to be continued........