.
Author: Brendan
15. Seven Words
.
14. Clouds Before the Moon
.
13. Sucking Rubber
“Silence on the line, silence on the line! Fire, fire, fire! Fire in propulsion lube oil bay! Class bravo fire in propulsion lube oil bay! Fire, fire, fire!” After notifying the crew in maneuvering, I quickly donned my emergency air breathing apparatus. The general alarm was sounded. This noise was like someone with a low… Continue reading 13. Sucking Rubber
12. Sunny Day, Dark Knight
“Hey Droughton, we saw you on your motorcycle Saturday heading out of Waikiki.” I was passing through the mess deck on my way to the engine room when some coners sitting at a table there stopped me. “Yeah, I was in Waikiki Saturday afternoon on the bike… could have been me.” “With that fucking flaming… Continue reading 12. Sunny Day, Dark Knight
11. Knowledge and Power
“Droughton, front and center. Everyone else, dismissed.” “Crap,” I thought to myself, “What did I do this time?” It was best just to be honest with Queen La Chiefa because he knew everything. Oh yeah, he knew everything about the ship, plus he saw and heard everything going on inside of it too. He could… Continue reading 11. Knowledge and Power
10. Wai Momi (part two)
I’m a loner. I ride alone. I drink alone. I sleep alone. (Maybe that last one wasn’t all that great.) But the point is, as a loner, I had limitless possibilities. Like I’ve been saying, it felt like the world was my oyster. Yet I’m not sure if I was a perfect loner. I seemed… Continue reading 10. Wai Momi (part two)
9. Wai Momi (part one)
The world is my oyster! So many possibilities! Life is good! That’s what I thought when pulling back into port. My world with all these possibilities was pretty small, but that was fine with me. Once free, I really only thought about whatever the possibilities were for the three most important aspects of life: Where… Continue reading 9. Wai Momi (part one)
8. More Dubious Flirtation
Who controls reactor power? I was standing in front of Queen La Chiefa for my Engine Room Lower Level qualification interview when he asked me that question. This was before pulling into port during the last underway, and this was big time for me. I was being grilled for my first “steaming watch,” meaning the… Continue reading 8. More Dubious Flirtation
7. Long, Hard, and Full of Seamen
“DIVE! DIVE!” <AROOOOOT, AROOOOOT> “DIVE! DIVE!” The Chief of the Watch made those announcements over the 1MC ship-wide announcing circuit under orders passed from the Captain, to the Officer of the Deck, to the Diving Officer, and then finally to him. That COW-boy also sounded the modern digitized dive alarm. The 688 class did not… Continue reading 7. Long, Hard, and Full of Seamen
6. Kalikimaka Morning, Napunani Nights
I suppose you do eventually get used to waking up with another man in your room. So used to it in fact, that when your eyes open up before your alarm goes off, once alert, you immediately stand poised to hit that fucker hard and fast so he doesn’t wake up. (The clock. You hit… Continue reading 6. Kalikimaka Morning, Napunani Nights
5. Two Fists in the Wind
“Riding a motorcycle is the most fun you can have with your clothes on!” I’ve long since forgotten who had first imparted that pearl of wisdom to me, but I was about to put this statement to the test. You see, I was impatiently waiting at the last traffic light on the Kalanianaole Highway before… Continue reading 5. Two Fists in the Wind
4. Dubious Flirtation
The USS San Francisco was just hours away from getting underway. It was time for us to bring her to life. I was standing an under instruction watch in engine room lower level with Jay-Jay during the startup. We were just a couple of dudes in the engine room when—wait. Sorry. Forgot. There are no… Continue reading 4. Dubious Flirtation
3. Treasure Island
“Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men; the other nine hundred and ninety-nine follow women.” Groucho Marx was right. Queen La Chiefa was one in a thousand and a natural leader of men. However, I only followed Chief Queen because I had to. Once he cut us loose for the day,… Continue reading 3. Treasure Island
2. Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair
I had gone to the USS San Francisco. “Request permission to come aboard.” I was speaking to the topside watch on the pier. Upon returning from an early dinner at the galley that evening, I found a note taped to my door at the Paquet Hall enlisted bachelors’ quarters. The San Fran had returned to… Continue reading 2. Be Sure to Wear Some Flowers in Your Hair
1. Aloha
“Ladies and gentlemen, as we begin our descent into Honolulu, please make sure that your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position, that your seat belt is securely fastened, and that all carry-on luggage is stowed underneath the seat in front of you or in the overhead compartment.” So far, looking out the window above the… Continue reading 1. Aloha