Ah, military traditions. Youngest son recently sent me a text message, “Today’s Army puts a whole new meaning to SNAFU”.
My reply was along the lines of TRADITION; all militaries from time immortal; welcome to the brotherhood of arms. Perhaps he is correct. This Army has powerful computers not available in the past.
My late father returned from WWII duty in India on a Liberty ship via Cape Hope. The trip took fifty eight days. At some point in the journey the bow started splitting. The ship sailed the rest of the way stern first. The trip was much longer than anticipated and they started running out of food. While they didn’t starve, they were hungry. Now that is a SNAFU!
My more modest SNAFU was aboard the General Rose.(Pictured) Our nine day trip took fourteen days. The powers that were never bothered to tell us lowly enlisted swine why. Perhaps it was the North Atlantic in January. The food never stopped but our smuggled alcohol supply proved inadequate. If I wanted to feel bad about my status, the 200 or so airman aboard provide endless entertainment. A most unhappy group who thought a troop ship was beneath them. Of course, we tried to cheer their spirits.
Youngest son will survive, bitching and complaining like the millions before him. Seriously, I feel his pain. It is like being stuck in a long line of traffic, behind the slowest common idiot, with no hope to escape.
4 comments:
Neat post. Your poor father 58 days, damn. I dont really think you can compare todays army and the army you served in and the army your father served in. Shit it really was not that long ago the army was on horses chasing drunkin indians around the brush. The 1990s tech boom changed the whole world for ever and ever. Our country is so young. Our armed forces are young as well. Plus it seems to me every "war" we have been in since ww2 has been a big night mare, not that any war is good. so maybe we are not as advance as we think we are?
Old NFO has left a new comment on your post "Military Traditions":
Heh- THAT is why I went into aviation :-) Didn't have to walk to work, and the airplane couldn't leave without me !!!
Now Old NFO. Your sortie in your assigned aircraft maybe but I doubt the Navy is SNAFU free.
Well seasoned, Your military terminology sure took me back a few years. I remember that my first assignment over the pond. It was debated whether or not I would go MSTS or aircraft....The debate didn't last long..I chose aircraft and got it...a much shorter trip than by ship and I thank God for the decision. I get out of the sight of land and get sick. back then the writtings on the latrine walls was "kilroy was here", along with other words of wisdom.....That was a while ago...about 58 years.....Wow! how time flies when one's having fun....
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