A Real Sailor
Sent to us by Frank Roche
One bright and sunny day aboard the WILHOITE while painting the deck on the fantail my now good friend Bill "Doc" West came strolling by. Being new aboard the ship (he reported aboard after I did) we struck up a casual conversation. After a while I asked him how long he was in the NAVY. After a few seconds he replied and I quote: "All me bloomin' life, seaman Roche! Me mother was a mermaid, me father was King Neptune. I was born on the crest of a wave and rocked in the cradle of the deep. Seaweed and barnacles are me clothes. Every tooth in me head is a marlinspike; the hair on me head is hemp. Every bone in me body is a spar and when I spits, I spits tar! I'se hard, I is, I am, I are!"
I was going to say, "What are you some kind of nut." Then I realized that this was the guy who would be giving me shots and seeing to my overall health needs. True story? I don't know but according to naval personnel records his birth certificate is located in Davy Jones' Locker. I wrote to Davy Jones but the postal service returned it as addressee unknown. Maybe you can ask Doc if you visit the beautiful hills of Tennessee. Good luck there too.